USA Criminal Record Check

Published on December 04, 2024 . Last updated on June 09, 2026

Globeia

How to Get a USA Criminal Record Check in the Dominican Republic

Dominican law is very clear about immigration. Under Article 30 of Migration Regulation No. 631-11, all foreign nationals applying for legal residency must prove they have a clean criminal record for the last five years. This means American citizens and expats need to apply for an official FBI Identity History Summary.

But here’s something that catches most applicants off guard: there’s no way to obtain a US criminal record check from a local office or embassy inside the DR. You have to request it remotely from the FBI CJIS database in the United States. This is not always easy as applicants face the bureaucratic requirements of the US and the DC at the same time.

In this blog, we’ll explain the three secure methods to obtaining your USA criminal record check from the Dominican Republic.

Why the Dominican Republic Requires a USA Criminal Record Check

The Dominican Republic's General Directorate of Migration (DGM) explicitly rejects state-level documents. Hundreds of applicants face rejection every year due to this one mistake. They end up submitting a local or state-level police background check, such as a state Criminal Record Check from Florida or New York.

This is the difference worth understanding to avoid costly delays. Immigration is handled at a federal level, so the DR requires a nationwide database search covering all fifty US states. The only document that satisfies this requirement is an FBI Identity History Summary Check.

How It Works

The USA criminal record check requires submitting fingerprints to conduct a thorough search via the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) database. The results, also known as the Identity History Summary, provide a detailed account of an individual's criminal history in the U.S.

Who Needs It?

Anyone applying for:

Ordinary Residency Visa (Visa de Residencia)
Work Visa (Visa de Negocios Laboral)
Rentista/Inversionista (Retiree/Investor) fast-track visas

Dependents including:

Spouses
Any children of legal age (18 years or older) included under your application must provide their own separate federal background check.

Children under 18 are generally exempt from this requirement.

Applying for a USA Criminal Record Check in the Dominican Republic

To minimize chances of rejection or procedural delays, you need to get the process right. It takes more than just walking into the US Embassy in Santo Domingo because you need to get your fingerprints taken.

You can use one of the three ways to submit your fingerprints to the FBI while physically staying in the Dominican Republic:

Option 1: Direct Mail-In Application

Download the Standard Forms

Print the official FBI Applicant Information Form and the standard FD-258 or FD-1164 Fingerprint Card.
Print the fingerprint card on heavy white cardstock. Standard printing paper can easily wrinkle or smudge when wet ink is applied.

Get Rolled in Ink

For this, you can visit a local Dominican police station (Policía Nacional) or hire a private associate in Santo Domingo or Punta Cana.
They will roll your fingerprints using professional black ink.
Ensure all descriptive blocks (height, weight, hair color) match your passport exactly.

Secure U.S. Dollar Payment

Fill out the FBI Credit Card Payment Form for $18 USD, or purchase a certified U.S. money order.
Cash, personal checks, or international non-U.S. bank drafts are not accepted.

Ship via Private Courier

Place your completed card, form, and payment inside a secure envelope.
Do not use standard postal mail. Ship via DHL or FedEx to:

FBI CJIS Division - Summary Request

1000 Custer Hollow Road

Clarksburg, WV 26306

Option 2: Direct Online Portal (FBI eDO)

Submit the Digital Request

Go to the official Electronic Departmental Order portal at www.edo.cjis.gov.
Create an account, fill out your biographical profile, and pay the $18 USD fee via credit card or PayPal.

Print Your Confirmation

Immediately after paying, download and print your official online confirmation email.
It should contain your unique application PIN.

Obtain and Mail Physical Prints

You must still get your fingerprints rolled physically on an FD-258 cardstock card in the DR.

Courier to West Virginia

Ship the physical fingerprint card together with your printed online confirmation email page to the FBI CJIS address.
Once processed, your results are posted as a downloadable, secure PDF to your portal.

