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Colombia

Documented requirements for using an FBI Identity History Summary in Colombia: authentication path, translation expectations, request-channel position, and the government sources for each.

Last updated 2026-08-01

Overview

What do I need for Colombia, and how do I get it?

Order your FBI Identity History Summary from the FBI, or through an approved Channeler if you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, for the $18 fee set in federal regulation. [1] Then have it apostilled by the U.S. Department of State — never a state Secretary of State — because Colombia is a party to the Apostille Convention. [2] [3]

Basis
Convention membership from the HCCH status table [2]; the fee from 28 CFR 16.33 [1]; the competent authority for a federal document from the Department of State [3]. No Colombia authority was found to publish a position on Channeler-delivered summaries, so this guide records that silence rather than reading acceptance into it.
Caveat
Whether you need authentication at all, and within what recency window, is set by the Colombia authority handling your application — not by the FBI and not by this site. Read their checklist before you pay for anything beyond the summary itself.

The full sequence, with what each step costs and what is published about how long it takes, is in How to Get an FBI Background Check and Apostille or Legalization for an FBI Background Check. What follows is what is documented specifically about Colombia: the authentication path, translation expectations, and the documented position on request channels. It does not estimate durations, and it does not recommend providers.

Colombia — at a glance
QuestionDocumented position
Party to the Apostille ConventionYes [2]
Authentication authority for the FBI summaryU.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications [3]
Channeler-delivered summariesNo published position
Official language for translation purposesSpanish
FBI processing timeNot published by the FBI [4]

Who Typically Needs an FBI Background Check for Colombia

The requirement is normally imposed by the receiving body rather than chosen by the applicant. In Colombia, the document is most commonly requested from:

  • Migración Colombia and consulates, for visa applications
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for certain visa categories
  • Employers and regulators in some sectors

Where an applicant has lived in more than one country, the receiving authority typically requires a certificate from each country of residence over a stated period — the FBI summary covers the United States only.

Common Immigration Scenarios

Each scenario below is a pathway in which the document is commonly requested. The controlling requirement is always the one published by the authority handling the specific application.

Scenarios in which the summary is commonly requested
ScenarioHow the requirement typically arises
Migrant and resident visa categoriesA criminal record certificate is required for several categories, depending on the specific visa.
Marriage and family-based applicationsRequested where the category specifies documentary evidence of good conduct.

Apostille Requirements

Colombia is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. [2] A United States federal document destined for Colombia is therefore authenticated by apostille rather than by consular legalization.

In either case the competent authority for an FBI Identity History Summary is the U.S. Department of State, not a state Secretary of State, because the summary is a federal document. [3] [5]

Translation Requirements

The official language for administrative purposes is Spanish. Colombian authorities commonly require translation by a traductor oficial certified in Colombia, and may require the translation to be apostilled or otherwise certified.

Typical Processing Workflow

  1. Step 1: Confirm the requirement

    Read the receiving authority's own published checklist for the specific Colombia pathway.

    Step 1

  2. Step 2: Choose a request channel

    Direct electronic, direct mail, or an FBI-approved Channeler, subject to eligibility. [6]

    Step 2

  3. Step 3: Obtain the Identity History Summary

    The FBI publishes no processing figure, so this stage cannot be scheduled from an agency source. [4]

    Step 3

  4. Step 4: Obtain an apostille

    Submit to the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications, identifying the destination country. [3]

    Step 4

  5. Step 5: Translate, if required

    Per the receiving authority's rule on Spanish translation.

    Step 5

  6. Step 6: File within the recency window

    Any validity period is imposed by the receiving authority, not by the FBI.

    Step 6

Government References

Government sources

Primary sources for this guide. Where a question is not answered by one of these, this guide records that it is unanswered rather than supplying a figure from elsewhere.

Common Mistakes

  • Sending a federal document to a state Secretary of State for apostille. The Department of State is the competent authority. [3]
  • Planning a filing date around a turnaround figure the FBI has never published. [4]
  • Requesting a single copy when several authenticated originals are needed.
  • Obtaining the apostille after the translation, where the receiving body expects the apostille on the original.
  • Assuming a translation prepared in the United States will be accepted without Colombian certification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Colombia accept a state criminal history check instead?
Authorities requesting a United States police certificate generally specify the federal FBI document. The receiving authority's checklist is the authority on the point.
How long will the whole process take?
The FBI publishes no processing figure. [4] This site does not estimate one — see the article on what the FBI does and does not publish.
Is an apostille needed for Colombia?
Colombia is a Convention party, so the apostille path applies. [2]

References

Every source below is a primary publication of the body that controls the fact it supports. See the citation policy.

  1. [1]28 CFR 16.33 — Fee for production of identification record — Office of the Federal Register (eCFR). Reviewed 2026-08-01.The $18 fee is set here, in regulation. Cited in preference to the FBI's web pages because the regulation is the instrument that fixes the amount.https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-28/chapter-I/part-16/subpart-C/section-16.33
  2. [2]Status Table — Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents — Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). Reviewed 2026-08-01.https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
  3. [3]Office of Authentications — U.S. Department of State. Reviewed 2026-08-01.https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/office-of-authentications.html
  4. [4]Identity History Summary Checks — Frequently Asked Questions — Federal Bureau of Investigation. Reviewed 2026-08-01.fbi.gov rejects automated retrieval; reviewed manually in a browser.https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/identity-history-summary-checks/identity-history-summary-checks-faqs
  5. [5]Authenticate an official document for use outside the U.S. — USAGov. Reviewed 2026-08-01.https://www.usa.gov/authenticate-us-document
  6. [6]List of FBI-Approved Channelers — Federal Bureau of Investigation. Reviewed 2026-08-01.fbi.gov rejects automated retrieval; reviewed manually in a browser.https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers

Related research

Last updated 2026-08-01