How long is a police certificate valid for Express Entry?
It doesn't expire — which is why the usual framing misleads. IRCC constrains when it was issued relative to when you submit: for the country you currently live in, no more than 6 months before your submission date. For other countries the rule is different again.
“The police certificate for the country where you currently live must be issued no more than 6 months before the date you submit your application. For any other country, the police certificate must be issued after the last time you stayed there for 6 months in a row or longer.”
Source: IRCC — Police certificates · last checked 2026-08-31
When this answer doesn’t apply
- · The 6-month rule is for the country you currently live in. Certificates for other countries follow the second rule quoted above.
- · Issuing authorities set their own processing times, which are not part of this rule.
These are limits of the answer, not a judgment about any reader’s situation. Working out which apply is yours to do.
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