Option 3: Third-Party Provider

Initialize the Secure Request

Send your request to a third-party provider like Globeia.
Complete your biographical data forms online and handle all payment processing through their secure dashboard.
This consolidates the FBI fee and service charges into a single transaction.

Courier to the Channeler's Office

Mail your original completed FD-258/FD-1164 fingerprint card to the provider’s processing headquarters (in our case, to Globeia Inc. in the USA) via an expedited courier.

Results Retrieval

The provider coordinates the submissions to the FBI.
Your official federal background check is processed and delivered as a secure PDF download to your user profile.
Processing times are determined entirely by the FBI and generally range from 1-3 days for US citizens and up to 2-3 weeks for non-US citizens. Though timelines may vary based on application volume and individual circumstances. Mailing time from the Dominican Republic is additional.

Important notes:

*FBI fees may change occasionally.

*Before presenting your result to Dominican immigration or residency officials, the document needs to pass through several stages of international document authentication. These primarily include an apostille and translation.

The Next Stage: Hague Apostille & DR Translation

A USA criminal record check does not automatically become valid for use in the Dominican Republic. To prove its authenticity, you must follow these steps.

Step 1: The Federal Apostille

Both the United States and the Dominican Republic are active members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

This means documents do not need to pass through complex legalization chains. They just require an apostille.

So, where will you need to send your document to get this done? The answer is, the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.

Since FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document signed by an official of the FBI, a local Secretary of State cannot apostille it.

Step 2: Certified Legal Spanish Translation

After getting your USA Criminal Record check Apostilled from Washington D.C., it must be legally translated into Spanish.

This cannot be done by a generic translation website or an uncertified translator. To be accepted by the DGM, the translation must be:

executed,
signed,
and stamped

by an official Intérprete Público Judicial (a certified legal court translator registered inside the Dominican Republic).

Upload the original English apostilled document and the stamped Spanish translation to the residency application portal simultaneously.

Document Validity Requirements for DR Residency Applications

There’s actually a difference between how long your paperwork stays valid versus how long your digital application profile remains active. Getting a clear idea of this distinction is critical to keeping your relocation timeline on track.

The Lifespan of Your FBI Background Check

Foreign documents submitted to the Dominican Republic's General Directorate of Migration (DGM) for a temporary residence application are generally accepted for up to one year.

What Happens If Your DGM Application Becomes Inactive?

But the online application tracking system has its own deadline. Once you upload your supporting documents and initiate your application inside the Dirección General de Migración Portal de Servicios, a digital countdown begins.

If there is no action or update on the application for 90 calendar days, it is automatically considered expired and closed.

When this happens, you’re back to step one. Now, you will need to restart the entire application from scratch. Even if your physical FBI background check is still under its one-year document expiration date, you will have to re-upload everything and pay processing fees all over again. So, the two most important things to take care of are:

Ensuring your documents remain current.
Checking your application progresses without long periods of inactivity.

Dos and Don’ts of Getting a USA Criminal Record Check in the DR

Here are some dos and don’ts that you must consider while applying for the FBI background check:

Dos

Do Keep Names Identical: Check that your name appears exactly the same across your passport, your FBI application form, and your physical fingerprint cards. Missing middle names or suffixes (for example, Jr., III, etc.) will lead to a system mismatch.
Do Use a Professional Pad: If rolling fingerprints manually at a local police station in the DR, bring a professional ink pad. It can help avoid smudged ridge loops that are rejected by federal scanners.
Do Use Tracked Shipping: Always verify that your international shipping package uses signature tracking. If your physical fingerprint cards are lost in transit without a tracking record, your application timeline will crash.

Don'ts

Don't Mail Cash: The FBI CJIS division will immediately destroy any application package that contains raw cash, local currency, or personal checks. Use only approved credit card authorization forms or official U.S. money orders.
Don't Forget the Apostille: Without the accompanying U.S. Department of State Apostille certificate, your residency files will be rejected by Dominican authorities.
Don't Procrastinate: Because processing backlogs can suddenly shift at the Office of Authentications in Washington D.C., waiting until the last minute can cause your initial fingerprints to age past their validity limits.

