Colombia Civil Documents · Updated May 2026
Colombia Police Certificate (Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales) for U.S. Immigration
One of the easier Colombian documents to gather: a Colombian citizen can pull it free online in minutes.
Summary
Generate the Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales free at the Policía Nacional site (policia.gov.co), choosing the option “con fines migratorios” (for immigration), with your cédula. Foreigners who lived in Colombia request it in person through DIJIN instead. For the Bogotá interview you need no apostille and no English translation, because the embassy accepts Spanish. The one trap: if the certificate shows “Actualmente no es requerido por autoridad judicial alguna,” bring your complete court records with an English translation. Whether a record is clear, and what any entry means, is a question for an immigration attorney, not this guide.
At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Document name | Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales (judicial background certificate), issued through the National Police website. |
| Issuing authority | Ministerio de Defensa Nacional and the Policía Nacional de Colombia (National Police), online at policia.gov.co. |
| Who needs it | Each visa applicant 18 or older who has lived in Colombia for more than six months. Applicants under 18 are not required to obtain one. |
| Cost | Free. The State Department reciprocity page states there are no fees for the certificate, whether you pull it online or, as a foreigner, through DIJIN. |
| Validity | Two years (24 months) from the date of issue, per the State Department and the U.S. Embassy Bogotá supplement. |
| Apostille / translation | Not required for the Bogotá immigrant visa interview. The embassy accepts documents in Spanish, so a Spanish certificate needs neither an apostille nor an English translation for that interview. |
Fees, validity, and the document name verified against the State Department Colombia reciprocity page and the U.S. Embassy Bogotá supplement (May 2026). Verify directly before relying on them.
What it is and who needs one
The Colombian police certificate is the Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales, the judicial background record. The State Department lists it as available to applicants 18 and older, issued by the Ministerio de Defensa Nacional and the Policía Nacional de Colombia (the National Police). It is generated online and printed at home, not collected from a civil registry like the registro civil documents.
The U.S. Embassy Bogotá supplement says each applicant 18 or older who has lived in Colombia for more than six months must submit one. Applicants under 18 are not required to obtain it. Separately, the embassy expects a police certificate from your country of nationality if you lived there six months or more, and from any other country where you lived more than one year after age 16 (the United States is excluded), so the Colombian certificate may be one of several you gather.
How to order it
The route depends on one thing: do you have a Colombian cédula? If yes, pull it online yourself. If you are a foreigner who lived in Colombia, you go through DIJIN in person instead. Work through these in order.
Step 1: Colombian citizen with a cédula? Pull it online (fastest)
Go to the Policía Nacional site at policia.gov.co, choose the antecedentes judiciales (judicial background) service, and request it 'con fines migratorios' (for immigration purposes). You enter your cédula number and its issue date (fecha de expedición); you do not attach any other documents. The certificate generates immediately and you print it at home. It is free.
Step 2: Foreigner who lived in Colombia? Request it through DIJIN, in person
If you are a third-country national who resided legally in Colombia, the online portal will not work because it is keyed to a cédula. Contact La Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol (DIJIN) at dijin.araic-atc@policia.gov.co or (601) 515-9111 ext. 9112, at Calle 26 # 75-25 in Bogotá. The State Department says this process is free and must be done in person.
Step 3: Read what the certificate says, and prepare court records if needed
If your certificate shows the phrase 'Actualmente no es requerido por autoridad judicial alguna' (currently not wanted by any judicial authority), the State Department says you must bring your complete court records, with an English translation, to the interview. Applicants who skip this are sent away for a second interview. See the section below before assuming this does not apply to you.
Step 4: Time it close to your interview
The certificate is valid for two years, but issue it once your NVC case or interview is in sight rather than at the very start, so it does not run thin during a long wait. Because the online copy is instant and free, there is no reason to pull it early.
