# Police Checks from Ireland



## soozyq (Jan 25, 2010)

Just a quick question for anyone from Ireland that is moving or has moved to Canada. How long does it take to get a police check done? I think I understand how to go about getting one done but the garda website is not very informative on time scale.
Thanks
Susan


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## Weeney (May 3, 2010)

Hi Soozyq, we applied to the superintendents office in our local garda station in writing requesting garda clearances for a visa application. We included a self addressed envelope and got our certs within 3 days - no fee. You will need to include your address and date of birth and any relevant dates. Hope this helps!


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## soozyq (Jan 25, 2010)

Weeney said:


> Hi Soozyq, we applied to the superintendents office in our local garda station in writing requesting garda clearances for a visa application. We included a self addressed envelope and got our certs within 3 days - no fee. You will need to include your address and date of birth and any relevant dates. Hope this helps!


Hi Weeney,
Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. 
Susan


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## Floodzer (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi Susan
Just a quick mail to see how you got on. Myself and my wife + child have decided to move to Canada and went down to our local Garda station to get our background check completed. But the Garda behind the desk give us a form "Application For Police Certificate of Character". 
On this form you have to get a letter from the embassy stating that you are in the process of getting a visa.
Now I have rang the embassy and they but me through to London then London gave me a email address to send of too. As of yet I have no reply. 

So my question is do you need this letter and if so how do you get it??

Cheers
Padraic


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## soozyq (Jan 25, 2010)

Floodzer said:


> Hi Susan
> Just a quick mail to see how you got on. Myself and my wife + child have decided to move to Canada and went down to our local Garda station to get our background check completed. But the Garda behind the desk give us a form "Application For Police Certificate of Character".
> On this form you have to get a letter from the embassy stating that you are in the process of getting a visa.
> Now I have rang the embassy and they but me through to London then London gave me a email address to send of too. As of yet I have no reply.
> ...


Hi Padraic, 
I did as Weeney suggested and applied to the superintendents office in our local garda station in writing requesting police certificates for a visa application.
I only did this yesterday and got a call today to say we should have this back in a couple of days. 
They advised that the certificate that they would issue is purely for the visa application and any further police checks or vetting specifically requested by an employer for example would need to be applied for through the garda vetting unit in Thurles.

Click here to go to garda page

Hope this info is useful.
Susan


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## aniaaa (May 3, 2011)

Floodzer said:


> Hi Susan
> Just a quick mail to see how you got on. Myself and my wife + child have decided to move to Canada and went down to our local Garda station to get our background check completed. But the Garda behind the desk give us a form "Application For Police Certificate of Character".
> On this form you have to get a letter from the embassy stating that you are in the process of getting a visa.
> Now I have rang the embassy and they but me through to London then London gave me a email address to send of too. As of yet I have no reply.
> ...


Hi Padric, just wondering...do you still have the latter you sent to Gardai for police check? Would love to get a copy of it if possible. 

Cheers,
Anna


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## soozyq (Jan 25, 2010)

aniaaa said:


> Hi Padric, just wondering...do you still have the latter you sent to Gardai for police check? Would love to get a copy of it if possible.
> 
> Cheers,
> Anna


Hi Anna,
If it is just a standard police check you want to obtain the visa, if you PM me your email address I can forward the letter we sent to our local superintendent in Co. Galway
Sooz


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## wakemeupalready (Sep 20, 2011)

soozyq said:


> Hi Anna,
> If it is just a standard police check you want to obtain the visa, if you PM me your email address I can forward the letter we sent to our local superintendent in Co. Galway
> Sooz


Hey Soozi! I'm a little confused as I have been asked to provide a Garda check with my International Experience Program application for Canada. I live in Belfast so I dont know where my nearest Garda station would be. Could send me a copy of this letter that you used to apply for your check?

It would be greatly appreciated!!


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## soozyq (Jan 25, 2010)

wakemeupalready said:


> Hey Soozi! I'm a little confused as I have been asked to provide a Garda check with my International Experience Program application for Canada. I live in Belfast so I dont know where my nearest Garda station would be. Could send me a copy of this letter that you used to apply for your check?
> 
> It would be greatly appreciated!!


If you are in Northern Ireland and have not lived in the republic you will need a police check not a garda check. If you have lived in the Republic it will be the closest Garda station to where you lived. 

If you think the Garda check still applies please PM your email address and I will send on the letter.

Sooz


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## wakemeupalready (Sep 20, 2011)

soozyq said:


> If you are in Northern Ireland and have not lived in the republic you will need a police check not a garda check. If you have lived in the Republic it will be the closest Garda station to where you lived.
> 
> If you think the Garda check still applies please PM your email address and I will send on the letter.
> 
> Sooz


Yeah soozi it's definitely a Garda check I need as the regular police check only applies to applicants applying under the British program.

If you could Email me the letter that would be fantastic!


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## soozyq (Jan 25, 2010)

wakemeupalready said:


> Yeah soozi it's definitely a Garda check I need as the regular police check only applies to applicants applying under the British program.
> 
> If you could Email me the letter that would be fantastic!


Write a letter to your local garda superintendent stating the reason you are requesting the garda check (e.g work permit for Canada), then you list all the addresses you lived in, in the Republic of Ireland and the dates you lived there. Then you give your telephone number and they will probably give you a call to confirm everything. It usually takes about a week and it does not cost anything. Remember to include a self stamped addressed envelope.


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## nica1 (Jan 7, 2013)

soozyq said:


> Hi Anna,
> If it is just a standard police check you want to obtain the visa, if you PM me your email address I can forward the letter we sent to our local superintendent in Co. Galway
> Sooz


Dear Susan,
I would be grateful if you also could send the letter to me: annazavil(at)gmail(dot)com, because we also had a problem when we asked Garda. They gave us a form to fill and requested a letter from embassy,
Best regards
Nica


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## soozyq (Jan 25, 2010)

nica1 said:


> Dear Susan,
> I would be grateful if you also could send the letter to me: annazavil(at)gmail(dot)com, because we also had a problem when we asked Garda. They gave us a form to fill and requested a letter from embassy,
> Best regards
> Nica


Hi Nica,
I can no longer locate the letter I sent. All I did was write a letter to our local garda superintendent stating that we were requesting a garda check for a work permit for Canada, with that I sent a list of all the addresses I lived in, in the Republic of Ireland and the dates I lived there. Then I gave my telephone number. They gave me a call to confirm everything. It took about a week and it did not cost anything. Remember to include a self stamped addressed envelope. 
Susan


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## nica1 (Jan 7, 2013)

Hi Susan,
Thank you for your reply.
I am wondering if I should send the letter to the Garda station where we were yesterday (it is the local Garda Station for the part of Cork where I live) or another? Yesterday Garda asked us for letter from embassy.
Also I have a question regarding to a form. Should we send the letters separately ? or all together in one letter (me + husband).
Thanks for all your help.
Nica


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## nica1 (Jan 7, 2013)

Dear Susan,
I am following through the link you have mentioned on 1st March 2011, 04:49 PM 
And I don't know what should I put in the:
"The place and purpose for which you require the Certificate"
as a purpose I understand a visa requirements, but the place... Canadian embassy ? should I put here the explicit embassy address?
Thank you for all your help.
Best regards
Nica


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