Guide
FBI Background Check for a Colombia Visa
Colombia’s visa rules are set by Resolution 5477 of 2022. Some visa types require a criminal record; for all others, the authority can ask for one.
Quick answer
It depends on the visa. Colombia’s Resolution 5477 of 2022 explicitly requires a judicial, criminal or police record certificate from the country where you lived in the last 3 years for the V Rentista (Art. 56) and V Working Holiday (Art. 52) visas, with an apostille and an official Spanish translation. For any visa, the authority may check your record online or ask you to submit one (Art. 26).
Key takeaways
- V Rentista and V Working Holiday visas explicitly require a criminal record certificate.
- It covers the country where you lived during the last 3 years — for U.S. residents, the FBI report.
- Foreign documents need an apostille and an official translation into Spanish.
- For any visa type, Cancillería may ask you to submit a criminal record.
- Supporting documents must be issued no more than 3 months before you register the application.
What Resolution 5477 says
| V Rentista (Art. 56) | Judicial, criminal or police record certificate from the country where you lived during the last 3 years |
|---|---|
| V Working Holiday (Art. 52) | Same requirement |
| Any visa (Art. 26) | Cancillería may check your record online or ask you to present a record from your country of nationality or residence |
| Formalities (Art. 21) | Apostille or legalization, and an official translation into Spanish |
| Document age (Art. 20) | Supporting documents issued no more than 3 months before the application is registered |
For U.S. residents, the national criminal record is the FBI Identity History Summary. The FBI report needs the federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. A state apostille on a notarized copy or on a state police check won’t work. See what an FBI report needs before it can be apostilled.
Getting the FBI report ready
We handle the federal side. If you already have your FBI report, mail it to us for the FBI background check apostille — $299, about 10–12 business days. If you still need the report, the FBI check + apostille bundle is $399, about 12–14 business days, starting with an in-person appointment at our West Palm Beach or Miami office. You get back the original FBI report, issued by the FBI with its seal and signature, with the U.S. Department of State apostille attached. We review every document before we submit it.
With a 3-month limit on supporting documents, order the FBI report close to when you plan to register the application. Our bundle takes about 12–14 business days. Check your dates with the processing time estimator.
Need the translation too? See certified translation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Colombia require an FBI background check for a visa?
For the V Rentista and V Working Holiday visas, Resolution 5477 of 2022 requires a criminal record certificate from where you lived the last 3 years. For other visas, Cancillería may ask for one.
Does the FBI check need an apostille for Colombia?
Yes. Article 21 of Resolution 5477 requires foreign documents to be apostilled and officially translated into Spanish.
How recent must documents be for a Colombian visa?
Article 20 says supporting documents must be issued no more than 3 months before the application is registered.
Official sources: Cancillería de Colombia — Resolution 5477 of 2022 · U.S. Department of State — Criminal Record Checks. Federal Apostille USA is a private service, not a government agency.
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