The “no es requerido” wording, explained
Read your certificate’s exact wording before the interview. The State Department reciprocity page says that any applicant whose certificate states “Actualmente no es requerido por autoridad judicial alguna” (in English, “currently not wanted by any judicial authority”) must bring their complete court records, with an English translation, to the embassy on the day of the interview. Applicants who show up without those records are required to return for a second interview.
This is the one place a Colombian certificate needs an English translation. It catches people off guard because the phrase reads like a clean result, so plan for it ahead of time rather than at the window. What the records themselves mean for your case is a separate, legal question covered below.
Do you need an apostille or translation?
For the Bogotá immigrant visa interview, no. The U.S. Embassy Bogotá accepts documents in Spanish, so a Spanish-language certificate needs neither an apostille nor an English translation for that interview. The only translation exception is the court-records situation above.
Colombia is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, and many general “police clearance Colombia” guides walk you through the apostille because they cover every use, including foreign jobs and other countries’ visas. That step is for those uses, not the U.S. visa. If a different U.S. agency later asks for an apostille in writing, you can request one online from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería). For how that process works, see apostilles through the Cancillería.
If your record is not clear — this one needs an attorney
This page explains how to obtain the certificate and what to bring. What a record shows, and what any entry on it means for your case, is a legal question, not a document-ordering one. Anything on a criminal record can affect admissibility, the rules turn on the exact charge and circumstances, and getting it wrong has serious, hard-to-reverse consequences. The right next step is a licensed immigration attorney, ideally one with criminal defense experience, before you file rather than a general guide. The AILA Find-a-Lawyer directory lets you filter by specialty; consultations typically run $150–$350. When a marriage green card needs a lawyer walks through when professional help is worth it.
What applicants report
Aggregated from the State Department Colombia reciprocity page, the U.S. Embassy Bogotá supplement, and Cancillería consular step-by-step guidance (2026). VisaJourney and Reddit thread bodies were not directly accessible, so community points are described honestly and not quoted as if verbatim. Use as context, not as instructions; your case may differ.
Tips from the community
Request it 'con fines migratorios', not the plain version
On the National Police portal the immigration-purpose option (con fines migratorios) is the one that produces the certificate the consulate expects. You enter only your cédula number and its issue date; no prior documents are attached, and the file generates on the spot for free.
Policía Nacional portal flow; Cancillería consular guidance, 2026
Spanish is fine for the Bogotá interview, no translation needed
The U.S. Embassy Bogotá checklist says documents that are not in English or Spanish need a certified English translation. A Colombian certificate is in Spanish, so for the Bogotá interview it does not need translating. The exception is the court-records situation below, which the State Department says must come with an English translation.
U.S. Embassy Bogotá supplement, verified May 2026
No apostille for the visa, despite what general guides say
Many Colombia 'police clearance' guides walk you through the Cancillería apostille because they cover all uses, including foreign jobs and other countries' visas. For the U.S. immigrant visa at Bogotá you do not need it. Only apostille the certificate if a different U.S. agency or a non-visa use asks for one in writing.
State Department reciprocity page; general guides compared, 2026
A clean record certificate can still trigger the court-records rule
The line 'Actualmente no es requerido por autoridad judicial alguna' reads like a clean result, yet the State Department treats it as the trigger to bring complete court records plus an English translation to the interview. Read your certificate's exact wording and prepare for this before the day, not at the window.
State Department reciprocity page wording, verified May 2026
In short
“You don't attach any prior documents, only your ID number and issue date, and you select the judicial-antecedents certificate for migration purposes. It comes back right away.”
