Haiti: Requirements and procedures to obtain a police certificate, criminal record, and certificate of good conduct (certificat de bonne vie et moeurs) from within Haiti and from outside of Haiti; whether these documents are being issued by the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (Direction centrale de la police judiciaire, DCPJ) (2022–January 2025)
1. Requirements and Procedures to Obtain Documents from Within Haiti
1.1 Police Certificate [Police Record]
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicates that police certificates can be obtained from within Haiti at the DCPJ, which is located at boulevard Toussaint Louverture, route de l'aéroport prolongée, Clercine 6, in Port-au-Prince (Canada 2024-08-28). The same source states that individuals living in Haiti must apply in person and submit the following:
- a letter from IRCC stating that you must get a Haitian police certificate
- the receipt for the applicable fees that you paid at the [General Directorate of Taxes (Direction générale des impôts, DGI)] (available in French only)
- a copy of the first page of your passport showing your name and passport number
- a copy of your birth certificate (Acte de naissance or Extrait des Archives [n]ationales [Extract from the National Archives])
- a copy of your national identity card
- a copy of your marriage certificate if you're married (Acte de marriage)
- two copies of a recent identification (passport) photograph [the French version of the same IRCC webpage, dated 2018, indicates that 4 photos are needed (Canada 2018-08-01), while the English version, dated 2024, indicates that 2 photos are needed (Canada 2024-08-28)]
- two separate identification documents with your picture (e.g. passport, electoral card, etc.)
- a copy of your fingerprints (will be taken at the DCPJ). (Canada 2024-08-28)
The Australian Department of Home Affairs similarly indicates that Haitian citizens residing in Haiti may apply for a police certificate in person at the DCPJ office in Port-au-Prince, and must comply with the following requirements:
Documents required
- a letter from the Department of Home Affairs stating that you must obtain a Haitian police certificate
- pay applicable fees (at the [DGI]) and bring the receipt
- four copies of a recent identification photograph
- two separate identification documents with your picture (e.g. passport, electoral card, etc.)
- your fingerprints (taken at the DCPJ). (Australia 2024-09-23, bold in original)
Finally, the US Department of State's Reciprocity Schedule for Haiti indicates that police certificates are "only" issued from within Haiti by the DCPJ and can be requested by the applicant or by their representative in person after paying a fee of 102 Haitian gourdes (HTG) [C$1.12] (US n.d.). The same source adds that police certificates have a blue seal and the signature of the DCPJ director, and that certified copies are not available (US n.d.).
1.2 Criminal Record
According to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), criminal records are either issued by the DCPJ or a court of first instance (tribunal de première instance) of the applicant's municipality in Haiti (UN n.d.). The same source adds that, in cases where the document is issued by a court of first instance, the applicant must [translation] "make sure that the signature et seal from the registrar appear indeed on the document, as well as the endorsement and seal of the dean of the court. Both signatures and both seals are mandatory" (UN n.d.).
The US Reciprocity Schedule provides the following information regarding prison, court, and criminal records issued from within Haiti:
Prison Records
Available. For persons imprisoned in the Port-au-Prince area, from the commandant of the penitentiary of Port-au-Prince. The certificate is an informal document issued without charge under the seal of the penitentiary. There are also prisons in other, larger towns of Haiti, from which prison records may be obtained.
Court Records
Available
Fees: The certificate is a document issued under the seal of the Court. The cost is 100 HTG [C$1.10].
Document Name: Casier [j]udiciare (Criminal Record).
Issuing Authority: Court records may be obtained from the Courthouse.
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Wet blue seal. Civil Court seal which indicates the name of the issuing court.
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Dean of the Court or the Government Commissioner.
Registration Criteria: None
Procedure for Obtaining: Present at civil court to request the record. Can be picked up after a minimum of 15 days.
Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available
Alternate Documents: There are no alternate documents
Exceptions: None
Comments: It is issued by the civil court in the town in which the individual was incarcerated. Issuance requires a minimum of 15 days. (US n.d., bold in original)
1.3 Certificate of Good Conduct
Sources indicate that the following organizations deliver certificates of good conduct:
- DCPJ (Belgium 2025-02-05);
- Haitian National Police (Police nationale d'Haïti, PNH) (HaitiLibre 2023-10-10);
- Registrar of the court of first instance of Port-au-Prince (Haiti 2023-12-20).
Additional information on the requirements and procedures to obtain a certificate of good conduct from within Haiti could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
2. Requirements and Procedures to Obtain Documents from Outside of Haiti
Information on the requirements and procedures to obtain a criminal record or certificate of good conduct from outside of Haiti was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the consular section of the Embassy of Haiti in Ottawa stated that persons located in Canada can take the following preliminary steps to obtain a police certificate, criminal record, or certificate of good conduct:
- Applicants can have their fingerprints taken at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or other authorized institution, and get them notarized by a Canadian notary before having them authenticated at the Embassy. Fingerprint documents issued by the RCMP headquarters in Ottawa do not need to be notarized.
