Trámite veterans, I need your advice.

[DontMindMe]

I spent two years in Argentina as a permatourist (never overstayed it) and returned home to the U.S. in mid January. I have been accepted into a Spanish language Master's program at a U.S. university that has a sede in Madrid, so I am in the process of applying for a student visa to study in Spain for the coming school year. The Spanish don't play around, and I need a lot of trámites, including one from Argentina.

I was told at the Spanish consulate that I "probably" need an Argentine criminal background check (certificado de antecedentes penales), despite never being a resident or having a DNI, due to the time that I spent there (more than six months in the past five years, as their rule goes) in addition to the one I need to get from my state.

This morning I went to the Argentine consulate to inquire how to go about this from abroad. I was given the following web site and not much else: http://www.dnrec.jus.gov.ar/Desde_Exterior.aspx

So basically, I would have to get my fingerprints and everything done at the consulate in Houston, then have everything sent to an authorized legal representative in Buenos Aires, who would have to go to the Sede Central or any of the Registros Nacionales de Reincidencia in the interior, then pick it up when it's done, then get it apostilled at the Colegio de Escribanos.

These are my questions:

1. I have a trip to Argentina in the works for April 1-8, to visit my boyfriend, who works in Córdoba. Would it be easier and faster for me to just try to do this in person when down there? I am thinking NO WAY, since Monday of Semana Santa is a holiday and we wanted to travel somewhere in the interior Wednesday-Sunday. So I would really only have Tuesday to try to get this done in Capital (we will not be in Córdoba). That makes me nervous, even if I got the fingerprints done here in Houston and just continued with the other steps once in BA. I did search the forum and several people applying for residency said that the Argentine criminal background check was the fastest and easier part, but still. Bad idea? I am leaning towards bad idea.

2. Is there a reputable agency that I could pay/authorize to be my legal representive to do this down there? I would rather not spend my whole trip haciendo colas and/or stressing out. I am willing to pay to make this as fast and easy as possible.

3. Let's say I start this process tomorrow and get it done before my trip April 1. Would re-entering the country nullify the background check? Would I have to do it all over again? I forgot to ask the Spanish consulate and they aren't picking up. My abroad coordinator has recommended that I get everything to the Spanish consulate by late April since after that they get very busy because everyone starts applying for visas at the same time.

I appreciate any wisdom from y'all. I hope this is comprehensible. I am a bit delirious as I've been very sick for the past couple days and that trip to the consulate wore me out, but I am determined to get the ball rolling. Getting my MA in Madrid is a dream come true and I will do anything to make it happen. Thank you in advance!

 

[BubbasSmokinBarbecue]

If you can do it in person, you will save time, hassle & money. Set an appointment at the DNREC website, arrive for the appointment, pay for Expedited Service (overnight) and return the following day to pick up your docs. Done.

 

[citygirl]

1) IIRC, I believe you can pay extra and get it done here in 24 hours. Let me see if I can verify that info but I'm pretty sure it's right
2) Yes, if you do your report now and then travel to Arg after, it will nullify the prior report.

 

[CarverFan]

They do it in 6 hours too.
http://www.jus.gov.ar/tramites-y-servicios/antecedentes-penales/antecedentes-penales.aspx

 

[surfing]

I agree --- do it all on the same day with appointment. I believe they have an eight hours option: go in the morning; pickup in the afternoon (at least they did last year when I went). Also, they now do the fingerprints digitally when you first go in so no need to do them beforehand (I doubt they would be accepted anyway). If you are going on that Tuesday after a long weekend --- just go early to avoid the crowds. Good luck!

 

[DontMindMe]

Wow, thanks so much for the very rapid responses. I greatly appreciate it.

Okay, so in person seems to be my best bet. I did see the six hour option. My boyfriend echoed that I should make the appointment as early as possible, because when he did it he went later in the day and they had no more six-hour slots (or whatever you would call that.) Or I suppose in six hours the office was already closed. Anyway, he had to pick it up the next day.

But the apostille part? That's the very last thing on the link in my original post. Would that be done right away if I show up at 8:30 the next day when that office opens? If something happened and it got stuck at that office, would someone else be able to pick it up and FedEx it to me in the U.S.?

The consulate people haven't the most helpful, in case you couldn't tell. You know, since I "probably" need this document. And the Argentine one couldn't even tell me if it would be easier to do in person or from here in the U.S.

 

[steveinbsas]

[quote name='Don'tMindMe']I was told at the Spanish consulate that I "probably" need an Argentine criminal background check (certificado de antecedentes penales)...then get it apostilled at the Colegio de Escribanos. [/QUOTE]

Are you sure about the latter? Is that how an Argentine document gets the Apostilla for Spain? This is the frist time this has come up here, so I want to be sure that is excatly how it's done, especially since your time in BA will be short and if you do this yourself you obviously can't afford to go to the wrong place.

 

[DontMindMe]

Are you sure about the latter? Is that how an Argentine document gets the Apostilla for Spain? This is the frist time this has come up here, so I want to be sure that is excatly how it's done, especially since your time in BA will be short and if you do this yourself you obviously can't afford to go to the wrong place.

Excellent question. I was waiting for you to post here, Steve! I'm not sure, although I did explain to the woman at the Argentine consulate today that this document is needed for a student visa to Spain. I plan to call both consulates tomorrow with this and more questions, or just go in person again if they don't pick up the phone. I also want to know if I can authorize someone por las dudas, so that if things get held up in Argentina someone can pick the documents up for me if I'm already gone. I am very lucky that I live a 10-minute drive from both consulates, and that they're about 10 blocks apart, so this is not as much of a pain as it could be if I lived in a different city, or had a day job instead of a night job. I am counting my blessings and staying positive. It could be a lot worse.

I'll update here as I get more information. I think this thread could be helpful in the future for people who are dealing with life and traveling post-permatourism.

 

[davonz]

First of all.. if it was me i wouldnt even have said i was living in argentina, or if i did i would have said for 3 months or so..

If you do get the crimial record check when you are in Argentina, make sure everything is 100% perfect on it before you leave the bulding when you pick it up. They often only put the numbers of the passport on it, and not the letters.. eg my passport number is AB123456, but the crimial record check only had 123456 on it - which as i found out from immigrations happens all the time and i had to go get another one.

You can get the express service, by paying 2 or 3 times more. I think it was $25 peso when i done it last year for the one week turn around, and was $50 for express 24 hour service - probably gone up in price now though.

I also had to wait in line for a couple of hours - it was very busy there, so take a book, thermos of tea/coffee/maté, sandwiches, pillow etc........ when i picked it up, was only there for 15 minutes.

 

[DontMindMe]

First of all.. if it was me i wouldnt even have said i was living in argentina, or if i did i would have said for 3 months or so..

I didn't say I was living in Argentina. Initially, I considered not saying anything at all, and asked both the abroad coordinator for my program and a company my parents went through for the Brazil tourist visa whether I should even bring it up, but neither knew for sure whether it would be an issue or not. So on my initial visit to the Spanish consulate I said I spent "some time" studying Spanish in Buenos Aires, and when the woman asked how long, I told her and explained that I had tourist status the whole time and left the country every 90 days. She said it didn't matter, and that I "probably" needed the background check anyway. I mean, my passport has a zillion stamps. One look and they will know how much time I spent there. The last thing I wanted was for them to at the last minute say, oh by the way, we need a background check. So I figured better safe than sorry.

Thanks again to everyone for your advice! Will update as things progress.