Common problems and fixes
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Pulled the plain certificate instead of the immigration-purpose version | On policia.gov.co, request the antecedentes judiciales 'con fines migratorios' so the wording matches what the consulate expects. |
| Paid for an apostille that the visa did not require | The Bogotá immigrant visa does not need an apostille on the police certificate. Apostille only if a separate U.S. agency or non-visa use requests it. |
| Certificate showed 'Actualmente no es requerido' and applicant came without court records | Bring complete court records and an English translation to the interview, or you will be asked to return for a second interview. |
| Foreigner tried the online portal with no cédula | Third-country nationals who lived in Colombia request the certificate in person through DIJIN; the online portal is keyed to a Colombian cédula. |
| Only got the Colombian certificate when other countries also applied | Provide a police certificate from every country where you lived long enough, per the embassy checklist (6+ months in your country of nationality; 1+ year elsewhere after age 16). |
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: Colombia Reciprocity and Civil Documents (verified May 2026)
- U.S. Embassy Bogotá immigrant visa supplement (verified May 2026)
- Policía Nacional de Colombia (antecedentes judiciales portal) (verified May 2026)
- Cancillería: online apostille and legalization requirements (verified May 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the Colombian police certificate called and who issues it?
It is the Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales (judicial background certificate). The State Department reciprocity page lists it as issued by the Ministerio de Defensa Nacional and the Policía Nacional de Colombia (the National Police), and it is generated online at policia.gov.co.
Is the Colombian police certificate available, and is it free?
Yes. The State Department lists police certificates as available to applicants 18 and older, and states there are no fees. Colombian citizens print it instantly online with their cédula; foreigners who lived in Colombia request it through DIJIN in person, also at no charge.
Who has to submit a Colombian police certificate?
Each visa applicant 18 or older who has lived in Colombia for more than six months. Applicants under 18 are not required to obtain one. Separately, the embassy expects a police certificate from your country of nationality if you lived there 6+ months, and from any other country where you lived more than one year after age 16 (the United States is excluded).
Does the Colombian police certificate need an apostille or an English translation for the visa?
No. The U.S. Embassy Bogotá accepts documents in Spanish, so a Spanish-language certificate needs neither an apostille nor an English translation for the immigrant visa interview. The one exception is the court-records situation: if your certificate shows 'Actualmente no es requerido por autoridad judicial alguna,' the State Department says you must bring complete court records with an English translation.
How do I get one if I am not a Colombian citizen?
Third-country nationals who resided legally in Colombia request the certificate in person through La Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol (DIJIN) at dijin.araic-atc@policia.gov.co or (601) 515-9111 ext. 9112, Calle 26 # 75-25, Bogotá. The State Department says this process is free and cannot be done online, because the web portal is tied to a Colombian cédula.
How long is the Colombian police certificate valid?
Two years (24 months) from the date of issue, according to both the State Department reciprocity page and the U.S. Embassy Bogotá supplement. Because the online copy is instant and free, issue it once your interview is in sight rather than at the very start of the process.
What if my Colombian record is not clear?
That is a legal question, not a document-ordering one, and the answer depends on the specifics of your situation. Anything on a criminal record can affect admissibility, and the right next step is to talk to a licensed immigration attorney before you file, rather than relying on a general guide. This page only explains how to obtain the certificate itself.
Key takeaways
- ✓
Colombia's police certificate is the Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales, issued by the National Police and generated free online at policia.gov.co. The State Department lists it as available to applicants 18 and older.
- ✓
Colombian citizens pull it instantly with their cédula, requesting it 'con fines migratorios'; foreigners who lived in Colombia request it in person through DIJIN, also free.
- ✓
It needs no apostille and no English translation for the Bogotá immigrant visa interview, because the embassy accepts documents in Spanish. Ignore general guides that push the Cancillería apostille for the U.S. visa.
- ✓
If your certificate shows 'Actualmente no es requerido por autoridad judicial alguna,' the State Department says you must bring complete court records with an English translation, or face a second interview.
- ✓
The certificate is valid for two years; issue it once your interview is in sight, and gather a police certificate from every country where you lived long enough.
- ✓
Whether a record is clear, and what any entry means for admissibility, is a legal question for an immigration attorney, not something this guide can answer.
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