Get an FBI Background Check for Spain: The Complete 2026 Guide

To obtain an FBI background check for Spain in 2026, you need to first apply for your FBI Identity History Summary, then get fingerprinted on an FD-258 or FD-1164 card at a Spanish police station or private provider, since the US Embassy does not offer this service. Once your fingerprints are mailed to the FBI and your report is issued, it still needs a federal apostille from the US Department of State and a sworn Spanish translation before Spanish authorities will accept it.

Spain has a way of making a new life feel both exciting and within reach. From leisurely evenings in Barcelona and café con leche in Madrid to new career opportunities in Seville, the country offers plenty of reasons to start fresh. But behind the excitement of relocating comes managing Spain’s visa and residency requirements, and this includes the FBI background check.

Spanish authorities may request this document to verify an applicant’s criminal record and confirm their eligibility. Ensuring the correct background check and submitting it according to the required procedures can help prevent avoidable delays and keep the journey toward life in Spain moving smoothly.

Read What Is an FBI Background Check?

There are a few common situations where this requirement comes up in Spain. If you fall into one of the groups below, you will most likely need to apply for one:

1. US citizens Applying for Long-Term Legal Status in Spain

A state-level check is usually not enough; Spanish authorities require an official FBI Identity History Summary. You will almost certainly need an apostilled FBI Background Check if you are applying for:

• Spain Digital Nomad Visa (DNV)
• Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV)
• Long-term Student Visa (for stays longer than 90 days)
• Family Reunification Visa

Check Retiring in Spain as an American: The Complete Visa Types, Document Apostille Checklist

2. Expats Renewing Residency or Applying for Permanent Status

Americans already living in Spain on a temporary residency permit who are converting or renewing their status.

3. Real Estate Investors

High-net-worth individuals purchasing property, investing in Spanish businesses, or establishing commercial operations.

When You Don't Need One

If you are visiting Spain as a tourist for 90 days or less, you do not need an FBI background check. This includes short trips for holidays, family visits, or business meetings that do not involve applying for a visa or residency.

The requirement only applies once you are trying to stay in Spain long term, whether that is for work, study, retirement, or joining family. If your stay is short and you are not applying for any visa or residency permit, you can skip this step entirely.

Step 1: Requesting the FBI Background Check Report

The first step is to request your FBI Identity History Summary directly from the FBI. This starts the whole process.

Step 2: Getting Fingerprinting in Spain

You need to get fingerprinted on FBI-approved fingerprint cards. The US Embassy and US consulates in Spain do not offer fingerprinting for this purpose, so you cannot go there. 

Step 3: Submission to the FBI

Once you have your fingerprint card filled out, you send it along with your application form and any required documents to the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia. 

Step 4: Getting the Federal Apostille

After you receive your FBI report, it needs to be apostilled by the US Department of State. This is a federal apostille, and it confirms the document is valid for use in Spain.

Step 5: Certified Spanish Translation

The last step is getting your apostilled FBI report translated into Spanish by a certified translator. Both the report and the apostille page need to be translated before you submit your documents to Spanish authorities.

You have two ways to apply for an FBI Identity History Summary. You can either apply online through the FBI's eDO system, or you can apply using a physical, paper application form.

Applying Online via FBI's eDO

• Go to the FBI's eDO website and create a free account.
• Fill in your personal details, including your full name, date of birth, and place of birth.
• Pay the $18 processing fee online using a credit -card.
• Note down your submission details, since you will need them for the next step.
• Print your fingerprint card information so it matches your online request.

Applying Using Physical Application Form

• Download and print the Identity History Summary Request Form, from the FBI website.
• Fill in your personal details by hand and sign the form in black ink.
• Prepare payment of $18 using a money order or certified check.
• Mail the completed form, fingerprint card, and payment together to the FBI.

Whichever method you choose, you still need to send a physical fingerprint card to the FBI by post. There is currently no way to submit fingerprints fully online from Spain, since electronic fingerprint capture is only available at a small number of participating post offices inside the United States.

As already mentioned above, the US Embassy or consulate in Spain cannot provide fingerprinting services for this purpose. You have three realistic options for fingerprinting in Spain:

Option 1: Local Police Stations

Some local police stations in Spain will take fingerprints for foreign government requests like this one. Availability, hours, and locations vary a lot by city, and many stations might not offer this service. Bring a printed FD-258 or FD-1164 form and your passport with you.

Where to Get Your Fingerprints Taken

You can find further details here!

Option 2: Private Providers

Private fingerprinting companies in Spain, mostly based in Madrid and Barcelona, offer this service by appointment. They know exactly how to fill out the fingerprint card correctly, which lowers your chances of rejection. Most charge a fixed fee and can also help mail your documents to the FBI.

Option 3: Doorstep Fingerprinting Services

Some providers offer mobile fingerprinting, where a technician comes to your home or office with a portable ink kit. This is useful if you cannot easily travel, or if you would rather avoid the uncertainty of walking into a police station without an appointment.

Explore How Many Times Can You Submit Fingerprints to the FBI?

Once your fingerprint card is ready, you need to mail it to the FBI along with a few other documents. Your envelope to the FBI should include:

• Completed Form I-783, the Identity History Summary Request Form, signed in black ink.
• Two completed FD-258 fingerprint cards, so you have a backup if one gets rejected.
• Payment of $18, by money order, certified check, or Form 1-786 if paying by credit card.
• A copy of your passport, which is not always required but helps avoid mismatched details.

