Immigration guide · Colombia
Colombian police certificate (antecedentes) for USCIS
How to download Colombia's judicial records certificate for free from the U.S., which of the three Colombian certificates you need, and why the name differs.
- Signed by Jorge Cardona
- Double review and verification
- Price confirmed before you pay
In Colombia the document is called a certificado de antecedentes judiciales, and the Policía Nacional issues it through its online portal. There’s no office to visit and no fee. The portal generates it on the spot, as a PDF, from your cédula de ciudadanía number.
The certificate always carries:
- Your name as it appears at the Registraduría, in capitals, surnames first, without accent marks.
- The cédula de ciudadanía number.
- The exact date and time of issuance.
- A verification code that lets anyone confirm the document on the same Policía Nacional portal.
- The line that settles the matter, usually: “no tiene asuntos pendientes con las autoridades judiciales”, meaning no pending matters with judicial authorities.
That last line is the real content of the document. Everything above it is the heading.
The Colombian trap: three certificates exist and only one works
This is one of the most common mix-ups we see with Colombian files.
Colombians use the word “antecedentes” for three different documents, from three different agencies, certifying three different things:
- Antecedentes judiciales, from the Policía Nacional. This is the criminal record certificate, and it’s the one usually requested.
- Antecedentes disciplinarios, from the Procuraduría General de la Nación. It certifies disciplinary sanctions against public servants. It says nothing about criminal history.
- Antecedentes fiscales, from the Contraloría General de la República. It certifies whether someone appears on the register of people who owe money to the state.
A fourth one adds to the confusion: the certificado de medidas correctivas from the RNMC. The same police force issues it, but it covers civic infractions and citations, not crimes.
Many people download the Procuraduría certificate because an employer once asked for it, then send it in by mistake. Request the Policía Nacional certificate.
The second trap is the name. The system prints names in capitals, surnames first, with accent marks stripped. Your passport may read Yeison Andrés Gutiérrez Mosquera while the certificate reads GUTIERREZ MOSQUERA YEISON ANDRES. Each translation shows the name exactly as its document has it, without correcting or merging the spellings.
The third trap: the certificate shows a time of issuance, not just a date. It’s generated instantly and ages fast. One pulled months ago looks stale at a glance.
Getting it from the United States
The good news is that this one needs no travel and no representative in Colombia.
- Go to the Policía Nacional antecedentes portal with your cédula de ciudadanía number. It works from abroad.
- It generates in minutes, at no cost.
- Download the original PDF, not a screenshot or a photo. The verification code has to stay legible.
- If your cédula has expired or your record was never digitized, contact your nearest Colombian consulate to sort that out before you try online.
One timing tip: download it once you have a filing date, not months ahead. It takes minutes and costs nothing, so there’s no benefit to keeping one in a drawer. There is a real risk of submitting one that’s months old.
About the apostille
If the certificate is headed for Spain or another Hague Convention country, the usual order is to apostille it before translating. That way the translation covers the apostille too. You request the apostille from Colombia’s Cancillería, which issues it electronically online. Fidelis doesn’t process apostilles: we translate the document once it’s apostilled or legalized. USCIS doesn’t usually ask for an apostille. What it requires is a complete English translation with the translator’s certification.
Pricing and process
Here’s what your certified translation includes and what it costs:
| Item | Details | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| First page (up to 500 words) | Includes Certificate of Translation Accuracy under 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3) and double review | $29 USD |
| Each additional page | Same order, any documents; for many pages we prepare a full quote | $25 USD |
| Optional notarization | By a Florida notary public, only when the receiving agency asks for it | +$30 USD per order |
| Standard turnaround | PDF ready to file, for 1–3 pages after document review | 1–2 business days |
💡 Questions about seal legibility or marks on your record? Send us a clear photo or PDF scan, and we’ll review it before you order.
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Frequently asked questions
I downloaded the Procuraduría certificate. Does that work for my filing?
Probably not. The Procuraduría certificate covers disciplinary sanctions against public servants, not criminal history. The one usually requested is the certificado de antecedentes judiciales from the Policía Nacional, on a different portal. If you already sent the Procuraduría one, download the police certificate now so you have it ready if you're asked.
My certificate reads GUTIERREZ MOSQUERA YEISON ANDRES and my passport reads Yeison Andrés Gutiérrez Mosquera. Should that be fixed?
No. That format comes from the Registraduría, so the difference has a simple explanation. The translation keeps the certificate's order and spelling. Changing it to match the passport would turn an ordinary, explainable difference into one that is hard to explain.
Official source
Review the applicable federal requirement directly at 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3) on eCFR .
Fidelis Certified Translations is an independent translation service and is not affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by USCIS or any U.S. government agency. Final acceptance of any document rests solely with the receiving agency or institution.