Criminal Background Check
Official certificate proving a person has no (or has) criminal convictions. Required for immigration, employment, and residency applications.
What is a Criminal Background Check?
A criminal background check (also called a police clearance certificate or certificate of good conduct) is an official document issued by a government authority — typically the national police, interior ministry, or justice ministry — confirming whether a person has any recorded criminal convictions or pending cases in that country. It is one of the most commonly apostilled documents for immigration and work applications.
Common uses internationally
Most countries require an apostilled background check as part of long-stay visa or permanent residency applications — including Spain, Canada, Germany, and Australia.
Employers in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, education, childcare) require international background checks as part of the hiring process.
Many consulates require background checks from all adult family members as part of family reunification visa applications.
Citizenship applications in most countries require a clean background check from the applicant's country of origin and any country of prior residence.
Can this document be apostilled or legalized?
Yes — criminal background checks can be apostilled in all Hague Convention member countries. For non-Hague countries (China pre-2024, UAE, etc.), full consular legalization is required instead.
See apostille services →When the destination country is not a Hague Convention member, the same document requires full consular legalization instead of apostille.
See legalization services →Who issues this document?
Varies by country. Mexico: SRE/RNPCP. Colombia: Policía Nacional / Fiscalía. Argentina: Registro Nacional de Reincidencia. USA: FBI (federal) or state police. Spain: Ministerio de Justicia.
Requirements at a glance
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using a certificate older than 90 days — immigration authorities typically reject documents beyond this window.
- Apostilling a notarized copy instead of the original — most destination countries require the original certificate.
- Obtaining a local (state/regional) certificate when a national-level certificate is required.
- Skipping translation — the apostille authenticates the document, but foreign authorities still need to read it.
Countries where this document is commonly processed
Relevant services
Frequently asked questions
Can I apostille a background check obtained online?
Depends on the country. Some national authorities (e.g., Mexico's RNPCP) issue digitally signed certificates that can be apostilled electronically. Others require a physical original. We review your specific document before proceeding.
Does the background check need to cover all countries I've lived in?
Yes — most immigration authorities require a background check from every country where you have lived for 6+ months (or 12+ months, depending on the destination). We can coordinate multi-country requests.
My check shows a minor offense. Will it affect my visa?
That is a question for an immigration lawyer, not for us — document authentication is our scope. We process and certify the document as-is; the visa decision rests with the receiving authority.
How long does it take to obtain an FBI background check?
An FBI Identity History Summary (IDHS) typically takes 3–6 weeks when requested by mail. The Identity Check (fingerprint-based) via ChannelPoint providers takes 2–5 business days. We coordinate both options.
Reviewed by
Laura ChenLegal Document Expert
Specialist in documents for the English-speaking market with a focus on fast and secure processing.
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