Criminal Record Certificate FAQ

A criminal record certificate is an official document issued by a government authority that shows whether an individual has any criminal convictions, pending charges, or is registered as a person of interest. Different countries use different names: "antecedentes penales" (Spain/Latin America), "identity history summary" (FBI, USA), "police clearance certificate" (UK, Australia), "certificato del casellario giudiziale" (Italy).

The FBI Identity History Summary (also called an FBI background check) is the federal criminal record check for the United States. It covers your entire US history across all states based on fingerprint records. It is issued by the FBI CJIS Division in West Virginia.

For Spain visa and residency purposes, you need the FBI Identity History Summary — the federal check. State-level background checks from individual Secretary of State offices are not sufficient for Spain immigration. The FBI check covers all US states.

You can request an FBI background check from outside the US by mail. You need to complete a fingerprint card (Form FD-258) by a qualified fingerprinting provider in your country (or at a US embassy/consulate), and mail it with a money order or credit card payment. We guide you through the entire process.

Yes, but only through the US Department of State Office of Authentications — not through a state Secretary of State. FBI documents are federal records, so the federal apostille authority is required. We handle this for clients worldwide.

The FBI check is federal and covers all US states based on fingerprint records submitted to the national database. A state background check only covers records from that specific state. Spain requires the FBI federal check, not individual state checks.

Standard FBI processing: 10–14 business days. With our expedited channel: slightly faster submission, though official FBI processing time remains 10–14 days. Rush channels exist but are subject to availability.

A "no record" result is the most common outcome and is fully valid. The FBI issues a document stating that no matching criminal history was found in the national fingerprint identification records. This is perfectly acceptable for Spain visa purposes.

Most Spanish consulates and immigration offices require criminal record certificates issued within the past 3–6 months of your application date. Some offices specifically require 90 days. Always confirm with your specific Spanish consulate.

Yes. Spain requires a certified translation by a sworn (jurado) translator officially recognized by Spanish authorities. Plain or standard certified translations are generally not accepted. The translation must cover the complete document including the apostille certificate.

For most Spanish visa and residency types — and for the 2026 extraordinary regularization — yes. You need a criminal record certificate (apostilled) from every country where you have resided for any significant period in the past 5 years. This includes the US, your home country, and any other country.

Some countries issue a certificate of "no record found" from their national police or ministry of interior. In countries without formal systems, Spanish authorities may accept a declaration of police clearance from the relevant embassy or consulate. Contact us — we know the specific requirements for 40+ countries.

You can apostille it, but it may no longer be valid for Spain immigration if it was issued more than 3–6 months ago. Spain requires recently issued certificates. If yours is past the validity window, you need a new certificate — then we apostille that.

If you are a Spanish citizen or legal resident, Spain's Ministry of Justice (Ministerio de Justicia) issues a "Certificado de Antecedentes Penales" via their online portal (sede.mjusticia.gob.es). This is the Spanish criminal record — not to be confused with the foreign criminal record you need to provide from your home country.

Interpol is an international police cooperation organization — it is not a criminal record database used for individual civilian applications. Apostilling your national criminal record certificate for Spain has no Interpol connection. Spanish immigration uses your country's official certificate, not Interpol records.

Yes. A criminal record with certain convictions may disqualify you for a Spain visa under Spanish immigration law. The specific disqualifying offenses depend on visa type. We can only advise on document processing — consult an immigration lawyer if you have a prior conviction.

Venezuelan criminal record certificates are issued by the Ministerio del Interior y Justicia. Processing can be challenging due to current administrative conditions. We have authorized representatives who coordinate Venezuelan certificate requests. Timeline: 15–25 business days. Apostille through MPPRRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Colombian criminal records (Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales) are issued by the Policía Nacional de Colombia and can be requested online via policia.gov.co. Apostille is done through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería). We handle the full process for Colombia including apostille and certified translation.

Mexican criminal records (Certificado de Antecedentes No Penales) are issued at the state level by SEGOB or state justice secretariats. For Spain purposes, a federal-level certificate is often preferred. Apostille is done through SRE (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores). We handle all Mexican states.

Our full package (certificate + apostille + certified Spanish translation) for the US/FBI starts from $249 standard, $349 expedited. For Latin American countries, pricing varies by country: typically $149–$249 for the full package. Contact us for an exact quote based on your countries and timeline.

Yes. We specialize in multi-country packages, especially for Spain's 2026 regularization. We process all countries simultaneously to minimize total time. One point of contact for all documents.

Yes, if it is still within the validity window (3–6 months for Spain). Send us a scan for a free review. We confirm if it is still valid and eligible, then coordinate the apostille and certified translation.