How to get FBI clearance for your Montenegro Residency Permit

27 June 2023

One of the requirements to get a Montenegro Residency Permit is a Police Clearance or Certificate of No Criminal Record from your home country or country of citizenship. It must be issued not more than 6 months from your application. Here’s a guide on how to get FBI Clearance for your Montenegro Residency Permit.

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If you are a US Citizen or your home country is the United States of America, you will need an Identity History Summary Check or FBI Clearance from the FBI. People also call it a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet. P.S. It’s better to contact first the Municipality where you will live as they have different interpretations of the rules regarding the FBI Clearance – they may ask that it needs to be notarized and have an Apostille or get it translated.

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How To Get FBI Clearance for your Montenegro Residency Permit – Online Request

STEP 1: Go to this website.

STEP 2: To start, you need to enter your e-mail address.

Then, open your e-mail and access the correct link there.

Don’t delete the e-mail as you can access your account there, plus the pin is important.

STEP 3: Complete the Application Information Form. You will be asked for the following:

Personal information

Preferences (Don’t forget that you need to submit the original hard copy for your Montenegro residence permit.)

Mailing address

STEP 4: Pay the fees via credit card. PayPal and Amazon are also accepted. The Identity History Summary Check costs USD 18 per copy.

STEP 5: You will need to have your fingerprints taken.

In the US

Go to the nearest US Post Office, where you can submit your fingerprints electronically. Here’s the list of the post office accredited by the FBI.

In case you can’t go there, you can print this Fingerprint Form (FD 258.) Local or State Law Enforcement Agencies or Printing Companies may take your fingerprints. However, there may be additional fees. Fingerprinting fees usually cost USD 50 – 70 dollars, depending on your state. Please take note that the FBI does not recommend red or purple ink for fingerprinting.

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In Montenegro

Print this Fingerprint Form (FD 258) and go to your local police station. Let the authorities help you out with fingerprinting. As per research, Budva can help you, while Herceg Novi does not.
As for the Embassy, the one in Montenegro does not offer fingerprinting assistance. But the US Embassy in Serbia offers Fingerprinting Services.

Schedule an appointment by contacting:

Policijska uprava za grad Beograd

City of Belgrade’s Main Police Department

Bulevar despota Stefana 107

Contact Number: 011-2798-101

Fee: Serbian Dinars 2,200

In Other Countries

Print this Fingerprint Form (FD 258). You may contact your nearest US Embassy for assistance. However, here’s a list of Overseas Offices of the FBI.

STEP 6: Mail your completed fingerprint card, a confirmation email to the address listed on your confirmation email.

If you can’t find it, here’s the one on the FBI Website.

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request

1000 Custer Hollow Road

Clarksburg, WV 26306

STEP 7: Receive your FBI Clearance. You may get it through e-mail and US First-Class Mail through US Postal Service. Note that the Montenegrin Authorities ask for the original copy of your FBI Clearance.

P.S. Some municipalities might ask you to have an Apostille. Send the FBI Clearance to the Secretary of State for an Apostille.

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How To Get FBI Clearance for your Montenegro Residency Permit – By Mail

STEP 1: Download the Application Information Form. Fill it up, review, print, and sign it—one form per person.

STEP 2: Print this Fingerprint Form (FD 258) and have your fingerprints taken. If possible, have a fingerprinting technician help you. You can read STEP 5 above for reference.

STEP 3: Fill up this Credit Card Payment Form or have a money order or certified check payable to the “Treasury of the United States.” Please pay the exact amount. It is USD 18 for each person and per copy. If you want 2 copies for yourself, then 18 *2 = 36, and you will have to make 2 application forms.

STEP 4: Pay the fees via credit card. PayPal and Amazon are also accepted. The Identity History Summary Check costs USD 18 per copy.

STEP 5: Mail the following:

Signed Application Information Form
Fingerprint Form with your Fingerprints
USD 18 payment

To the following address:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request

1000 Custer Hollow Road

Clarksburg, WV 26306

STEP 6: Receive your FBI Clearance. You may get it through e-mail and US First-Class Mail through US Postal Service. Note that the Montenegrin Authorities ask for the original copy of your FBI Clearance.

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Frequently Asked Questions for an FBI Clearance for your Montenegro Residency Permit

1. Do I need my FBI Clearance to have an Apostille or Get it Notarized or Translated?
It will depend on the municipality you live at; usually, the FBI Clearance needs to be translated. However, it’s better to be sure, so you need to ask the local authorities or Opstina in Montenegro about what needs to be done.
Official documents from the USA are required to be Apostilled for use in Montenegro.
2. What do I do if I need an Apostille?
If you are in the US, you can send it to the Secretary of State for an Apostille. However, if you are not in the US, you may ask a relative or a friend to help you out. Send the FBI Clearance to them and let them get have an Apostille at your state. When it’s done, then they can send it both to you.
Or you can use an Apostille Service to handle your apostilles for you!
3. Which way of getting the FBI Clearance is better?
If you are still in the US and planning to get a residence permit in Montenegro, it’s better to process this in the US faster. In Montenegro, you might find it a bit of a hassle, and the shipment might take a while.
4. How many days can I get an Identity History Summary Checks?
If you submitted it electronically, they can process it 3 to 5 days after receiving your fingerprints. In case you submitted by mail, then it will take 8 to ten weeks. The time of delivery from the FBI to you is not yet counted.
5. How many days is the validity of the FBI Clearance for my residence permit?
It’s 90 days or 3 months.
6. It says, “This IdHS is not provided for the purpose of licensing or employment or any other purpose enumerated in 28 CFR 20.33.” Does it mean I can’t work or live in Montenegro?
It’s the same format for all. However, it’s with regards to US laws and not Montenegro’s. As in the US, you will need to have a background check with the state authority or a federal agency and not with the FBI.
7. What if I changed m address, not the one in the mailing address? What do I do?
Request at CK_CHAT_CHALLENGE@fbi.gov through e-mail that you want to change your address. Please provide the necessary information.

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