What Is a Criminal Record?
A criminal record is an official record of a person’s criminal convictions. In Canada, for example, details of every conviction are stored in a federal database called the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), which law enforcement agencies can access nationwide. If you were convicted of a crime as an adult in Canada (and have not received a pardon or a court-ordered discharge), you will have a criminal record in this database.
Minor charges that did not lead to conviction (or convictions that were overturned or expunged) generally do not count as an active criminal record, but the record will reflect all convictions that remain in force.
Importantly, a criminal record is not permanent in every case. If a person completes their sentence and demonstrates good conduct for a defined period, they may be eligible for a record suspension (formerly known as a pardon) in Canada. A record suspension does not erase the conviction, but it seals the record in CPIC, so it no longer appears in routine criminal background checks.
Other countries have similar concepts (such as “spent” convictions in the UK or expungement in the United States) that limit public access to older or minor criminal records after a period of time. The effect is that once your record is suspended or expunged, your name typically won’t show up as having a conviction when authorities perform a standard criminal record search.
Does a Criminal Record Show on a Passport?
Your criminal record is not printed on your passport.
Passports are identification and citizenship documents. They contain your personal data (name, date of birth, nationality, photo, etc.), but they do not include criminal history or any indication of past offenses. If you have a DUI or any conviction, it will not be written on the passport or encoded in the passport chip.
However, travelers are right to be concerned about how a record might surface during travel. When an immigration or border officer scans your passport at a foreign entry point, they aren’t reading your criminal history from the passport itself – instead, they may be checking your name against their own security databases.
In other words, while the passport document holds no criminal information, the act of scanning it can trigger a background check in the destination country’s systems. If that country has access to data about your criminal record (or if you previously disclosed your record in a visa application), then your past convictions might come to light during the entry screening.
For example, United States border officials have access to Canadian criminal databases. When a Canadian passport is scanned at a U.S. border, the system can flag if the traveler has a criminal record in Canada. The passport itself isn’t revealing the record, but the linked computer systems are. In contrast, many other countries do not have such direct data-sharing (more on that below), so a routine passport scan in those places would not automatically show your criminal past. The key takeaway is that a passport by itself does not show a criminal record, but border authorities can discover your record through separate databases or questions if they have the means and reason to check.
Can You Travel With a Canadian Criminal Record?
Having a Canadian criminal record does not automatically prevent you from traveling abroad, as long as you meet certain conditions.
Many people specifically wonder: “Can you leave the country with a criminal record?” In Canada, the answer is generally yes – if you are a Canadian citizen with a valid passport, you can legally depart Canada even if you have past convictions. Canadian law does not forbid former offenders from obtaining a passport or leaving the country, except in particular circumstances.
The main scenarios that could stop you from leaving Canada are court-imposed travel restrictions or ongoing legal proceedings. For instance, if you are currently charged with a serious crime (an indictable offence) and awaiting trial, or if you are on probation/parole with a condition not to travel, then you may be barred from leaving Canada until those conditions are lifted. Likewise, if a judge specifically ordered you to remain in the jurisdiction as part of your sentence, that will legally prevent you from taking an international trip.
Aside from such cases, simply having an old criminal record is not a barrier to getting a Canadian passport or exiting the country. In fact, Canadian passport applications do not even ask about ordinary criminal convictions. (The only criminal conviction that directly disqualifies someone from getting a passport is a conviction for passport fraud itself, such as forging or falsifying a passport document. And of course, being in prison will prevent travel until release.)
It’s important to understand, though, that having the right to leave Canada doesn’t guarantee the right to enter another country. Your Canadian passport proves your citizenship and identity and lets you depart Canada, but every country you visit has its own entry rules. A passport essentially acts as your “exit ticket” from Canada and an identity credential abroad – it does not override foreign immigration laws or “force” another country to admit you.
If you have a criminal record, whether you can travel freely will depend largely on the policies of your destination country. Some countries may wave you through with no questions asked, while others may refuse entry or impose extra visa requirements because of your record.
Key points for Canadian travelers with a record:
You should complete your entire sentence (including any probation) before traveling internationally. Over 185 countries and territories allow Canadians to visit for short stays without a visa, and most of these do not proactively screen for criminal records at the border.
