FBI Background Check in Colombia — Fingerprints & Apostille
An FBI background check in Colombia is the U.S. federal criminal history report — officially the FBI Identity History Summary — requested without leaving the country. We capture your fingerprints at our Bogotá office, submit them to the FBI through an authorized channel, and then manage the apostille in Washington, D.C.
Because every stage is coordinated between Colombia and Miami, you never book a flight to the United States and you never chase agencies yourself. In short, you hand over one file and receive one apostilled document, ready to present abroad.
What an FBI background check in Colombia actually is
The document is issued by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division, and its official name is the Identity History Summary. In practice, people ask for it under several names: FBI background report, FBI background screening, FBI background clearance, FBI background search, or simply the FBI criminal record certificate. All of them refer to the same federal document.
The summary lists any arrest or federal record linked to your fingerprints — or, far more often, it confirms that none exists. Therefore the report is fingerprint-based, never name-based. That distinction matters: a name search pulled from a private database is not accepted by Migración Colombia, by consulates, or by foreign licensing boards.
Who needs an FBI background check in Colombia
- U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents living in Colombia who must prove a clean federal record.
- Colombian nationals and other foreign citizens applying for immigration, naturalization, dual citizenship, or residency in a third country.
- Professionals validating credentials, licences, or academic degrees before a foreign board.
- Adoptive families and agencies working between Bogotá and the United States.
- Anyone filing before Migración Colombia, an embassy, a consulate, or a foreign employer that requires a U.S. federal record.
So if a Colombian visa or residency application asks for a certificado de antecedentes penales issued in the United States, this is the document being requested.
Live Scan in Bogotá or FD-258 by mail
In general, two fingerprint routes exist, and your immigration status decides which one applies to you.
Live Scan fingerprinting — U.S. citizens and residents
Live Scan captures your fingerprints digitally at our Bogotá office and transmits them electronically. Consequently, the FBI result comes back in one to two business days. Overall, this is the fastest route available and the one we recommend whenever you qualify for it.
FD-258 fingerprint card — non-citizens and non-residents
If you are neither a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident, FBI rules require the printed FD-258 card sent by post. Then we take the prints at our office, prepare the standard FBI fingerprint card, and handle the mailing. However, postal transit adds several weeks to the timeline — that is a federal regulation, not a limitation of the service.
The apostille: only the U.S. Department of State issues it
An FBI report without an apostille has no legal value outside the United States. Specifically, under the 1961 Hague Convention, the apostille certifies the document so that Colombian and foreign authorities accept it. Above all, remember where it comes from: federal documents are apostilled exclusively by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Neither the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá nor a Colombian notary can apostille an FBI report. Nor can the Cancillería, since it apostilles Colombian documents rather than American ones. Instead, we file the request in Washington through our Miami office and return the finished document to you.
Authentication and apostille are not the same procedure, and which one you need depends on the destination country. Our editorial team explains that distinction in FBI Background Check Authentication vs. Apostille, so we will not repeat it here.
For an apostille in Colombia the practical rule is short: the American document is apostilled in Washington, the Colombian document is apostilled by the Cancillería. Confusing the two is the most frequent reason a file comes back rejected.
What’s included in your FBI background check Colombia service
- Certified fingerprint capture at our Bogotá office — Live Scan or FD-258, according to your status.
- Submission and follow-up of your FBI Identity History Summary.
- Full federal apostille management before the U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C., coordinated from our Miami office.
- End-to-end tracking and digital delivery of the apostilled document.
- A named contact for your case, in Spanish or in English.
Professional translation is available as an add-on and is quoted separately; it is not part of the base packages.
Packages and pricing
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents in Colombia
| Package | Price USD | Estimated time | Apostille |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI Report only | $195 | 1–2 business days | Not included |
| FBI Report + Express Apostille | $490 | 12–15 business days | Express — Washington D.C. |
| FBI Report + Regular Apostille | $440 | 4–5 weeks | Regular — Washington D.C. |
Authorized electronic processing. FBI result in 1–2 business days.