Dos	Don'ts
Use official FD-258/1164 fingerprint cards.	Don't use photocopies, homemade cards, or the wrong form.
Have fingerprints taken by a trained associate.	Don't let an untrained person take your prints.
Request a second fingerprint card as a backup.	Don't send your only copy of fingerprints.
Double-check your full name, DOB, SSN, and address before mailing.	Don't use nicknames or abbreviations on your application.
Use a tracked courier (UPS, FedEx, DHL) from the DR to the FBI.	Don't use regular Dominican postal mail.
Keep proof of payment (credit card statement, money order receipt).	Don't send cash.
Save your tracking number and confirmation emails.	Don't throw away shipping receipts until you receive your results.
Check the current FBI fee at fbi.gov before paying.	Don't assume the fee hasn't changed since last year.
Use the FBI's eDO system or a trusted third-party fingerprinting and coordination service like Globeia to help ensure accurate preparation and submission.	Don't use standard mail if you are in a hurry.
Request the apostille at the same time as your criminal record check.	Don't wait until you receive the report to think about the apostille.
Get a certified Spanish translation after the apostille.	Don't translate the raw FBI report before the apostille.
Keep digital copies of everything before mailing.	Don't rely only on paper copies.
Follow up with the FBI or your service provider if results are late.	Don't simply wait forever without checking.
Confirm exact requirements with your DR lawyer or immigration officer.	Don't assume all DR offices ask for the same documents.

Conclusion

Obtaining a USA Criminal Record Check from the Dominican Republic is not difficult provided you are well aware of the procedure. Whether you choose to send the application by mail, online, or through an external platform, make sure your fingerprints and documents are in accordance with the FBI's requirements. Other services such as apostille or translation may also be needed depending on your needs. Apply now using Globeia’s seamless online service for the FBI Identity History Summary Check.

Get your prints taken clearly, secure your D.C. apostille, and check this off your list so you can focus on your move.

FAQs

What happens if I have a minor traffic violation or an old misdemeanor on my FBI record?

The Dominican Republic’s General Directorate of Migration (DGM) reviews criminal histories case-by-case. Minor offenses or old traffic violations may not automatically disqualify you. You must have the record apostilled and translated exactly as issued. Don’t attempt to hide or alter any part of the document.

Can I use a digital fingerprint scanner inside the Dominican Republic?

No. The U.S. Embassy and consular outlets in the Dominican Republic do not provide digital fingerprinting (live-scan) services for personal background checks. The local Dominican police stations are only equipped to capture manual ink-rolled prints on physical paper. You must submit a physical card stock form.

Do I need a separate background check if I lived in another country before moving to the DR?

Yes. Article 30 specifies that you must provide proof of a clean criminal history covering your last five years of residency. If you spent any significant portion of those five years living outside the United States (for example, working in Spain or studying in Canada), Dominican immigration will require a national-level criminal record check from that country as well. This is completely separate from your U.S. FBI report.

Can a family member living in the US mail my fingerprint card to the FBI for me?

Yes. If you want to bypass the high cost of international shipping from the Dominican Republic, you can courier your physical fingerprint card to a trusted contact in the United States. They can then drop it into the domestic U.S. postal system. If you choose this method, ensure they mail it alongside your printed online confirmation email page containing your unique portal PIN.

Does the Dominican Republic require my U.S. passport to be apostilled too?

No. An original, valid passport does not require an apostille to be recognized inside the Dominican Republic. You will still need to get a full photocopy of your passport (every single page, including blank ones) certified and stamped by a local notary public or legal authority once you arrive in the DR.

Written by :

We are a background screening and document verification agency in Toronto. While we cover the Greater Toronto Area for in-person appointments, the bulk of our clientele uses our online services from different countries of the world. Globeia makes it simple and cost-effective for companies and individuals to navigate governmental red tape without breaking the bank.

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