Typically, issues arise if you need to apply for a visa or permit in advance – the application will often ask about criminal history, or require a police certificate. Additionally, if you plan to work, study, or stay long-term in another country, expect a thorough background check.
Always research the entry requirements of your destination beforehand. In summary, you can leave Canada with a criminal record, but you must then navigate the entry rules of your destination country, which may impose their own restrictions.
Do Canada Countries Share Criminal Records?
There is no worldwide, unified criminal record system that every country can access. Countries do not automatically share most criminal record information with each other – but there are some notable exceptions and cooperative arrangements. Here’s a quick overview of how criminal record sharing works (or doesn’t) between certain countries:
| Countries | Shares Criminal Record? |
| Canada & United States | Canada and the U.S. have an extensive two-way exchange of criminal record data. U.S. border authorities can directly access Canadian criminal records (CPIC), and Canadian officials can see U.S. criminal databases. |
| Canada & Mexico | Canada does not share its criminal record database with Mexico. Mexican immigration usually has no direct access to Canadian criminal records. |
| United States & United Kingdom | There is no automatic criminal record sharing between the U.S. and UK. They may exchange information case-by-case (for example, for serious offenses or via INTERPOL), but routine travelers are not subject to a shared database. |
| European Union countries | Yes (within EU). EU member states share criminal records with each other through European information systems. However, this sharing mostly concerns convictions within Europe. Records from outside (like a Canadian record) aren’t automatically in the EU system unless provided or asked through specific channels. |
| Five Eyes Alliance (Canada, US, UK, Australia, NZ) | Partial. These close allies share intelligence and some criminal information for security purposes. While there isn’t a single unified database, there is a high level of cooperation. For example, Australia and New Zealand routinely exchange criminal history for visa vetting. |
Outside of these partnerships, most countries rely on individual visa applications or police certificate requests to learn about a traveler’s criminal history.
International police organizations like INTERPOL also facilitate sharing alerts about serious criminals (for example, if someone is wanted or poses a security threat), but minor or old convictions are typically not communicated globally. This means if you have, say, a decade-old minor offense in Canada, the majority of countries will not know about it unless you voluntarily disclose it or they specifically request a background check.
To summarize, apart from certain alliances (most notably the U.S. and Canada), countries generally do not have immediate access to each other’s criminal record databases. Each country makes decisions based on the information it has – which might come from your visa application, a background certificate you provide, or any data that was previously shared for security reasons.
What Countries Can You Travel to With a Canadian Criminal Record?
Every country has its own rules about admitting travelers with criminal records. The good news is that Canadian passport holders enjoy visa-free tourist entry to many countries, and if you are just going for a short vacation, you often won’t be asked about criminal history at all. However, some popular destinations do enforce restrictions. Below is a look at several countries and how they generally treat visitors with a criminal record:
United States
The U.S. has strict entry rules for people with criminal records. Certain convictions (e.g. drug offenses, crimes of “moral turpitude”) will make a traveler inadmissible. Canadian citizens do not need a visa to visit the U.S., but at the border the U.S. officers can refuse entry if your record shows a disqualifying offense.
A U.S. Entry Waiver is often required if you have a criminal record and wish to legally enter the U.S. This involves an application proving you are rehabilitated, and it must be obtained in advance. Without a waiver or evidence of admissibility, you risk being turned away at the border for past crimes.
United Kingdom
The UK can deny entry to foreigners with serious criminal histories, but it also recognizes the concept of “spent” convictions. If your conviction is old and the sentence was relatively light (for example, less than 30 months in prison), the UK may regard it as spent/redeemed after a certain period.
For Canadian tourists, there is no visa requirement for short visits, and there is typically no routine criminal background check at the border. In practice, Canadians with minor or old convictions usually enter the UK without issues. Only if you have a very serious or recent conviction (or if you are explicitly asked about it on an immigration form) might it become a barrier.
European Union (Schengen Area)
Canadians can travel to Schengen Area countries (like France, Germany, Italy, etc.) for up to 90 days without a visa. Currently, European border officials do not ask about criminal records for short tourist visits. A past conviction generally won’t surface during a routine entry stamp process, unless you are on an international watchlist.
However, the EU is introducing a system called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) by 2025. When ETIAS comes into effect, visa-exempt travelers (including Canadians) will have to apply online for travel authorization and answer questions about any recent serious criminal convictions.
