How to Obtain an Apostilled Federal Criminal Record Check in Mexico as a Foreigner

If you are busy planting flags, you may eventually find yourself needing a criminal record check from somewhere other than your home country.

Foreign residents of Mexico can obtain a Mexican Constancia de Antecedentes Penales Federales, or Federal Criminal Record Certificate, through an online government portal. Once issued, the certificate can also be submitted for an electronic apostille through Mexico's Secretaría de Gobernación.

I recently completed both processes myself. The procedure was relatively painless, although several of the instructions were not immediately obvious.

This guide walks through the process as it existed in July 2026. Government websites, fees, payment methods, and required documents can change, so confirm the current instructions before beginning.

Before You Begin

You will need:

• A CURP
• A valid passport
• A valid Mexican temporary or permanent resident card
• Your foreign birth certificate
• An apostille for your birth certificate
• A valid email address
• A credit or debit card for the federal criminal record certificate
• Access to a Mexican bank for payment of the apostille fee

Prepare clear electronic copies before starting. The government system requires documents to be uploaded in PDF format, with each file no larger than 2 MB.

Part One: Apply for the Mexican Federal Criminal Record Certificate

Step 1: Open the Official Government Website

Go to:

https://constancias.oadprs.gob.mx/

Make sure you are using this exact government address. Mexico has warned applicants about unofficial websites imitating the federal certificate portal.

Read the introductory information and select Iniciar Trámite near the bottom of the page.

Step 2: Accept the Initial Notice

An Aviso Importante notice will appear.

Read the notice and select Aceptar y Continuar.

Step 3: Enter Your CURP

Follow the on-screen instructions, enter your CURP, and select Buscar.

The system will retrieve the personal information associated with your CURP.

Step 4: Confirm Your Personal Information

Review the information displayed on the following page carefully.

Make sure your:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Sex
• CURP

are recorded correctly.

At the bottom of the page, enter the name of the parent or guardian who registered your birth. Depending on your record, this will normally be the name of your mother or father.

Select Continuar.

Step 5: State Why You Need the Certificate

Scroll down to Datos de la solicitud.

For a certificate being obtained for an immigration or residency application outside Mexico, I selected:

Institución que solicita la constancia:
Embajadas o Consulados

Razón de la solicitud:
Permisos de ingreso a países específicos

Select the options that truthfully correspond to the reason you require the document. The available wording or menu options may change.

Enter an email address that you check regularly. Verify it carefully because the certificate and application notices will be sent there.

Step 6: Upload the Supporting Documents

The precise sequence may depend on what the system finds when it checks your name. In particular, additional documentation may be required when the system detects a possible match with another person in its records.

When prompted, prepare the following files.

Birth Certificate File

Photograph or scan:

• Your birth certificate
• The apostille attached to the birth certificate
• The Spanish translation, when applicable

Combine the pages into a single PDF and upload it in the designated birth-certificate field.

The PDF must be clear and no larger than 2 MB.

Identification File

Photograph or scan:

• The identification page of your passport
• The front and back of your Mexican resident card

Combine them into a single PDF and upload it in the identification field.

Make sure both documents are current and clearly readable.

Step 7: Confirm the Application

Select Confirmar y Continuar.

A Protesta de decir verdad notice will appear. This is your declaration that the information you submitted is truthful.

Read it and select Acepto.

Step 8: Pay the Certificate Fee

The fee for the federal criminal record certificate was MXN $240 as of July 2026.

The portal offers online payment using a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card. It may also offer a bank-payment reference, known as a línea de captura.

I paid online by credit card.

Bank-counter payments can take substantially longer to appear in the government system, so online card payment is likely the faster option when available.

Step 9: Download Your Certificate

Once the application has been processed, you will receive an email containing a link to download the certificate.

The certificate is issued electronically as a PDF and contains security features, including a QR code that can be used to verify it.

Download the PDF immediately and save copies in more than one location. The government download link is generally available for 30 days.

You can print the certificate on ordinary white letter-size paper when a physical copy is required.

