If you are submitting a residency visa application in Panama, all of the adult applicants in your family will need to provide criminal history background checks from the country where you have been residing. You’ll also need to obtain an “apostille” for the criminal background checks, or otherwise have them “authenticated” before coming to Panama to start your residency application process.
The processes and institutions involved in requesting criminal history information are going to vary a bit from one country to another. In this article, we’re going to try to tell you everything you need to know to get this done and have a seamless experience in the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
You won’t be able to apply for Panama residency using criminal background check results from a municipality, state, provincial or other local government. Rather, you’ll need to obtain a national background check. So, if you are coming from the United States, then this means you’ll need to request an FBI background check.
Fingerprint Submissions
The first step in requesting the FBI check is to submit a fingerprint sample on the FD-1164 form. You can also download the form directly from the FBI’s website. It should be printed on white paper stock. We usually use a nice carton paper, which seems to work well for fingerprints.
One weakness in the system is that it all depends on the applicant being able to provide accurate biometrics. For some people, their fingerprints become worn off as they get older, and the FBI doesn’t really offer much of a viable solution for someone who isn’t able to provide a legible fingerprint images.
If you are in the United States, then you can probably have your fingerprint samples taken at any one of the numerous service centers located around the Country. The user-friendly FBI website even offers a list of Participating US Post Office Locations, and you can search it by zip code to find the location close to you. Most of those locations will also offer an option for digital fingerprinting at an additional cost of USD 50. This option may be worth trying if you have not been able to provide a legible fingerprint sample on the FD1164 card.
Requesting the FBI Report
Once you complete the fingerprint sample, you will need to fill out a short application on the FBI’s website.
You will start by providing an email address. Then they will send a code to your email, which you should use to access the online form. You’ll need to include basic information like your first and last name, place of birth and social security number.
The FBI website will prompt you to make a payment at the end of the process (US$18 per report), and it will ask you for a mailing address where the report should be sent.
Once you have completed the online form, you should send the fingerprint sample and form together with a scanned picture of your passport to the FBI at the following address:
FBI CJIS Division
ATTN: ELECTRONIC SUMMARY REQUEST
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306
If you decide to do the digital fingerprinting that we mentioned in the previous section, then I believe the post office will submit your electronic results for you. However, given that we are in Panama, we haven’t had any direct experience submitting digital results this way.
You can have the FBI send a scanned version of the reports to you by email, and then they will also send you the reports by regular mail to the address you have indicated.
Apostille or Authentication of FBI Reports
Once you have the reports, you can have them either apostilled through the State Dept or authenticated via one of the Panama Consulate offices. You can read more about how to get an apostille in this article.
However, we generally recommend that US clients instead get the authentication it through the Panama Consulate, as they tend to process documents more quickly.
There are 8 Panamanian Consulate offices in the United States:
You should call the Consulate office you plan to use to confirm exactly what they will require to authenticate your documents. But from our experience, it works like this:
- You draft a short letter listing the documents you are sending and explaining that you need them authenticated for your Panama residency visa application.
Download this FREE TEMPLATE for your letter (this one is addressed to the Panama Consulate office in Washington, DC). - You should obtain a USD 30 money order for each of the documents that you need authenticated.
You can get these at lots of places in the US, including most Walmart locations. - You should also obtain a self-address, pre-paid envelope.
This is so that the documents can be sent back to you once they have been authenticated. - You drop the letter, the money orders, the self-addressed return envelope, the docs to be authenticated and a scan of the info page of your passport into an envelope addressed to the Consulate.
Alternatively, if you are near a Panama Consulate, then you can probably make an appointment to take your documents in and have them authenticated same-day. But be sure to call them and ask about this.
Using a Channeler
If all this seems like too much of a pain, there are companies in the US called “channelers” who can take care of the whole process for you. Here is a link to a list of FBI-approved channelers.
But there are 2 things we want to point out here:
First, we have yet to speak with an approved FBI channeler will work with clients who are not physically in the US to give their fingerprint sample. If you are already in Panama, we can help you with the fingerprint cards. But from there, you’ll either need to run the process yourself, or have us do it for you.
Second, dealing with the FBI on this is relatively painless – especially if you are physically in the United States. While government institutions have a reputation for being robotic and bureaucratic, our experience with the FBI in requesting these national background checks has actually been pretty impressive. At USD 18 per report, the cost is accessible for most people. Their turnaround time is also pretty fast (within 10 business days, and usually faster). And they have a phone number on their website, which will easily take you to a real person who is able answer your questions (and usually with a pleasant and polite demeanor).
Getting your FBI Report to Panama
Once you receive your authenticated FBI report, just hold onto it until you are ready to travel to Panama to start your residency application process. We won’t be able to start that process until you are physically here, so there is no reason to spend money on courier costs to Panama ahead of your trip.
However, we will need to get an official translation of your FBI report (as well as some other documents, depending on the residency Visa program). That translation work has to be done by a certified translator in Panama. This is why we usually ask clients to scan the report and send it to us via email, so that we can get a head-start on the translations prior to your arrival.
Also – keep in mind that the FBI report should be issued within 6 months prior to submitting your residency application. So, be sure to time all of this to avoid letting it expire before you get down here to launch the residency process!
Having your Fingerprints Taken in a Foreign Country
Many of our clients start this process once they are already in Panama. If you find yourself in that situation, then we have a professional criminologist who can help you with your fingerprints.
From there, you can run the entire process yourself as we have explained above. The key difference is that you will need to use a courier service (DHL, Fedex) to send the FD-1164 form to the FBI CJIS Division, and also for the pre-paid envelope to have your authenticated results sent back to Panama. You will also probably need someone in the US to receive the FBI results for you and send them to the Panama Consulate with the USD 30 money orders.
Or, we can handle the entire process for you. Ask us about a quote.
Bottom Line?
If you are applying for residency in Panama, then you’ll need to disclose any criminal record by providing a national background check. And if you are coming from the United States, then that means you’ll need to submit fingerprints for an FBI report. You’ll also need to get an apostille from the State Dept, or have your FBI report authenticated by one of the 8 Panama Consulate offices in the United States. There are companies called “channelers” who can help you with the whole process, but the FBI is actually pretty efficient and pleasant to deal with in obtaining this report. So, we recommend that you consider doing it yourself.
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