Non-Citizens / Non-Residents — postal FD-258 process
| Package | Price USD | Estimated time | Apostille |
|---|---|---|---|
| FD-258 fingerprints + card only | $188 | Variable | Not included |
| Full FBI Report (no apostille) | $336 | 12–18 business days | Not included |
| FBI Report + Express Apostille | $631 | 7–8 weeks | Express — Washington D.C. |
| FBI Report + Regular Apostille | $586 | 9–11 weeks | Regular — Washington D.C. |
The postal FD-258 process is mandatory for non-citizens and non-residents under FBI regulation (CJIS Division).
How long an FBI background check in Colombia takes
Typically, Live Scan clients receive the FBI result in one to two business days. With Express apostille, the complete file is normally ready in 12–15 business days, while Regular apostille extends it to 4–5 weeks.
Non-residents follow the postal FD-258 route, so their file runs 7–8 weeks with Express apostille and 9–11 weeks with Regular. Since most of that delay comes from mail transit and FBI intake, no provider can compress it.
Finally, urgent cases follow their own logic; our team lays out the realistic options in FBI Background Check Expedite.
FBI background check Colombia — why choose us
- Physical office in Bogotá: in-person service, not a mailbox address.
- Binational coordination: your case is handled by our teams in Colombia and Miami, so the fingerprint stage and the apostille stage never wait on each other.
- Experience with international filings: we know how the FBI Identity History Summary and the federal apostille are processed, and we prepare the file to be accepted the first time.
- One point of contact: you are not passed between agencies, couriers, and translators.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FBI apostille and why do I need it?
The apostille is the international certification that validates the authenticity of the FBI report before foreign authorities, under the 1961 Hague Convention. In other words, without it the document carries no legal value outside the United States.
Do I need to travel to the U.S. for an FBI background check in Colombia?
No. In fact, the entire process is handled from our Bogotá office, with apostille coordination from Miami.
Is the apostille issued by the U.S. consulate in Colombia?
No. The apostille for federal FBI documents can only be issued by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. We coordinate that step for you.
Can I request an FBI background check in Colombia online?
Partly. The submission to the FBI is electronic, but the fingerprints themselves must be captured in person and certified. Therefore you book one appointment in Bogotá, and we take care of everything that follows.
Will Migración Colombia accept the document?
Yes, as long as it is the fingerprint-based FBI report carrying the apostille from the U.S. Department of State. Reports from private name-search databases are routinely rejected.
Does it include physical document shipping?
Typically, delivery is digital, as an apostilled PDF. International courier shipping is quoted separately depending on the destination country.
Do I need a Spanish translation?
It depends on the authority receiving the file. Some accept the apostilled report in English; others require an official translation. Therefore, tell us the destination and we quote the translation as an add-on.
How long does the entire process take?
For citizens and residents with Express Apostille: approximately 12–15 business days. For non-residents with Express Apostille: 7–8 weeks, because of the mandatory postal FD-258 process.
✓ Free retake guarantee – LiveScan only
If the FBI rejects your LiveScan fingerprints, we retake them at no charge.
In the event of FBI rejection due to fingerprint quality, Compliance Officers performs a new capture at no additional cost, provided the client presents the official FBI rejection letter with the rejection code issued by the FBI.
Applies exclusively to LiveScan fingerprints captured at our offices. It does not apply to the remote FD-258 service, where the client self-captures the fingerprints.
Full service
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Our Bogotá office provides FBI-certified Live Scan fingerprinting for residents of Colombia who need a U.S. background check for visa applications, employment abroad, residency in Europe, or other international immigration processes — all without traveling to the United States.
Official source: fbi.gov — FBI Identity History Summary Checks (CJIS)
Ready to start? Book your appointment and we handle your FBI background check in Colombia from the first fingerprint to the apostilled document in your hands.
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