"No Criminal Record" Papers for USA

[nunyo_bidness]

Hey, all. I'm assembling my paperwork for my move to Vienna in October, and I know I need a certificate stating that I have no criminal record in my home country.

For those of you who moved to Vienna from the US, did you do this through your state? Local police? FBI? Did you do a fingerprint record check? Or was just a name based check sufficient?

I live in Wisconsin, and can request a police certificate from the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, but want to make sure that I don't need a fingerprint record (which I understand costs more, takes longer, and is more of a pain in the neck for me).

Any help you can offer would be great.

[CapnNismo]

I simply went to my local PD and asked for a printout of my criminal record.

[flinx1241]

Yeah. Unless things have changed in the last couple of years, it wasn't anything so drastic. Local police worked just fine.

[Snowdog]

We went to the local police. They just typed up a letter which stated we had no criminal background.

[Hawkeye83]

It might depend on what permit you are applying for. I am also coming to vienna in October to study. Since
I will be there for longer than 6 months a regular student visa will not apply. I will have to get a residence permit.
In this case it is required to have the criminal record (or rather proof of no criminal record) authorized by the state department of your home state. It must also be notarized with an Apostille certificate (this is very important).
Hope this helps you

[CapnNismo]

It might depend on what permit you are applying for. I am also coming to vienna in October to study. Since
I will be there for longer than 6 months a regular student visa will not apply. I will have to get a residence permit.
In this case it is required to have the criminal record (or rather proof of no criminal record) authorized by the state department of your home state. It must also be notarized with an Apostille certificate (this is very important).
Hope this helps you

It doesn't have to have an apostille certificate...

[Hawkeye83]

It doesn't have to have an apostille certificate...

I am not saying you are wrong; I am just going off of what the Austrian Foreign Ministry says on their website (http://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/embassy/chicago/practical-advice/travel-to-austria/residence-permit.html) and from the conversations I have had with the Austrian Consulars office in D.C.

I didn't need an Apostille 5 years ago when I did a semester in Vienna, so not sure why I need one now but will probably get it just to cover myself.

It might turn out to be useless, but oh well.

[morgenhund]

I simply went to my local PD and asked for a printout of my criminal record.

Or hopefully your lack of one?

[CapnNismo]

Hawkeye, if you're applying for your visa in Austria, you can take anything from the Internet and throw it out the window. The consulate in Washington DC is also about as useful as a screen door on a submarine... New York is also not much better, they just hang up on you.

Or hopefully your lack of one?

Actually, I was quite worried whether or not a few certain run-ins with the law were going to show up on my record. Thankfully there was nothing there - misdemeanor FTW.

[nunyo_bidness]

Actually, I was quite worried whether or not a few certain run-ins with the law were going to show up on my record. Thankfully there was nothing there - misdemeanor FTW.

Reminds me of that scene from the movie "Stripes"..

Recruiter: Have you ever been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor? That's robbery, rape, car theft, that sort of thing.
John Winger: Convicted? No.
Russell Ziskey: Never convicted.


Thanks, guys. I'll hit my local PD and hope for the best.

[Hawkeye83]

Hahaha, love that movie! Good luck! Btw, what uni/program are you going to be attending?