How to Get an FBI Background Check from Colombia in 2026

To get an FBI Background Check from Colombia, you need to first request your FBI Identity History Summary online through the eDO portal or by mailing a paper request form, along with a proper fingerprint card and the processing fee. An FBI Identity History Summary costs $18 USD and requires physical fingerprints captured on FD-258 or FD-1164 cards. You also need to apostille it in Washington DC, and get it translated into Spanish before you can use it here.

The whole thing takes a few steps and a bit of patience, but it is doable from anywhere in the country here in Colombia.

If you have lived in both Colombia and the United States, you have probably come across two very different documents that sound similar. One is the FBI background check. The other is the Colombian antecedentes judiciales.

They’re not the same; getting this mixed up is one of the most common and costly mistakes applicants make. This is how the two differ:

Part of the confusion comes from the word "antecedentes" itself. In everyday Spanish, people use it loosely to mean any kind of background check, so it is natural to assume a Colombian antecedentes certificate should satisfy a request for a "background check," even when that request specifically means the FBI background check.

Also Read What Is an FBI Background Check? Complete Guide to the Identity History Summary

Which One Do You Need?

Read the request carefully before you start either process. In most cases:

• A US visa, employer, or licensing board asking about your time in Colombia will want the Colombian antecedentes judiciales.
• A Colombian visa, employer, or agency asking about your time in the United States will want the FBI background check.
• Some processes, like certain visa categories, ask for both documents at once, one for each country you have lived in.

An official, apostilled FBI Identity History Summary is a mandatory requirement for multiple groups of people living in Colombia:

US Expats and Digital Nomads Applying for Colombian Visas

• M-Type (Migrant) Visas: Includes Marriage/Partner Visas, Work Visas, Student Visas, and Digital Nomad Visas.
• R-Type (Resident) Visas: Long-term residency pathways, investment visas, or former visa transitions.
• Pensionado & Rentista Visas: US retirees or individuals living off fixed passive income in Colombia.

Colombian Citizens Returning or Moving Abroad

Foreign Professionals and Remote Workers

International Job Applicants 

Step 1: Submit Your FBI Identity History Summary Request

Option 1: Electronic Request Through the eDO Portal

Option 2: Printed Physical Application Form

• Download and print the form.
• Fill it out by hand with your personal details.
• You include payment by money order or certified check in US dollars.
• This filled form is mailed together with your fingerprint card.

Both options are equally valid and lead to the same result. The electronic option is a bit quicker and reduces the chance of handwriting errors on the form.

Step 2: Get Your Fingerprints Taken

The FBI only accepts fingerprints submitted on a specific card, called an FD-258 or FD-1164. A Colombian police fingerprint form will not work, even if it looks similar. You need a technician who knows how to roll a full, clean set of prints onto this exact card.

Step 3: Choose How You Will Submit Your Request

There are two ways to do that:

The second option is much better and preferred by most people.Several private companies operating in Colombia handle this entire process for you. Many of them also combine fingerprinting, submission to the FBI, apostille processing, and Spanish translation into one package.

Step 4: Pay the FBI Fee

If you are using a service provider instead, they will collect their own fee separately, almost always by card. Either way, plan to pay in US dollars. There is no option to pay in Colombian pesos.

Step 5: Send Your Package to USA

FBI CJIS Division – Record Request

Read More How to Get an FBI Background Check & Submit It for Apostille in 2026

After everything's processed, you will receive your report by email, as a secure digital PDF. If the FBI has no record linked to your fingerprints, the report will clearly state that, and this is still considered a complete, valid document.

To prevent application rejection, your fingerprints must be captured using standard rolled-ink techniques on official FD-258 or FD-1164 fingerprint cards. Applicants in Colombia have two main routes for fingerprint collection and application submission:

Explore Fingerprinting in Colombia: What You Need to Know

Option 1: A Private Fingerprinting Service (Recommended)

This is the most reliable choice for most applicants. Private providers in cities like Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, and Barranquilla offer fingerprinting specifically for documents like the FBI background check. 

• They already know the exact card format the FBI expects.
• Some offer the FD-258 or FD-1164 card, the FBI submission, the apostille, and the translation as one bundled service.
• This lowers the risk of your prints being rejected for quality issues.

Option 2: A Local Police Station

Some Colombian police stations, including DIJIN offices, are willing to take fingerprints for foreign documents like this one. This can be free or low cost.

You can contact local police facilities (such as Policía Nacional de Colombia) or administrative offices in major metropolitan areas to inquire about rolled-ink fingerprint collection services.

The important part is that you must bring your own FD-258/FD-1164 card and confirm beforehand that the officer is willing and able to use it correctly. A standard Colombian police fingerprint form will not be accepted by the FBI.

Note: The US Embassy in Bogotá and US Consulates do not provide fingerprinting services for personal background checks.

Because both the United States and Colombia are signatories to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, foreign public documents must undergo formal authentication before being submitted to government authorities.

