FBI background check for Spain: residency and visa applications

Last reviewed: 2026-09-28

If you have lived in the United States and are applying for residency or a long-stay visa in Spain, you will usually be asked for a criminal record certificate from the US: the FBI background check (officially, the Identity History Summary). Here is what that involves, step by step.

Who needs one

Spanish residence permits and long-stay visas, such as the digital nomad visa, the non-lucrative visa and investor (Golden Visa) residence, generally ask for a criminal record certificate from each country you have lived in during the previous years. For time spent in the US, that certificate is the FBI background check.

An NIE number on its own does not usually require one. The exact list of documents and the period it covers depend on the permit and on the consulate or immigration office handling your case, so always check their current list.

The four steps

1. Fingerprints: a technician takes your fingerprints to the FBI standard at one of our offices. Some technicians can also come to your address; ask when you book.
2. FBI result: your fingerprints are sent electronically and the result usually arrives within 24–48 hours.
3. Apostille: the result gets a Hague apostille, the certificate that lets Spanish authorities accept a US document.
4. Sworn translation: a sworn translator (traductor jurado) translates the result and the apostille into Spanish.

Timing

Many authorities only accept certificates issued within the last 90 days, so start close to your appointment or filing date, not months ahead. Our 90-day calculator shows the window for your date.

What you get from us

• Fingerprinting by a trained technician, with a free re-print if the FBI rejects the prints.
• The FBI request, the apostille and the sworn translation handled for you, or only the steps you need.
• Tracking online at every step, and delivery to you or to your lawyer.

Questions

Can I get my fingerprints taken in Spain?

Yes. You do not need to travel to the US: a technician takes your fingerprints in Spain and the request is sent to the FBI electronically.

Do I need the apostille and the translation for Spain?

For Spanish authorities, yes in almost every case: the apostille makes the US document valid in Spain, and the sworn translation must cover both the result and the apostille.

Can my lawyer or gestoría receive the documents?

Yes. We can deliver the finished documents to you or directly to your lawyer or gestoría.

General information, not legal advice. Requirements change: always check the current list of the office handling your application.