Criminal record certificates

Criminal record translations for Panama immigration

A police clearance certificate from your home country is one of the base documents in almost every Panamanian residency route under Decree Law 3 of 2008. The name changes by country — FBI Identity History Summary in the US, ACRO in the UK, RCMP check in Canada — but the rule is the same: apostille the original in the country that issued it, then have it translated into Spanish by a Certified Public Translator registered with MIRE. Certificates already issued in Spanish need no translation at all.

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From $21–40 per certificate
Delivery 24–72 business hours
Legal basis: Decree Law 3 of 2008 · Hague Convention 1961

Which documents need translation?

FBI Identity History Summary (US)

Apostilled by the US Department of State as a federal document, then translated into Spanish for your Panamanian filing — the apostille included inside the translation.

ACRO certificate (UK) and RCMP check (Canada)

Apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office and by Global Affairs Canada respectively — Canada joined the Hague Convention in January 2024.

Other issuing countries

Führungszeugnis (Germany), Casellario Giudiziale (Italy), Certidão de Antecedentes (Brazil) and equivalents. Non-English languages carry a language surcharge.

How much does it cost?

From $20 per certificate of up to 275 words, plus $0.07 per additional word, plus 7% ITBMS tax — an FBI report typically lands between $21 and $30 depending on how many entries it lists. English carries no language surcharge; German and Italian originals add 30–80% for the language pair. We count the real words in your PDF and quote before you pay.

How long does it take?

Standard delivery is 48–72 business hours. Because immigration usually expects the certificate to be recent — often issued within the last three to six months — plan to request, apostille and translate it close to your filing date. If your appointment is imminent, Express delivers in 24 hours (+50%).

How does it work?

  1. 1Request the certificate from the issuing authority in your country (FBI, ACRO, RCMP, national police).
  2. 2Have it apostilled by that country's designated authority, or legalised consularly if it is not a Hague member.
  3. 3Send the apostilled PDF on WhatsApp or through the online quoter — in English.
  4. 4Pay with the exact quote; a MIRE-registered Certified Public Translator translates it into Spanish with the apostille included.
  5. 5File the apostilled original together with its certified translation at the National Immigration Service.

Frequently asked questions

Does my FBI background check need to be translated for Panama?
Yes. The FBI Identity History Summary is issued in English, so a Panamanian immigration filing requires a Spanish translation signed and sealed by a Certified Public Translator registered with MIRE. It should be apostilled by the US Department of State first, so the apostille appears inside the translation.
Can I get my certificate apostilled in Panama?
No. An apostille is issued by the designated authority of the country that produced the document — for US federal records, the Department of State, in the United States. Panama cannot apostille foreign documents. Once it is apostilled abroad, we translate it into Spanish here.
How recent does the certificate have to be?
The certificate does not expire by itself, but Immigration generally expects a recent one, often issued within the last three to six months. The exact window depends on the route and the reviewing officer, so request, apostille and translate it close to your filing date to avoid being asked for a new one.
My certificate is already in Spanish. Do I need a translation?
Not for a filing in Panama. Certificates from Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina or Spain are already in Spanish and only need an apostille. You would translate one into English only if you were using it to emigrate to an English-speaking country. We will tell you when a translation is unnecessary.
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