- Applicants may provide the document with their fingerprints along with a valid identity document, in person or by mail to the Embassy of Haiti in Ottawa, for legalization (the legalized document can be given to the applicant either the same day or after 3 working days).
- Applicants must send the authenticated document to the DCPJ in Haiti and follow the appropriate procedures (Haiti 2025-01-24).
2.1 Police Certificate
According to IRCC, persons living outside of Haiti can have a "friend or a family member in Haiti" apply for a police certificate at the DCPJ and submit the following documents on their behalf:
- A letter from IRCC stating that you must get a Haitian police certificate
- A copy of your national identity card
- Two copies of a recent identification photograph
- A copy of the first page of your passport (page with name and passport number)
- A copy of your birth certificate (Acte de naissance or Extrait des Archives [n]ationales)
- A copy of your marriage certificate if you're married (Acte de marriage)
- A copy of your fingerprints
- Fingerprints must be taken at a police station in your place of residence (subject to local rules and procedures) or at your nearest Haitian consulate. (Canada 2024-08-28, bold in original)
Similarly, the Australian Department of Home Affairs reports that Haitian police certificates can be obtained from abroad as follows:
Citizens not resident
You should send the following documents to a friend or family member in Haiti who can apply on your behalf at the [DCPJ] in Port-au-Prince.
Documents required
- a letter from the Department of Home Affairs stating that you must obtain a Haitian police certificate
- four copies of a recent identification photograph
- a copy of the first page of your passport (page with name and passport number)
- a copy of your birth certificate
- your fingerprints
Note
Fingerprints must be taken at a police station in your place of residence or at your nearest Haitian Consulate. (Australia 2024-09-23, bold in original)
3. Whether These Documents Are Being Issued by the DCPJ
Information on whether the DCPJ is issuing these documents was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
According to Le Devoir, a Quebec newspaper, the DCPJ [translation] "is at the forefront of the war against gangs and the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse"; armed gangs have targeted institutions like the courthouse and police stations "at various times since 2022" (2024-03-20). According to the Haitian Times, an online news source focused on Haiti and Haitian-Americans (The Haitian Times n.d.), the PNH "is severely understaffed and struggling against entrenched gang violence," and its "resources [are] stretched thin" (2025-01-13). According to Vant Bèf Info (VBI), a Haitian news website, there are [translation] "problems related to the issuance of police certificates (criminal record) to Haitians living outside the country" (2024-12-11).The article by Le Devoir details a Canadian citizen's struggle to sponsor their spouse from Haiti into Canada and quotes her as saying that [translation] "[a]ttempting" to obtain a police certificate was "'really complicated'"; she added that requestors "'need to know the right person' and be very patient," and that requesting a document [in person at the DCPJ's office] puts her spouse's "'life in danger'," due to risks related to moving around Port-au-Prince (2024-03-20). For information on the security situation in Haiti, see Response to Information Request HTI201332 of June 2023.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Australia. 2024-09-23. Department of Home Affairs. "List of Locations: Haiti." [Accessed 2025-01-08]
Belgium. 2025-02-05. Embassy in Cuba. "Légalisation de documents." [Accessed 2025-02-10]
Canada. 2024-08-28. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). "How to Get a Police Certificate – Haiti." [Accessed 2024-12-09]
Canada. 2018-08-01. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). "Comment obtenir un certificat de police – Haïti." [Accessed 2025-02-04]
Le Devoir. 2024-03-20. Sarah R. Champagne. "Une Québécoise attend depuis trois ans son mari coincé en Haïti." [Accessed 2025-01-07]
Haiti. 2025-01-24. Embassy in Ottawa. Correspondence from the consular section to the Research Directorate.
Haiti. 2023-12-20. Commission nationale des marchés publics (CNMP). "Avis de recrutement." [Accessed 2025-02-10]
The Haitian Times. 2025-01-13. Dieugo André & Juhakenson Blaise. "Haiti's National Police Adds 739 Officers to a Depleted Force." [Accessed 2025-02-03]
The Haitian Times. N.d. "About The Haitian Times." [Accessed 2025-02-05]
HaitiLibre. 2023-10-10. "L'armée d'Haïti recrute des cadets, inscriptions ouvertes." [Accessed 2025-02-10]
United Nations (UN). N.d. International Organization for Migration (IOM). "Renseignements sur la demande de visa." [Accessed 2025-01-07]
United States (US). N.d. Department of State. "Haiti Reciprocity Schedule." [Accessed 2025-01-02]
Vant Bèf Info (VBI). 2024-12-11. Mederson Alcindor. "La ministre Kathia Verdier veut faciliter l'obtention des certificats de police aux haitiens de la diaspora." [Accessed 2025-02-03]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Assistant professor at a university in the US who specializes in political and legal anthropology and has written a number of publications on Haiti; Haiti – embassy in Washington; independent journalist who has been living in Haiti for several years; law firms based in Haiti (7).
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Austrian Red Cross – ecoi.net; France – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; The Guardian; Haiti – embassies in Melbourne, Ottawa, and Washington, DC; Human Rights Watch; InSight Crime; International Crisis Group; The New York Times; New Zealand – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; Reuters; UN – Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refworld.