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.
In Colombia the document is called a certificado de antecedentes judiciales, and the Policía Nacional issues it through its online portal. There is no counter to visit and no fee: it is generated 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 actual content of the document. Everything above it is heading.
The Colombian trap: three certificates exist and only one works
This is the number one reason a Colombian file draws a request for more evidence.
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 one. This is the one that works.
- 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 liable for debts to the state.
A fourth adds to the confusion: the certificado de medidas correctivas from the RNMC, issued by the same police force but covering civic infractions and citations rather than crimes.
Plenty of people download the Procuraduría one, because that is the one an employer asked for once, send it in, and watch the file stall. Request the Policía Nacional certificate.
The second trap is the name. The system prints names in capitals, surnames first, with accent marks stripped. If your passport reads Yeison Andrés Gutiérrez Mosquera and the certificate reads GUTIERREZ MOSQUERA YEISON ANDRES, that difference has to appear exactly as each document has it. It does not get corrected or smoothed into one spelling.
The third: the certificate carries a time of issuance, not just a date. It is 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, your nearest Colombian consulate is the channel for sorting that out before trying online.
One timing tip: pull it once you have a filing date, not months ahead. Since it takes minutes and costs nothing, there is no advantage to holding one in a drawer and a real risk of submitting one with months on it.
About the apostille
If the certificate is headed for Spain or another Hague Convention country, the usual order is to apostille it before translating, since the translation then covers the apostille too. That step is handled by the applicant at Colombia’s Cancillería, which issues an electronic apostille online. Fidelis does not process apostilles: we translate the document once it is already apostilled or legalized. For a filing with USCIS in the United States, an apostille is normally not required, only the certified translation.
Transparent Pricing & Translation Process at Fidelis
To prepare your certified translation in line with USCIS requirements, we work with thorough precision:
| Item | Details | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Page (up to 500 words) | Includes Certificate of Translation Accuracy under 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3) and two-step review | $29 USD |
| Optional Notarial Seal | Executed before a Florida Notary Public (when requested by the receiving agency) | +$30 USD |
| Standard Turnaround | High-resolution PDF ready for filing | 1–2 business days |
💡 Questions about seal legibility or marks on your record? Send us a legible photograph or PDF scan for evaluation before placing your order.
👉 Get a quote in 60 seconds →
💬 Chat with us on WhatsApp (+1 (786) 407-6268) →
Frequently asked questions
I downloaded the Procuraduría certificate. Does that work for my filing?
That one certifies disciplinary sanctions against public servants, not criminal history. What gets requested is the certificado de antecedentes judiciales from the Policía Nacional, which is a different document from a different portal. It is the most common mix-up with Colombian paperwork. Download the right one, and if you already submitted the other, get it before anyone asks.
My certificate reads GUTIERREZ MOSQUERA YEISON ANDRES and my passport reads Yeison Andrés Gutiérrez Mosquera. Should that be fixed?
No, and it is better left alone. The Policía Nacional portal prints names in capitals, surnames first, without accents, because that is how they come from the Registraduría. The translation reflects the document exactly as it stands, in that order and that spelling. Quietly matching it to the passport turns a normal, explainable difference into an inconsistency that is hard to account for.
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.