Mail this package to:

FBI CJIS Division - Summary Request

International Couriers That Work Well From Spain

Since regular postal mail is hard to track once it leaves Spain, you should use a tracked courier for a document this important. A few reliable options include:

• DHL Express, widely used across Spain with strong tracking to the US.
• FedEx International Priority, a common choice for legal and government documents.
• UPS Worldwide Express, reliable tracking and delivery estimates.
• Correos Paq Premium Internacional, Spain's postal service, generally the cheapest tracked option.

Whichever courier you choose, keep your tracking number safe. International transit alone can take one to three weeks, so factor this into your overall timeline.

After you’ve received your Identity History Summary, it still is not ready for Spain. It needs a federal apostille, which confirms the document is authentic and can be used in another country.

Only the US Department of State can issue this apostille for an FBI report. A state-level apostille from a Secretary of State's office will not work, even though it is often faster and cheaper to get. Spanish authorities will reject it if you submit the wrong type.

To apply by mail, send your original FBI background check report, a completed Form DS-4194, and payment of $20 per document (by check or money order, payable to the US Department of State) to:

Office of Authentications

Read More Here How to Get an FBI Background Check Apostille

The final step is translating your apostilled FBI report into Spanish. This is not a standard certified translation like the kind used in the US. Spain requires a traducción jurada, a sworn translation completed by a translator registered with Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, known as MAEC.

Only a MAEC-registered sworn translator can produce a translation that Spanish consulates and immigration offices will accept without question. You can find such translators through the Ministry's official online list, though the search tool can be limited depending on your language pair.

Once this translation is ready, your document is complete and ready to submit alongside the rest of your visa application.

To obtain your FBI Background Check for Spain, you usually have two options: either handle the entire process yourself, or hire a professional service provider to manage it for you.

Applying Directly

In this approach, you handle everything yourself. This means requesting the FBI report, getting fingerprinted, mailing your documents to the FBI, applying for the apostille, and arranging your own sworn translation.

This takes a lot of time and patience though, since you are the one tracking every step, filling out every form correctly, and following up if something goes wrong.

Using a Professional Service Provider

Now imagine finding a company that takes care of the entire process for you. Fingerprinting, submission to the FBI, the federal apostille, and the certified Spanish translation, all handled on your behalf, often from a single order placed online.

This is exactly what full-service providers like Globeia offer. You send them your details, and they manage the paperwork, submissions, and follow-ups with the FBI and the Department of State. This is especially useful if you are short on time, already dealing with a tight visa deadline.

Applying Directly vs Using a Service Provider

Getting an FBI background check involves more than just capturing fingerprints. It requires ensuring your fingerprints meet federal legibility standards, tracking your application safely to the FBI, and completing any required authentication and translation steps. Missing a step can delay your application. Missing a step can delay your visa timeline.

This is why many applicants choose to partner with Globeia. Working with an authorized provider makes navigating the process far easier than managing everything independently. Globeia coordinates every stage of the workflow to keep your application accurate, on track, and stress-free.

Mobile Fingerprint Collection in Spain 

You do not have to spend time searching for a fingerprinting location near you. Our trained associates travel directly to your preferred location in Spain to collect your fingerprints on standard FD-1164 or FD-258 cards. They carry the proper equipment and are familiar with the quality standards required for FBI applications that help reduce fingerprint rejection rates due to smudging or poor quality. You can book your fingerprinting appointment here!

If you already have fingerprints on FD-1164 or FD-258 cards, Globeia can review your cards and help coordinate the remaining steps, including FBI submission, federal apostille processing, and Spanish sworn translation.

Submission Coordination

Globeia also has a dedicated processing office, Globeia Inc. in the United States. Your fingerprint cards are securely couriered to our US office, where our team reviews the documents and coordinates their submission to the FBI.

Expedited Apostille Processing

Globeia Inc. is located near the US Department of State's Office of Authentications. This allows our team to coordinate in-person document submission for FBI apostille processing, reducing the turnaround time from the usual 5 to 6 weeks to just 10 days.

Sworn Spanish Translation (Traductor Jurado)

Globeia can arrange sworn translation services after the apostille has been completed. We offer translations in more than 50 official languages, including Spanish, through our network of professional translators.

Result Delivery

Once your FBI background check has been processed and any required apostille or translation has been completed, Globeia can securely ship the final documents to your address in Spain. You receive the documents prepared according to the services you requested, ready for submission subject to the requirements of the relevant Spanish authority.

Your FBI Background Check is valid for 6 months from the date it was issued. This gives you a decent window to complete the rest of the process, the apostille and the translation, without rushing everything at once. Even so, 6 months goes by faster than it sounds once you factor in processing delays at every step.

Which Date Starts the Clock?

The 6 month countdown starts from the date printed on your FBI Identity History Summary, not the date of your apostille or your translation. This is the date the FBI officially issued your report, and it is what Spanish authorities check first.

People here in Spain often assume the clock starts once every document is ready and stamped. In reality, if your FBI report is dated in January, your 6 months are already ticking, even while you wait weeks for the apostille or translation to be completed.

A simple way to stay on track is to count backward from your consulate appointment or your planned submission date. If your appointment is 5 months away, you still have room. If it is 5 and a half months away, we advise you to order your FBI background check as soon as possible, since any delay along the way could push you past the deadline.

When preparing an FBI background check for international use, the primary focus should be understanding what the receiving authority requires. For Spain, this may include an FBI Identity History Summary, a US Federal Apostille, and an official sworn Spanish translation. Following the required steps in the correct order can help ensure your paperwork is ready for submission.

Need help with your FBI background check for Spain? Let Globeia handle the process from fingerprinting to apostille and sworn translation. Start your application now!