Hague member · apostille accepted · official Spanish translation
Apostille for Colombia
Migrant and resident visas, marriage, registering a child, adoption, and property. Colombia accepts the apostille directly and is particular about who translates.
What Colombia usually asks for
| Purpose | US documents typically required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Migrant (M) or Resident (R) visa | FBI background check; marriage certificate for spouse visas; financial and employment letters, notarized; pension letters for retirement visas | Freshness limit on the FBI check |
| Marriage in Colombia | Birth certificate; single-status affidavit; divorce decree if applicable | Notaría requirements vary |
| Registering a US-born child / nationality | Child's birth certificate; parents' marriage certificate | Registraduría or consulate |
| Intercountry adoption | Full dossier; see adoption documents | ICBF requirements; many expiring documents |
| Property, inheritance, banking | Power of attorney; death certificate; will | Colombian notarías often want their own POA wording |
| Work, study, professional registration | Diploma and transcript; license | Convalidación through the Ministry of Education may follow |
Translation
Colombian government offices, courts, and notarías generally require an official translation by a translator certified in Colombia, and frequently want that translation notarized there. So the order is: apostille the English document in the US, then translate officially in Colombia. A US certified translation is sometimes accepted by consulates and private parties; ask, and if it is, we bundle it.
What goes wrong
- An FBI check that is too old when the visa is filed.
- A US translation rejected by a Colombian office that wanted an official one.
- POA without the specific powers the notaría required. Get their wording.
- Adoption dossier documents apostilled too early and expiring during assembly. We sequence them.
How to start
Request a quote with the documents, issuing states, the receiving office's list, and your filing date. Shipping directly to Colombia is available.
Price: $99 standard per document · $149 + $20 federal for the FBI check · dossiers quoted as a package.
Get your exact price, all fees included
Two business hours to a written total. Nothing to pay and nothing to mail until you have it.
Start My ApostilleFrequently asked questions
Who can translate documents for Colombia?
Colombian authorities generally require an official translation (traducción oficial) by a translator certified in Colombia, and for court or notarial use the translation is often notarized in Colombia as well. The usual order is apostille in the US, then official translation in Colombia. Some consulates accept a US certified translation; ask the office handling your case.
Does Colombia apostille the translation too?
If the translation is done in Colombia by an official translator, no further apostille is needed. If a translation is done in the US and the receiving office accepts it, it may need to be notarized and apostilled as a separate document. Confirm before ordering.
How old can the FBI check be?
Migración Colombia and the consulates commonly expect the criminal record certificate to be recent, typically issued within the last three months at filing. Time the FBI request against the federal apostille processing time.