Having a record won’t automatically bar you from Europe, but a very serious conviction (especially within the last 10-20 years) could lead to an ETIAS refusal requiring you to seek a visa instead. For ordinary travelers with minor records, Europe remains accessible.
Mexico
Mexico does not ask visa-free visitors from Canada about criminal history, and there is no routine background check for Canadian tourists arriving in Mexico. Mexico and Canada do not share criminal record data, so Mexican immigration authorities typically have no knowledge of a Canadian traveler’s past convictions.
As long as you aren’t on an international alert list, you can vacation in Mexico without your record causing an issue. (Do note that if you were transiting through the U.S. by air or land to reach Mexico, you’d need to meet U.S. entry requirements as well, due to the connection.)
Australia
Australia requires Canadians to obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or visa before arrival. The application will include questions about criminal convictions. Australian law has a “character test”: if you have a substantial criminal record (typically defined as a sentence of 12 months or more imprisonment, even if not served all at once), you will likely fail this test and be denied a visa.
Lesser or older offenses might not bar you, especially if you can show you are of good character now. In short, minor convictions might be overlooked for a tourist visa, but serious crimes will make you inadmissible to Australia. Always answer truthfully on the visa application, as providing false information is itself an offense that can get you banned.
Japan
Japan allows Canadian tourists to enter visa-free for short stays (up to 90 days), and usually no question about criminal history is asked at entry. However, Japanese law technically can deny entry to anyone who has been sentenced to imprisonment for 1 year or longer (among other serious crimes).
In practice, if you have a single minor conviction with no jail time or a very short jail term, you are unlikely to be stopped. If you have a more serious criminal background (for example, a major felony with significant prison time), you could be refused entry if Japanese authorities become aware of it. Because there is no routine record sharing, many travelers with records enter Japan without incident, but the risk exists for those with serious offenses.
China
China requires a visa for Canadian visitors, and the visa application form explicitly asks if you have a criminal record. If you declare that you do, Chinese authorities may require additional information and could deny the visa depending on the nature of the offense. A single old minor conviction might not automatically disqualify you, but serious crimes or any misrepresentation (lying on the form) can lead to refusal. China does not have direct access to Canadian criminal databases, so their decision will rely on what you disclose and any background checks they choose to do. Travelers with records who need to go to China should be honest on the application and may want to consult the Chinese embassy if unsure.
The safest approach before traveling is to check the official immigration website or consult the consulate of your destination country. Look for information on criminal record inadmissibility. If you find that your destination has strict rules and your conviction might be an issue, you may be able to apply for a special permission or waiver in advance. Planning ahead will reduce the chance of an unpleasant surprise at the border.
Can You Travel Internationally With an Expunged Record?
If your criminal record has been expunged, sealed, or pardoned, your international travel prospects improve significantly. An expunged or suspended record means that in your home country’s databases, your name is no longer flagged as having a criminal conviction.
For Canadian travelers, obtaining a Record Suspension (pardon) from the Parole Board of Canada will remove your criminal record from the main database (CPIC) that is often checked during immigration background searches.
In practical terms, if you have successfully had your record expunged/suspended, most foreign authorities will not see any conviction when they run a standard check – effectively, you appear to have a clean record.
However, you should understand the nuances. An expungement in Canada does not erase the past in the eyes of other countries that already know about your conviction. For example, if you were convicted years ago and the U.S. border patrol noted it in their system during a previous attempt to enter, that record could still exist in U.S. databases even after Canada pardons or expunges the offense. The United States does not automatically recognize Canadian pardons – from the U.S. perspective, the fact that you were once convicted might still render you inadmissible, because the underlying event (the crime) is what matters, not whether Canada has forgiven it. So, if U.S. authorities have a record of your conviction (from an earlier border crossing or visa application), a later Canadian expungement will not delete that U.S. record. In such cases, you might still need to apply for a U.S. entry waiver despite your Canadian clean slate.
For other countries, the issue is usually simpler: if they cannot see a record through normal means, it is as if you have none. When applying for visas or entry documents after an expungement, you should still answer the questions honestly as asked. Some forms say “Do you have any criminal convictions?” – after a full expungement or pardon, under Canadian law you can truthfully say “no” because your conviction is legally set aside.