US Department of State Federal Apostille

Because the FBI Identity History Summary is a US federal document, it cannot be apostilled by a state Secretary of State or by consular offices. It must be authenticated directly by the US Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. Submitting an FBI report to a state-level office results in an immediate rejection.

Official Certified Spanish Translation

Cancillería requires all foreign-language public documents to be accompanied by a certified Spanish translation. The FBI background check must be apostilled first, and the Spanish translation prepared second.

The certified translator must translate both the original FBI Identity History summary and the attached federal apostille certificate; translating before apostilling will invalidate your submission.

The table below outlines the realistic processing sequence from Colombia:

The Critical 90-Day Validity Clock for Colombia

So, we advise you to start your FBI background check process at least 12 to 14 weeks prior to your planned visa filing date so your document remains valid throughout review.

There is no single price tag for this process, because it depends on how many steps you handle yourself and how many you pay someone else to do. Listed below is every cost you are likely to run into.

The FBI Fee - The FBI charges $18 USD for a direct request. This fee is fixed and goes straight to the US Treasury.

Fingerprinting in Colombia - Private fingerprinting services in cities like Medellín and Bogotá usually charge somewhere between $20 and $50 USD. Some local police stations may do it for free or a very small fee, though availability varies.

Check How Much Does Fingerprinting Cost?

The US Apostille Fee - If your document needs to be apostilled, the US Department of State charges a flat $20 USD per document. This is the official government fee, separate from anything a service provider charges you to handle the paperwork on your behalf.

Certified Spanish Translation - If a certified translation is required, cost depends on the length of the document and the translator you use. Since the FBI background check report is usually short, this tends to be a smaller cost.

International Courier - If your finished document needs to be shipped to you in Colombia, a tracked courier like DHL or FedEx is worth the extra cost compared to standard mail, given how unreliable regular postal delivery can be internationally.

If You Use a Third-Party Provider Instead

This tends to cost more overall, somewhere in the range of $150 to $350 USD depending on what is included. But it removes a lot of the back and forth and reduces the risk of a rejected fingerprint card. If your deadline is approaching, this is the best option for you.

Paying in US Dollars from Colombia

The FBI only accepts payment in US dollars, and only through specific methods. This becomes a real problem in Colombia because none of the payment methods people use every day work here.

• PSE does not work, since it only processes Colombian peso payments through Colombian banks.
• A direct Bancolombia transfer cannot reach a US government account.
• Efecty and similar cash payment networks are not accepted at all.

So you need an actual way to pay in US dollars. Given below are the realistic options:

1. Use an International Credit Card: Most Colombian bank-issued Visa or Mastercard credit cards can still be used for international online payments. Your bank converts the charge from US dollars into Colombian pesos automatically using its own exchange rate, and may add a small international transaction fee.
2. Use a Digital Dollar Account: Services like Wise or Payoneer let you hold a balance in US dollars and get a card linked to it. You add money from a Colombian bank account, and the balance stays in US dollars until you spend it.
3. Let a Local Provider Handle the Payment: If you use a third-party service based in Colombia, you can usually pay them directly in Colombian pesos through a normal local method, and they take care of paying the FBI or the Department of State in US dollars on your behalf.
4. If Mailing a Money Order or Certified Check: This is the hardest option to arrange from Colombia, since local banks do not generally issue money orders in US dollars. If you plan to apply by mail with a money order or certified check, it is usually easier to have someone in the United States purchase and send it on your behalf. Or use a credit card payment instead if that option is available to you.

The process of getting your FBI background check from Colombia can become uncomplicated when you have dedicated administrative support from reliable providers like Globeia. From doorstep fingerprint collection to final document legalization, this is how we help with each phase to ensure your application moves forward without delays.

Easy Online Process

Professional Mobile Fingerprinting

Secure US Submission Coordination

Apostille Legalization and Certified Spanish Translation

Track Everything in Real Time

Start your FBI Background Check application here!

Having a past arrest or conviction on your FBI report does not mean your Colombian visa will be automatically denied. Colombian visa officers review these situations case by case, looking at how serious the issue was, how long ago it happened, and whether you completed all court requirements.

Even if a past record was legally sealed or erased ("expunged") in your home state, it might still show up on your FBI Identity History check. If it appears on your report, Colombian immigration will see it. The best approach is to be completely honest. Submit your report along with official court documents that show how the case was resolved, and include certified Spanish translations for everything.

Also Learn How Can I Get an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Colombia in 2026?

Most of the work may start in Colombia, but the important authentication steps happen in the United States. Your fingerprints and FBI request have to reach the FBI in West Virginia, and the completed FBI report then needs to go through the US Department of State for a federal apostille.

That is also why international shipping and the apostille method can have a noticeable effect on your overall timeline. You can manage these steps yourself, but you need to account for the physical movement of documents between Colombia and the US. This is why a third-party provider can be very useful. Because you are going to want someone in the US to coordinate the submission and apostille while you remain in Colombia.