Also save or print:

• The certificate notification email
• The payment confirmation
• The certificate itself

You will need the certificate's folio number for the apostille application.

Part Two: Obtain the Electronic Apostille

Begin this stage as soon as the federal certificate is issued. Do not allow the certificate to become more than three calendar days old before entering it into the apostille system.

Step 1: Open the Electronic Apostille Website

Go to:

https://apostillaylegalizacionmexico.segob.gob.mx/apostilla

This platform is operated by Mexico's Secretaría de Gobernación and is specifically designed to apostille or legalize electronically issued federal criminal record certificates.

Step 2: Enter Your Certificate Information

Enter:

• Your CURP
• The folio number shown on your federal criminal record certificate

Complete the CAPTCHA and select Buscar.

Step 3: Confirm Your Personal Information

The system should retrieve your information and display it under Datos de la persona registrada.

Check the information carefully.

Once you are satisfied that it is correct, select Confirmar y continuar.

The platform warns that errors may not be correctable after the application is issued and that refunds may not be available.

Step 4: Choose the Destination Country

Under Seleccione el país para el que se requiere la solicitud, select the country where you will present the apostilled certificate.

This matters because the system uses the destination country to determine whether the document requires an apostille under the Hague Apostille Convention or another form of legalization.

Enter your email address in the field below.

Check it carefully before continuing.

Step 5: Generate the Payment Form

Review the fee shown under Monto y Forma de Pago.

The apostille fee is much higher than the fee for the criminal record certificate and may be adjusted periodically. Use the amount displayed by the government system when you apply rather than relying on an older published fee.

Select Generar línea de captura.

Download and save the generated payment document. It contains the reference information needed to connect your payment to the apostille application.

Step 6: Pay the Apostille Fee

Take the payment form to a participating Mexican bank and pay the required amount.

Ask for a stamped or printed payment receipt and keep it until the apostille has been issued.

Depending on your bank, it may also be possible to pay a federal government línea de captura through online banking. However, the exact options depend on the bank and account, so follow the instructions printed on the payment form.

Step 7: Wait for Payment Confirmation

The government portal states that the payment can take up to 72 business hours to be credited.

That does not necessarily mean that the apostille itself will always arrive within 72 hours. The payment must first be recognized, after which you should receive an email regarding the status of the application.

Watch your inbox and spam folder.

Step 8: Download the Apostilled Document

Once the application is complete, you should receive an email allowing you to access the result.

Download and save:

• The federal criminal record certificate
• The electronic apostille
• The payment receipt
• The notification emails

Confirm whether the certificate and apostille are provided as a single combined file or as separate electronic documents. Keep the full package together when submitting it to a foreign immigration authority.

Final Notes

The process is more straightforward than it first appears:

1. Obtain the federal criminal record certificate online.
2. Download it as soon as it is issued.
3. Enter its folio into the apostille system within three calendar days.
4. Generate and pay the apostille fee.
5. Download the apostilled document once the payment and application have been processed.

The federal certificate application itself can be completed online. The apostille application is also initiated online and the final apostille is delivered electronically, although payment of the apostille fee may require a visit to a Mexican bank.

The most important practical lesson is not to delay between the two applications. Once the federal certificate arrives, move directly to the apostille stage.

Related Field Notes

• What Documents Do Most Residency Programs Require? — for the broader document stack behind foreign residency files.
• Canada Apostille Guide — for Canadians preparing home-country documents for use abroad.
• RCMP Criminal Record Check for Residency Abroad — for Canadians who need a Canadian police certificate instead of a Mexican one.
• Mexico Temporary Resident Visa Guide — for the broader Mexico residency file.

Sources and Verification Points

• Mexican federal criminal record certificate portal: constancias.oadprs.gob.mx
• SEGOB electronic apostille and legalization portal for federal criminal record certificates: apostillaylegalizacionmexico.segob.gob.mx/apostilla

Educational information only. Not legal, immigration, tax, financial, or professional advice. Verify current requirements, fees, payment instructions, document age rules, and destination-country requirements with official sources and qualified professionals before acting.