But keep in mind, if the question is “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”, the honest answer is technically “yes,” even though it’s been pardoned. This distinction can be tricky. Lying on an immigration form can cause serious trouble if the truth comes to light, so when in doubt, seek advice on how to handle the disclosure. Often, showing proof of your record suspension or expungement certificate can help assure immigration officers that the offense is resolved and you are rehabilitated.
In summary, traveling internationally is easiest when your record is cleared. Expungement or record suspension will remove the routine obstacles – you’re far less likely to be flagged in any database, and you won’t need to disclose anything for most casual travel. Just remain mindful that not all countries treat an expunged record the same way. It’s wise to carry documentation of your expungement (in case a question arises) and to double-check entry requirements for any country that was previously problematic for you.
Grounds of Inadmissibility
Every country has laws outlining “grounds of inadmissibility” – the reasons a person can be denied entry at the border. When it comes to travelers with criminal records, certain types of crimes commonly make someone inadmissible in many nations’ laws. While the exact categories and definitions vary by country, below are typical grounds of inadmissibility related to criminal history:
- Crimes of Moral Turpitude:
This is a broad legal term (used frequently in U.S. immigration law) referring to offenses that gravely violate societal morals, such as fraud, theft, violence, or other acts deemed morally reprehensible. If you have a conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude, you can be barred entry to countries that use this concept. (Note: Each country defines these crimes differently, and minor infractions often don’t fall under this category.)
- Drug Offenses:
Virtually all countries take drug convictions seriously. Any controlled substance violation – including possession, trafficking, or distribution of illegal drugs – can make you inadmissible. For example, the United States will deny entry to almost anyone with a drug-related conviction, even relatively minor ones. Other countries similarly disallow travelers who have been involved in drug crimes.
- Serious Criminal Activity or Felonies:
If you have been convicted of a serious crime (e.g. rape, murder, armed robbery, or other violent felonies), you will likely be deemed a security risk and denied entry by most countries. This also extends to individuals who have committed serious crimes but evaded prosecution (if known to authorities). Some countries explicitly list categories like “serious crimes” or specify a threshold (for instance, any crime that carried a prison sentence of five years or more) as grounds for inadmissibility.
- Multiple Convictions:
Even if no single offense was extremely serious, having multiple convictions on your record can trigger inadmissibility. For example, U.S. law states that two or more convictions that resulted in a total prison time of 5 years or more will make a person inadmissible. The idea is that a pattern of criminal behavior (repeat offenses) raises red flags about a traveler’s admissibility and potential risk.
- Prostitution and Vice Crimes:
In some jurisdictions, past involvement in prostitution (soliciting or procuring) or other so-called “commercialized vice” activities can be a basis to refuse entry. This is often listed separately in immigration law. It might seem unusual, but it reflects concerns about human trafficking and organized vice operations.
In addition to crime-based grounds, there are other grounds of inadmissibility not related to criminal records. These can include health-related issues (for instance, having certain contagious diseases might bar entry), security threats (espionage, terrorism, etc.), violations of immigration rules (like past deportations or overstaying visas), and misrepresentation (lying to immigration officials or on visa applications). For the scope of this discussion, we’re focusing on criminal record issues, but it’s good to be aware that a traveler can be turned away for reasons beyond just a conviction history.
What About a Pardoned Criminal Record?
Many travelers assume that if their record has been pardoned or sealed at home, they are free from these inadmissibility concerns. The reality is a pardoned criminal record can still affect your admissibility, depending on the country and circumstances. A pardon (record suspension) in Canada signifies that the Canadian government has recognized your rehabilitation and set aside your conviction for most purposes. Within Canada, your criminal record is sealed from public view. But how do other countries regard this?
United States
Unfortunately for Canadian pardon holders, the U.S. does not recognize a Canadian pardon as erasing the underlying conviction. From the U.S. perspective, you were convicted of a certain offense, and that fact remains true even if Canada has forgiven it. If U.S. Customs and Border Protection knows about the original conviction (say, from a previous border crossing before you got the pardon), they will still consider you inadmissible for that crime.
