How to get an FBI background check apostilled for a Colombian visa

For U.S. citizens, the criminal background check is usually the slowest document in the entire application — not because any single step is hard, but because three separate bureaucracies have to touch it in sequence: the FBI, the U.S. Department of State, and an official translator. Applicants who start it last routinely watch other documents expire while they wait.

The three steps, in order

Step 1 — The FBI Identity History Summary

Colombia generally asks for the federal-level check: the FBI Identity History Summary (often called an “FBI background check” or “rap sheet”). You request it electronically at edo.cjis.gov and submit fingerprints. Two routes:

• FBI-approved channeler (the fast route): private companies authorized by the FBI that take fingerprints and return the result, typically in 1–5 days, for around US$50.
• Directly with the FBI: cheaper, but processing plus mailing time is measured in weeks rather than days.

Step 2 — The apostille (federal, not state)

An apostille is an international certification that makes a U.S. document legally recognizable in Colombia. Here is the detail that catches people: because the FBI summary is a federal document, only the U.S. Department of State in Washington can apostille it. Your state’s Secretary of State will reject it — that office only apostilles state-issued documents (birth certificates, state police checks, notarized papers).

• Mailing it to the State Department yourself: official processing currently runs about 5 weeks, plus mail time each way.
• Private apostille service: roughly 7–10 business days, for around US$150.

Step 3 — Official Spanish translation

The apostilled document is generally translated by a traductor oficial (a translator certified in Colombia), typically US$20–US$40 per page. Ordinary translations — even accurate ones — commonly draw an information request (requerimiento).

The timing trap: the freshness window

Colombia generally treats supporting documents as valid for about 3 months from issuance. The background check’s clock starts when the FBI issues it — not when the apostille finishes. So the practical sequencing rule most applicants follow:

1. Start the background check first — it is almost always the “long pole” of the file;
2. gather the quick documents (passport scan, photo, letters) while the apostille is in progress;
3. pull bank or income statements last, so everything is still inside its freshness window on the day you submit.

What it all costs and takes, end to end

Using the faster options at each step, applicants generally spend around US$220–US$250 all-in (fingerprints, apostille service, translation) and about 2–3 weeks; the do-it-yourself mail-in route costs less but commonly stretches to 6 weeks or more. Neither route is “wrong” — it is a money-versus-time decision.

One reassurance: a background check is not always demanded for every visa category, but it is increasingly requested in practice — and because it is the slowest item, having it ready protects your response window if the visa office asks for it mid-application. Check the requirements on the free overview page for your visa and confirm against the official sources below.