Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
Question about the FBI background check for Arraigo Familiar.
I had an FBI background check done 2 years ago when I moved to Spain as the school I worked at required it. This might be a dumb question but the background check for Arraigo Familiar says that it needs to cover the 5 years before moving to Spain (which it does). I’ve lived here for the past 2 years but have made occasional trips home for the holidays (not sure if that influences it). Do I need to get another background check? If so, would I really need to send more prints in if they already have mine in their database?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
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Start the Moving to Spain Hub →“Yes, the document is only valid for 90 days, so you’ll need a new one. and you need to send prints again.”
“They want to make sure you don’t have any new criminal history. You were capable of committing crimes on your trips home. And they want to make sure you are the person making the request, so fingerprints prove it.”
“It’s shocking you can’t just request a new one without having to send more prints in. However, maybe not your case, but our fingerprints change with age. Lots of elderly people acquire “zombie fingers” because the whirls on their fingerpads begin to disappear.”
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