Where to get FingerPrints for Criminal Background Check in São Paulo

Lily

Taking your fingerprints used to be done by PF when they processed the Cie. Did you get your info from the PF website describing the requirements.

Jim

LilythEster,

Since you've lived in Brazil for so long, I'd recommend first that you or your husband check with the Federal Police to ask whether a local criminal background check will satisfy the requirement.

If not, consider calling the FBI Office at the US Embassy in Brasília (American Embassy: (61) 3312-7000; (61) 3312-7400-- after hours), to ask them the most expeditious way to get a FBI Criminal Background Check without leaving Brazil.

If neither of those is a viable option, and you'll be visiting the US anytime soon, make an appointment with one of the FBI's Approved Channelers for the day after you arrive.  They're pricey, but they'll take your prints electronically, and turn your Report around in a matter of days, not weeks or months.

Usually you do that kind of thing at your embassy or consulate.....check you definately need it....sometimes you can just sign a declaration, but there have been a lot of changes recently

Hey everyone, thanks for the tips, so I have to get a background check from the USA because I tried to use a local background check here in SP and they didnt accept it at the Policia Federal. The US embassy doesn't deal with criminal background checks, they have a specific policy of things they don't do and background checks is one of them... Maybe I'll try calling them though to ask if they know where I can get my fingerprints done. If not, I am gonna go to the policia federal monday to see if they do it there

Lily

Go to the pf and ask what the requirements are. Ask them to write it down. Many times you get secondhand information that has changed since the person giving it experienced it.

Jim

I do fingerprints here in Goiania, probably a little far for you to travel though. You would then submit to the FBI for a background check by mail. I would think that the PF could do the prints for you there. The form is FD-258 which you can print off, use a think paper.

Once you have the information as Jim suggests,  I still recommend contacting the FBI to confirm that they'll accept your prints from the indicated source.
The process then will be:
1. Send the FBI request form, payment, and your prints, to their ID Center in West Virginia.
2. In EIGHT TO TEN WEEKS, they'll process your request, and your document should be available for apostille.  If there's a problem with your request, that's the earliest you'll know.
3. In about another week, the apostilled document will be available to be sent to you in Brazil.
Lots of snail mail, lots of moving parts.  Good luck!

CraigF wrote:

I do fingerprints here in Goiania, probably a little far for you to travel though. You would then submit to the FBI for a background check by mail. I would think that the PF could do the prints for you there. The form is FD-258 which you can print off, use a think paper.

Yes!  Using the form the FBI will recognize is a very good idea.

On the form all fingers are rolled prints and on the bottom it is pressed fingers together and single thumb prints in the middle. Good luck!

I just went to my local police department in Pennsylvania when I was visiting and had them do it for me. Then mailed it in...it took months for it to finally arrive here in Brazil and I ended up not needing it anyway. I actually had my permanent residency at least 2 months before I got it in the mail. I signed some kind of form saying I wasn't a criminal...that was all.

For sure, my plan is to go to the PF, get them to do my prints, send it to an FBI channeler, then get it apostilled, then back here translated then legalized... the rules recently changed for a permanent visa based on casamento... I thought I was set when I went this monday to the PF with all my documents but then the atestado de antecedencia criminais I got in SP was unacceptable they said as well as the FBI background check I got in 2015 for my tourist visa then student visa was too old and not apostilled.... sigh. so much bureaucracy in this country.

My experience was similar.  I got back from Brazil on June 1, got fingerprinted by the local police on June 2, and sent the request off by Priority Mail the same day.
By early August we had some deadlines approaching, so I called the FBI for status.  The lady I talked to couldn't have been nicer, but couldn't help me.  For security purposes, their mail is received and screened in a satellite building, and opened by day received.  That day, they opened the requests received May 19 - they were still two weeks from even opening mine!
I went to an Approved Channeler, was fingerprinted on Friday, received a printable PDF of my report on Saturday, and the hard copy on FBI letterhead on Tuesday.   The report I requested from the FBI in June finally arrived at the end of August,  after I had my permanent residency.

You can mail your fingerprinted FD258 to NBCI, a same day service FBI channeler. That
service will cost you $100.

But you have to have a US cell phone number. Perhaps a relative can help.

robal

not to do the backgroud check by your embassey should offer a finger print service

Embassy in Brasilia does it by appointment but last time I checked it was a 3 week wait. I am FBI approved, I mainly focus on the aviation industry though.

Lily

Who told you-you needed the FBI clearance and the Fingerprints. For the past 5 years, the PF has only been having you sign a declaration stating no criminal background in Brazil and abroad.

Jim

Jim, laws have changed and it's all dependent on where you are at and what they ask for at times. I had the FBI background check but two years ago it was just easier to just sign the declaration when I got permanent residency.

