Waiting for a criminal record

[ys634]

Hello!

I am trying to get residency through Union Convivencial with my Argentinian partner, and have all the documents ready expect for the criminal record from my country.
I asked the embassy and they said it will take around 2 months for it to arrive, but my tourist visa expires in one month.

Could I get an advice on what I should do in this situation? The last time I crossed the border to reset my visa, I was almost denied entry so I'd like to avoid leaving the country if that is an option.

Any insight would be appreciated!!

 

[Jimbob]

I can only speak of the UK but I acquired my criminal record check and then had my solicitor notarise it. Then I sent it off to the UK GOV office for its apostille and then had it couriered here via DHL. The UK Gov recommended DHL as it is the only door to door service within one courier. Took a couple of weeks in all.

 

[ys634]

I can only speak of the UK but I acquired my criminal record check and then had my solicitor notarise it. Then I sent it off to the UK GOV office for its apostille and then had it couriered here via DHL. The UK Gov recommended DHL as it is the only door to door service within one courier. Took a couple of weeks in all.

Hello Jim Bob!

Thanks for your reply.
But you ordered the UK criminal record from Argentina through the embassy?
How did that process go and how long did it take for you for it to arrive?

 

[Alby]

If it's a UK criminal record you need (i.e., if you are a UK citizen with a UK passport applying for Argentine residency), you need to do it yourself.

You start here with an electronic application: https://acro.police.uk/s/acro-services/police-certificates

ACRO will send the certificate to a UK address. Someone at that address needs to forward it on to either the Foreign Office for the apostille (https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised) or to the Apostille Service (https://www.apostille.org.uk/). The benefit in the latter is that they do the work quickly and will international courier it to your address in Argentina, provided you have requested that and paid for that part of the service.

All this costs money and takes time. I have done it twice for Migraciones to issue and renew a temporary residency (most recently in 2024). It can take ACRO up to a month to produce and mail the certificate (as I recall, on their website, they publish currently estimated processing times). Once the Apostille Service receives it (if you choose that path instead of the Foreign Office), the turnaround is a couple of days, plus a few more days for the courier to deliver it to you in Argentina. Once you have it in your hand, you need to have it officially translated by the local translation authority here, which can also add more time: https://www.traductores.org.ar/

If you are from a different country (the US, for example), the arrangements may be different. But I have also needed to provide an Australian criminal record, and the process was exactly the same: it's all on you to organize remotely from here, with no help from anyone, least of all your country's embassy.

(I'm not sure what to do about the problem of the tourist entry expiring. My hunch is that you should just stay put and submit the application when you can, even if you've overstayed. Others can comment.)

 

[Jimbob]

Hello Jim Bob!

Thanks for your reply.
But you ordered the UK criminal record from Argentina through the embassy?
How did that process go and how long did it take for you for it to arrive?

I did my DBS check(criminal record check) directly on the UK gov site(Disclosure and Barring Service). Three days to process and £21.50 plus delivery to a UK address.

I luckily have family still back home who took it to our family solicitor(who is on the UK.gov sites list of signaturies) and then to the foreign office for the apostille service.

Only took a week or two from memory. PM me if you need anymore help.