Step · Legal
Get a criminal record certificate from every country you lived in
Adults applying for a long-stay visa usually need a criminal record certificate from each country they lived in during the last five years, with a Hague Apostille and a sworn Spanish translation. Americans use the FBI check.
- Why it matters
- Americans who lived abroad in recent years, and applicants of any nationality, need one certificate per country, each with its own issuing office, apostille and translation, so this takes the longest to line up.
- When
- Your consulate’s list asks for a criminal record certificate and you are over 18.
- How long it takes
- Los Ángeles FAQ: an apostille takes between 1 day and 3 weeks.
- Official page
- Telework visa (digital nomad visa), updated 30 June 2025
- Last checked
- 23 Oct 2026
In the guide: the 6 steps, what to bring (6 items), and 4 Easy to miss lines, with every official source.
One Easy to miss, on us
The criminal record certificate cannot be issued more than 6 months before the visa application (San Francisco); local state background checks and their apostilles are not valid (Chicago).