The laws changed recently in November, they released the new guidelines only the first week of march. it was originally a signed declaration... the man who was processing my visa at the PF told me that the atestado that I had wasnt sufficient and needed one from my country of origin, i.e USA = FBI. I'm going monday to get the fingerprints, I'll let yall know if it works at the PF or if they try to send me somewhere else.

Ok. Update. I went back to the Policia Federal located in Lapa and went to the 6th Floor where I went to the NID department, and they were able to do my fingerprinting there. So if anyone is in any doubt!

Policia Federal
Address: R. Hugo D'Antola, 95 - Lapa de Baixo, São Paulo - SP, 05038-090
6th Floor in the NID Department

They do fingerprinting with the FBI form (you have to bring your own) for free and are quite nice.

Thanks for the help everyone! I'm glad I finally got it resolved.

Hi LilythEster, thanks so much for the tips! One question, do you need to make an appointment in advance?

No no! Just show up. You may have to wait a bit, like I waited a half hour cuz I showed up at the same time as another guy, but the process is really quick

PF did this for me on the acceptable FBI form. Overnighted to FBI and got the BG check in 3 weeks.

Hello, do you need to bring any document to PF other than the form to get fingerprinted? Thanks!

Hey!

Well, I always bring my folder of documents cuz I never know if they are gonna ask for something different, #brazilianbeauracracy.... But all that I needed was my passport and RNE. and also the finger print cards, which you can print online, I recommend printing them on a slightly thicker paper, just cuz its a better lasting document. you have to fill out the finger print card (name, document number etc) before you get printed, you could do it at home, or there at the policia federal. You just ask the front desk that you need to get printed and they send you to the floor.

any other questions or doubts just let me know!!!

update, got mine done on Tuesday! process was pretty quick and easy, just note that the opening hour is 8.30.. I got there at 8 (when atendimento geral starts), but had to wait until 8.30..

Thanks a lot lilythester for your tips!! 

Of course!!

I am currently working on obtaining my RNM (used to be called RNE) here in Brazil and thank GOD I found this website. I was at the PF last Monday two days after getting married thinking this RNM would be a walk in the park in obtaining. Unfortunately, I was once again disappointed as to what I needed to do to complete this process. I thought I could just have a friend walk into my local police department back home and request a criminal background check. So not the case. Lol. Thankfully I found this site. I will post my entire process here to give back to this community and LikyEsther!  Thank you so much for posting your experience. I was almost going to hop on a plane and go back to the States.

do these background checks have to be apostilled? 

i am applying to a school in brazil, so i'm preparing to get a student visa, although the brazilian schools are taking a long time to get back to my emails. 

i got an fbi background check from a company called fieldprint.  they sent me a pdf file with my fbi background check.  i'm a little confused about apostilling.

According to the FAQ on fieldprint's website,

"I need an official sealed/apostille copy of my background check results for a specific agency. Can Fieldprint provide this?
No. All requests for a sealed or apostille copy of your FBI criminal history record information MUST be requested directly through the FBI. FBI-approved channelers are not able to provide results in this manner."

source:
https://www.fieldprintusa.com/FBISubPag … nnelID=272

however, according to the fbi's website,

"Does the FBI provide apostilles*?
(*An apostille is a certification that a document has been “legalized” or “authenticated” by the issuing agency through a process in which various seals are placed on the document.)

The FBI will authenticate all U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 fingerprint search results by placing the FBI seal and the signature of a division official on the results at the time of submission.

Note: The FBI seal is no longer a raised seal. Documents authenticated by the FBI may then be sent to the U.S. Department of State by the requestor to obtain an apostille if necessary. Requests to authenticate previously processed results will not be accepted."

source:
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/ident … ary-checks

I already have an FBI seal and the signature of a division official on my FBI background check pdf file.  so does that mean it's apostilled?  i don't have a paper copy.  i only got a pdf file.

i went to a third website for national background check, an fbi-approved channeler (http://www.nationalbackgroundcheck.com/ … %20all.pdf)  that said:

"Cannot apostille fingerprint search results. If an applicant needs an apostille, they can
either apply directly with the FBI for a background check, or the applicant can
send the printed or electronic authenticated document, returned from National
Background Check, to the State Department for further action. The website to the State
Department for additional info is http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/ … html"

the link to the U.S. State Department doesn't go anywhere.  But I guess National Background Check seems to indicate that you have to send the FBI background check to the U.S. State Department to get it apostilled.  but the whole thing's confusing.

i have a few questions:

1. i already have an fbi seal and signature of a division official on the pdf of the fbi background check that i received.  so does that mean it's apostilled? 

2. does it matter if it's not apostilled, since i'm trying to get a student visa?  the nyc brazilian consulate website just says they need an fbi background check.  they don't mention anything about getting it apostilled.

