FBI Background Check Translation for Peru

A criminal background check is one of the most common documents in a Peruvian residence application. For U.S. citizens, that usually means the FBI Identity History Summary (often called an "FBI background check"). Getting it accepted in Peru is a two-part job: it must be apostilled in the United States and translated into Spanish by a state-recognized colegiado translator.

This guide covers the sequence, the timing trap, and what we deliver.

Why Peru needs it translated

For immigration, Peru requires that any non-Spanish document be translated by a traductor colegiado recognized by the Peruvian state, and that documents issued abroad be apostilled (or consular-legalized and visaed by the MRE). An FBI summary is issued in English by a U.S. federal authority, so it needs both: a U.S. apostille and a certified Spanish translation. A CTP-certified translation satisfies the translation requirement.

The correct order

1. Obtain the FBI Identity History Summary. You can request it directly from the FBI or through an FBI-approved channeler.
2. Apostille it in the United States. A document issued by a U.S. federal agency is apostilled by the relevant U.S. authority that handles federal-document apostilles. Peru's MRE does not apostille foreign documents — it apostilles only Peruvian public documents — so this step happens in the U.S., before the document goes anywhere near Peru.
3. Translate the apostilled document with a CTP-certified translator, including the apostille itself.
4. Submit with your application to the Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones.

Watch the validity window

Background checks are time-sensitive. Many authorities expect a police clearance to be recent when submitted. Because requirements and validity windows change and are set by Migraciones, we deliberately do not publish a specific number of days here — confirm the current acceptable age of an FBI check with Migraciones (or with your immigration advisor) and plan your apostille and translation so the document is still fresh when you file.

A practical tip: get the FBI summary and its apostille first, then have the translation done quickly. Translation is the fast part — see How long a certified translation takes in Peru.

Apostille vs. translation, again

People often ask whether the apostille "counts as" the translation, or vice versa. They are separate:

• The apostille authenticates the document's origin (done in the U.S.).
• The certified translation makes it readable in Spanish (what we provide).

Neither replaces the other, and a translation never authenticates the document.

What we deliver

A CTP-certified Spanish translation of your apostilled FBI Identity History Summary, presented with a cover sheet, the translator's colegiatura number, post-signature seals, and a sworn statement of accuracy — the standard certification package accepted for official procedures in Peru.

We are a booking and payment facilitator connecting you to CTP-certified translators. We do not issue apostilles and we do not sign sworn TPJ translations.

The federal-document detail Americans miss

Here is the specific trap with the FBI summary, and it is worth stating bluntly: it is a federal document, so it does not get apostilled where your state documents do. A birth or marriage certificate is a state record handled by a state-level authority. The FBI Identity History Summary is issued by a U.S. federal agency and is apostilled by the U.S. federal authority that handles federal-document apostilles. Sending the FBI summary to a state apostille office gets it returned, which on a time-sensitive document can be the difference between filing on schedule and re-pulling the whole check.

So treat the FBI check on its own track within your wider U.S. document prep: obtain it (directly from the FBI or via an FBI-approved channeler), route it to the federal apostille authority specifically, and only then translate it. We are a translation provider, not a U.S. apostille service, so verify the exact current federal apostille office and process through official U.S. channels. Once it is apostilled, the translation is the quick, predictable final step — three business days for a typical document. Just don't let it sit translated and idle: confirm the acceptable age with Migraciones and file while it is fresh.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the FBI check apostilled — in Peru? No. It is a U.S. federal document apostilled by the U.S. federal apostille authority. Peru's MRE apostilles only Peruvian public documents.

Can my state apostille the FBI summary? No. State authorities apostille state documents (birth, marriage). The FBI summary is federal and goes to the federal apostille authority.

How recent does it need to be? The acceptable age is set by Migraciones and changes; we don't publish a number. Pull and apostille it close to your filing date, then translate quickly.

Channeler or direct from the FBI? Either can produce the summary. What matters for Peru is that it is then properly apostilled (federally) and certified-translated.

Does the apostille replace the translation? No. Apostille authenticates origin; the certified translation renders it in Spanish. Both are required, and neither substitutes for the other.

Get started

Order your FBI check translation at /order — $150 per document, $130 each for three or more if you are translating several documents together. For visa-document context see /visa-translations. For the residence process itself, PeruVisas.com covers eligibility and government steps.

Related reading: Police clearance certificate translation for Peru, Which documents need a certified translation for a Peru visa, and Getting US documents ready for Peru.