Venezuelan criminal record certificate from the United States

Status as of October 3, 2026: Venezuela and the United States agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations on March 5, 2026 (Venezuelan Foreign Ministry communiqué and US State Department statement). Even so, no Venezuelan consulate in the US is listed or announced as providing services: on September 12, 2026, Venezuela’s state broadcaster Radio Nacional de Venezuela (RNV) reported that the New York consulate looks renovated but that the authorities “have not yet issued an official statement setting the date of formal opening to the public or the activation of the appointment system” (our translation). The Foreign Ministry’s (MPPRE) official consulate list, checked October 3, 2026, has 25 offices and none in the United States. For this procedure the closure changes nothing: no consulate handles it, in any country.

Venezuela’s criminal record certificate (certificación de antecedentes penales) is issued by the Ministry of Popular Power for Interior Relations, Justice and Peace and is requested and printed online at certificacioninternacional.mijp.gob.ve, according to the page of Venezuela’s embassy in France. There is no fee, according to the US State Department’s Venezuela civil-documents page (checked October 3, 2026), which describes it as available to Venezuelans and residents of Venezuela over 18 who hold a national identity card (cédula). The apostille, if you need one, is also online.

Versión en español

Key facts

ItemWhat the official sources saySource
Issued byMinistry of Interior, Justice and Peace; the State Department names its División de Antecedentes PenalesEmbassy in France; State Department
Where to requestOnline: certificacioninternacional.mijp.gob.veEmbassy in France
Consulates?“This procedure is not carried out by this office or by any diplomatic or consular mission abroad” (our translation)Embassy in France
Fee“There is no fee”State Department, checked October 3, 2026
AgeOver 18State Department
IDVenezuelan national identity card (cédula)State Department
Certified copiesNot availableState Department
VerificationValidity verifiable on the same websiteState Department
ApostilleOnline, through the Electronic Legalization and Apostille System (SLAE); free according to the Foreign MinistryEmbassy in France; MPPRE

Processing time. Neither the embassy-in-France page nor the State Department page, both checked October 3, 2026, says how long issuance takes.

Why no consulate handles it

Venezuela’s embassy in France is explicit: “Este trámite no es realizado por esta oficina ni por ninguna representación diplomática o consular en el exterior. Debe ser realizado obligatoriamente ante el Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz” — this procedure is not done by that office or by any diplomatic or consular mission abroad, and must be done with the Ministry. It adds: “Solicite e imprima su certificación de antecedentes penales íntegramente en línea” (request and print your certificate entirely online).

So even though no Venezuelan consulate in the United States is listed or announced as serving the public as of October 3, 2026, this document does not depend on them reopening. Nor does it require traveling to a consulate in another country.

Who can request it

The two sources describe eligibility a little differently; here they are as written:

  • Embassy in France: “Todo ciudadano venezolano o ciudadano extranjero que haya residido legalmente en la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, puede tramitar una certificación internacional de antecedentes penales” — any Venezuelan citizen or foreign national who lived legally in Venezuela can request it.
  • US State Department: “Police records are available free of charge to Venezuelans and non-Venezuelan residents of Venezuela over the age of 18 who possess national identity cards.”

The State Department adds that non-Venezuelans who are not residents of Venezuela (who do not hold a national identity card) “are unable to request police certificates at this time.”

Step by step

  1. Have your Venezuelan cédula ready. The State Department’s description ties the certificate to the national identity card and to being over 18.
  2. Go to the portal certificacioninternacional.mijp.gob.ve, which is where the embassy in France sends applicants.
  3. Select “Certificaciones para Trámites Internacionales,” the option the State Department names.
  4. Print the certificate. The embassy in France describes requesting and printing it “íntegramente en línea” (entirely online).
  5. If you will use it outside Venezuela, apostille it online (see below).

What the document certifies

According to the State Department page (checked October 3, 2026):

  • Applicants without criminal records get “No Registra Antecedentes Penales” printed on the form.
  • The document certifies that the person has no convictions or pending court cases; it does not certify that they have never been arrested.
  • Current versions carry a QR code at the top right and two QR codes in the bottom corners, a unique fourteen-digit number, a pre-scanned signature and the coat of arms with the line “Certificación de Antecedentes Penales.”
  • Certified copies are not available; validity is checked on the same website.

A contradiction on the same State Department page

The State Department page has two sections that appear to clash. Under Police Certificates it says the Certificación de Antecedentes Penales is available to those 18 and older. Further down, in its comments and under Prison Records, it says “prison records/penal certificates are unavailable to individuals,” although state institutions may request them for official purposes at no charge. The certificate this page covers is the one in the Police Certificates section; the other is a separate record the page reserves for state institutions.

Apostille for use outside Venezuela

  • The embassy in France says: “Para solicitar una apostilla o legalización internacional, debe utilizar el Sistema de Legalización y Apostilla Electrónica. Todo el proceso se realiza en línea” — apostilles and legalizations go through the Electronic Legalization and Apostille System, entirely online.
  • Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry (MPPRE) explains that in 2019 it introduced the electronic apostille (e-App) for the criminal record certificate issued by the Interior, Justice and Peace Ministry, and that “el trámite de Legalización o Apostilla Electrónica de documentos es completamente gratuito” — electronic legalization or apostille is completely free, with a warning not to be scammed by middlemen (checked October 3, 2026).
  • Venezuela’s embassy in Mexico gives the category inside the system: for criminal records, select “Categoría: Legal y Subcategoría Judicial.”

The pages consulted do not say what translation a US authority receiving the document requires; ask the authority that requests it. For the SLAE system step by step, see apostilling Venezuelan documents.

Not the same as a US record

The Venezuelan certificate covers the Venezuelan Ministry’s records. If what you need is your record in the United States, that is issued by the FBI: see the FBI background check.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Requirements are set by Venezuela’s Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace and can change without notice. Verify directly with that Ministry and, for the apostille, with Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry. Not legal advice.