3. or should i just try to get it apostilled, since if i can get married in brazil when i go there, then i won't have to get another apostilled copy later?  or will it matter, because if/when i get married in brazil, maybe the policia federal will say that my fbi background check is too old anyway?

4. do i just contact the U.S. Department of State to get it apostilled?

thanks

If you're getting your visa at the Brazilian Consulate (which I think you are), you do not need an apostille.  Unless they've changed the rules in the past year, they will accept the FBI document.   You also don't need a translation:  consulates accept documents in English.  You can send the pdf with your online application; make sure you print out a hard copy for your interview.
If you were presenting your documents to the Federal Police in Brazil, you WOULD need apostilles and sworn translations.  For reference,  the URL for apostilles from the State Department is:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel … ments.html
The State Department only issues apostilles for Federal documents; state and local documents must be apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state where issued.

yes, thank you.  i do plan on going to the brazilian consulate to get my visa.

lilythesther mentioned:

"For sure, my plan is to go to the PF, get them to do my prints, send it to an FBI channeler, then get it apostilled, then back here translated then legalized... the rules recently changed for a permanent visa based on casamento... I thought I was set when I went this monday to the PF with all my documents but then the atestado de antecedencia criminais I got in SP was unacceptable they said as well as the FBI background check I got in 2015 for my tourist visa then student visa was too old and not apostilled.... sigh. so much bureaucracy in this country."

if my plan is to do the same thing as she did and keep getting student visas until i can get married in brazil and get permanent residency, then citizenship, would it be a good idea to get the document apostilled now so that the policia federal won't ask for that document if/when i get married in brazil?

stevefunk wrote:

Usually you do that kind of thing at your embassy or consulate.....check you definately need it....sometimes you can just sign a declaration, but there have been a lot of changes recently

My Wife did a declaration in November 2016, I had the FBI Report on Standby, no one asked for it and I still have not opened the report...lol

You just need to go to the main Policia Federal office at Lapa neighborhood. No need for appointment

Could you please let me know where you finally signed the form without your FBI check to aquire your permanent visa
Thanks Kindly
I'm in Brasilia

Went off without a hitch for me at the Lapa PF headquarters in São Paulo today! Only tricky bit for other people going to the PF office in Lapa is that you need to tell them at reception that you need to get your digitais taken at the NID department on the sixth floor so they'll give you a guest pass. Otherwise, you can't get up there.

Thanks for the help @LilythEster!

Hi Lily!

I am on the exact same boat right now. I'm a US citizen applying for residency and I need a US background check. I see this post is from last year, but do you think you can tell me where you requested the background check? And how did you get it apostilled?

Thanks for the tips on the fingerprinting. Getting those done now to have ready.

Best,
Margarita

Margarita,
Several of these documents will require apostilles.  Federal documents, including your FBI Criminal Background Check, need to be apostilled by the US Department of State in the state you live, there are services that will handle this for you.  State and local documents, including notary signatures, need to be apostilled by State authorities
Look at the Consulate for your area in the US they have service companies listed.
There are FBI Channeling services (for a fee) or you can go direct to FBI (but little behind). Check web for FBI channeler (must be approve by FBI) in or near your Consulate. Remember can not be over 90 days old when submitting to PF

Hi! So I just used a regular FBI channeler then had the background check sent to my brother then he sent it to get apostiled through the state department. Got it sent back to him then he mailed it to me in Brazil. The easiest way is to have someone help you with the process back home. let me knowing you have any other questions!

Hi! I just read this entire thread up until the most current post by LilythEster in late 2019.

I'm a US national currently married to a Brazilian national and we are now living in Sao Paulo. In order to apply for Brazilian residency I require a background check from the FBI. This thread helped make that process clear: (1) print FD258 (2) prints taken on the 6th floor of NID Dept. in Lapa de Baixo (3) mailed this to FBI approved channeler for quickest turnaround (4) FBI channeler returns document by mail to friend/family in the US  (5) friend/family mails this to the US Dept of State Office of Authentication for Apostlille seal (6) USDOS mails this to friend/family who then mails this back to me.

However, I also read here that some of you all were able to sign a declaration that waives this requirement. Has anyone had this “luck” recently and if so, at which PF?

Secondly, is Apostille always required? Can I just have the report from the FBI channeler?  Any success stories?

Lastly, I'm aware that due to Covid-19 policies and delays, I'll have to wait until quarantine is lifted to even go to the PF. But I'm trying to figure this out since it may be lifted in the near future and this while process is a tad complex.

"Secondly, is Apostille always required? Can I just have the report from the FBI channeler?  Any success stories?"

Apostille was not required on the FBI report from the channeler when I used such.

Try to find a channeler that does it via electronic. The US withdrew from the World Mail organization recently and US mail may not be sent from BR and to the US.

Never heard of a waiver of this requirement. Remember cannot be over 90 days old.