Fingerprints for criminal record check

I just had a bit of a search using servicios de huellas dactilares in Google  and on the Spanish consulate site (for Tangier it's true but nonetheless a Spanish Consulate) it said

La observancia de esta nueva medida es exigible tanto en los locales del Consulado como en los de la empresa prestataria de servicios externos VFS Global, a la que le han sido conferidas algunas tareas del procedimiento de solicitud de visado, entre las que se encuentra la captura de huellas e imagen.

The VFS site is automatically opened in English and was talking about the UK but it may be a place to start asking.

I kept looking and I came across this
http://www.interior.gob.es/documents/64 … df05f203d8
On page 106 it says that you are required to give your fingerprints but the suggestion is that the police will do it at the time when you go for your interview. That's certainly how it used to work with the old NIE cards and also how it works with Spanish citizens.

The  CNP, the National Police, deal with all the passport and identity stuff so popping into your local comisaria may be an easier first step.

I'm not exactly sure what visa it is that you need but there where lots of links about visas for the Schengen area with search clues like como se puede obtener un visado schengen.

I also came across this and, again, it just suggests that you have to give your prints not that you need to get it done beforehand,

https://www.justlanded.com/espanol/Espa … ncia-y-NIE

Hi Culebronchris,

Thank you so much for the detailed message and the time taken to do the research!

I need my fingerprints taken by the police so that i can send the fingerprint card along with the NPC (National Police Check) form to Australia to get my police check. The fingerprint check is one of the requirements of my visa for next year.

As you advised, I will definitely try going in to a Comisaría and try my luck (fingers crossed).

I'm also looking at the VFS Global, hopefully i can get some info out of there too.

Thanks again! I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a good weekend

Hi there!
I am currently in the same pickle as you were a year ago. I am an Australian as well residing overseas and need my fingerprints taken- any advice?
Urgently needed! My only option right now is to go home

Hi Mnation,

As I researched during my period of desperation (LOL), another option is to do it in England. You can take a trip to London and get it done there (definitely cheaper than going home, which is stupid that our gov expects us to go this way). You just need to make an appointment. I don't remember the exact procedure, but you can easily find info from the internet. I did call them and confirmed and it's legit, and my friend who lives there has confirmed for me too

It's almost impossible in Spain; they only take fingerprints for criminals or unless if we have a letter from our embassy stating the purpose of the need of the fingerprint card, like Canada, US, and SA do (I contacted these embassies too, to beg them for help haha). But our embassy and consulate office don't do that, and won't do it as an exceptional case or anything. Yes, I was literally begging them.  I called the embassy, the guy wasn't helpful and told me (angrily) that I had to "figure it out myself"; the consulate office guy was nice but he wasn't helpful either. When I was at the police station, the Police officer told me to call the consulate office from his phone just to indicate that it's indeed important, but he just repeated "I don't know" for like 25 times haha and then "good luck". I lucked out, as this police officer I talked to went out of his way to help me. He took my fingerprints on a form they only use for criminals. He even called his "boss" and his boss said I will need to have a letter from the embassy. Sorry for the long gibberish

Anyways, if going home isn't an option for you, buy yourself a trip to London

Let me know if you have other questions. Best of luck!

Great to see I'm on the right track! The London Aus embassy were super rude to me, basically cutting me off and saying they can't help me- contact the AFP contact the AFP- honestly! I've literally done everything. I am going with people called the UKfingerprinting services or something. They will do it for me, I'm just waiting to see if the AFP will approve of this cause I need to send it to Canberra to be processed and sent back so I can apply for my visa 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

You got your fingerprints taken by London police? How nice !

Yea don't ask the embassy anymore, they won't help. THe embassy people here were rude too and they won't help their own people.

Mine was taken by the Spanish police. But it was a rare case coz we dont have the letter. I was lucky.

I contacted the same UKfingerprinting too LOL They told me it could be done just at the airport I wouldn't even need to get out of the airport.

But what I meant was Police Department in England can take fingerprints for us. I believe this is the link https://www.met.police.uk/request/your- … nal-exams/

Also, once you get your fingerprints taken, the rest would be easy. Don't worry. AFP is pretty efficient. They promise within a month and they will really get it done within a month if there aren't any other interruptions.

Oh right! The thing is I'm working with children so I can see the necessary precautions they must take. I just need someone to take my bloody fingerprints damn it haha! I've contacted the uk police so hopefully good news from there
But yes, went with the other guys as well so at least I have one option 🤦🏽‍♀️

Thought I'd chime in and share my experience. I need fingerprints done for a Spanish visa. Rather than get them done in Aus which would take 6 weeks, after which you are then able to lodge your visa application (another 6 weeks), I'm getting them done here and will send them to the AFP via post.

The consulate in Barcelona doesn't help you with this process. So I made an appointment with the embassy in Madrid and paid 45 euro for them to write a formal request (in Spanish) to the Spanish police asking them to take my prints.  They also provided me with the official AFP fingerprint form, and suggested a location in Madrid to get them done (Servicio de Atencion al Turista Extranjero located at c/ Leganitos, 19).  Unfortunately I didn't know this earlier, and I was short of time so I flew back to Barcelona a few hours later hoping I could get it done here.

In Barcelona I went to -
Policia de la Generalitat – Mossos d'Esquadra
Unitat Territorial de Policia Científica
Taquígraf Garriga, 106, 08029 Barcelona
(use the Taquigraf entrance, not the main entrance on the other side of the building)

This is where Americans get their prints done.

They were super friendly and had no problem doing it at all. I don't think I even needed to get the letter from the embassy, but I think you do need to get the official AFP fingerprint form from somewhere as the Mossos police guy definitely didn't have any there, and I'm unsure whether the AFP will accept the Spanish form.

This leads me to my only concern. The Mossos police guy was not certain that the AFP will accept them as being the ones who took and witnessed my prints. He has suggested I go to the National police in Barcelona as well, get them done there, and send both forms.  I'll post again if I have any problems.

Anyway, I couldn't find much info on the internet specific to Australians so I hope this helps someone out one day!

Hi,

I'm a US citizen. I have to get my fingerprints also, but in Valencia I have to make an appointment to get authorization to get it done at a local police station. I need mine ASAP, and I wanted to know do they also do live scan fingerprints, digital fingerprints?

Thanks for sharing your story, it helped a lot!

Jag.   Do you mean the ‘local national police' not to be confused with policia local !

Hello,

Did you find a place to get them taken in Valencia?

Thanks

Does anyone have an idea on how to go about getting finger prints for visa application in València?
Thanks for the responses.

Hello Clare, did you manage to get where to take your fingerprints in valencia?