You would need to seek a U.S. Entry Waiver despite your Canadian pardon. However, if you obtain a record suspension before ever attempting travel to the U.S., the benefit is that when the U.S. runs your name in the Canadian database, nothing shows up – thus, they might never learn of the conviction in the first place. Timing is key: a pardon helps most if it’s in place prior to travel or any information-sharing.
Other Countries
Countries that rely on you to self-disclose your criminal history in visa applications can be a grey area with pardoned records.
Technically, under Canadian law, after a pardon you can assert that you have no convictions for the purposes of public record. But if a foreign visa form asks “Have you ever been convicted of an offense?” you face a dilemma.
Many immigration experts advise that you should still declare the pardoned conviction, but also note that it has been pardoned. This honesty prevents any later accusation of misrepresentation if the country discovers the conviction through other means. The reaction to a pardoned conviction varies: some countries will effectively treat it as if you have no record (especially if their interest is only in current criminal records), whereas others might still count the conviction in evaluating your admissibility.
For example, the United Kingdom’s system of spent convictions aligns somewhat with the idea of pardons – once a conviction is spent under UK law, it’s not held against you for entry, and if your Canadian conviction was minor and long ago, UK authorities might not fuss about it, especially if it wouldn’t be considered an offense there or is spent by time. On the other hand, a country like Australia will ask about any convictions in the past 10 years (or anytime for serious ones) on their form – even a pardoned conviction still technically exists in history, so you’d need to mention it and provide documentation of the pardon as part of your character assessment.
In short, a pardon/record suspension is highly valuable – it shows you have been rehabilitated and it prevents routine discovery of your record. It will smooth out travel to many places because background checks come back clean.
But don’t assume it’s a magic eraser in every context. If you are directly asked by immigration officials or on official forms about past convictions, remember that a pardon doesn’t rewrite history; answer truthfully, while explaining that the record was cleared. Usually, presenting your official pardon certificate or paperwork can help officials understand that your country has fully forgiven the offense.
Most reasonable immigration authorities will take a pardoned record as a positive sign, even if they technically could count the conviction against you. And in cases where the legal bar is absolute (like U.S. laws on certain offenses), no foreign pardon will change the need for a waiver – but it still might favorably influence the decision on granting that waiver.
Can You Get a Canadian Passport With a Criminal Record?
Having a criminal record does not, by itself, disqualify you from obtaining a Canadian passport. A passport is fundamentally a proof of citizenship and identity, not a certificate of good conduct. The Canadian passport application process does not ask applicants to list ordinary criminal convictions, and there is no general rule that citizens with a criminal past cannot hold a passport.
That said, there are a few important caveats to note. While past convictions won’t automatically prevent issuance, certain ongoing legal situations can:
- If you are currently charged with an indictable offense (a serious crime) and awaiting trial, Passport Canada may refuse to issue a passport until that matter is resolved. The logic is that a person facing serious charges might attempt to flee, so authorities can lawfully restrict passport services in such cases.
- If you are currently incarcerated or on conditions such as parole or probation that include a travel ban, you won’t be able to obtain a passport (or use one) until those conditions end. For example, if as part of your sentence you are forbidden from leaving Canada, the passport office can deny your application on that basis.
- A very specific criminal conviction can bar you from a passport: a conviction for misuse of a passport itself. Under Canadian law, crimes like passport fraud (forging or falsifying passports) can result in being prohibited from holding a passport for a period of time. This is relatively rare, but it exists to protect the integrity of the passport system.
In practice, once you have completed your sentence and you’re not under any travel restrictions, you are free to apply for and hold a Canadian passport, even with an old criminal record. Countless Canadians with past convictions have valid passports. For example, a person who had a DUI or an assault conviction in their twenties can absolutely apply for a passport in their thirties as long as they’ve settled all court matters. The passport office’s concern is primarily: “Are you a Canadian citizen, and can you prove your identity?” not “Have you been good your whole life?”
It’s also worth noting that renewing a passport is not usually an issue even if you got a conviction since your last passport was issued. Unless one of the specific red-flag conditions above applies, your renewal will be processed normally. The government does maintain the right to refuse or revoke passports in extreme cases (for example, to prevent someone from traveling to engage in terrorism, or if a person is subject to a national security watchlist), but these scenarios are not about routine criminal records – they’re extraordinary situations.