Technical article

Proving Your Pension and Your Record: Bank Letter, Police Certificate, Apostille

Papers take time, and the order matters.

By Neil Solomon · 7 min read

Picture a couple named Walter and Jean. They are 65 and 62, and they plan to apply for a residence visa. They have a pension letter, a bank statement and a clear record. They assume that means they are ready. Then the consulate asks for an apostille and a sworn translation, and a paper dated seven months ago is too old.

Papers take time, and the order matters. I read the official pages for the record, the stamp and four countries.

The record: an FBI check

The FBI page describes the Identity History Summary as a record based on fingerprints. It costs US$18 per person. The page says you "cannot pay extra for faster service."

A private company approved by the FBI can submit the request for you. It may charge an extra fee. The page does not say whether the summary needs an apostille for use abroad. The FBI asks you to contact it or the State Department for that.

The stamp: who issues the apostille

The U.S. State Department page says it apostilles federally issued documents, and documents signed by a federal official, for use in countries that belong to the 1961 Hague Convention. For state-issued papers it says: "The U.S. Department of State will not issue an apostille for state-issued documents." Birth, marriage and death certificates and divorce decrees go to the secretary of state in the state that issued them. The State Department's authentication services page lists a processing fee of US$20 per document, which cannot be refunded (read 11 October 2026). No processing time is given, so I state none.

The Hague conference publishes the list of member countries, with the date the Convention took effect for each:

The list was last updated 30 June 2026. Thailand's date is in the future. We are waiting for that date to arrive before Thailand's apostille rules apply.

What two consulates ask for

Spain (non-lucrative residence visa, Miami consulate page). The police record must come from the FBI, with fingerprints. The page says local police certificates are not accepted. It must be dated within six months before the application, carry the apostille, and be translated by a sworn or certified translator into Spanish. The translation does not need its own apostille. The medical certificate must be dated within three months. The visa is valid for 90 days. For money, the page asks for funds covering the first year or a regular income, at "400% of IPREM", plus 100% for each family member. It does not mention pension statements by name. IPREM is an index the government sets each year, so check the current amount before you plan around it.

Portugal (residence visa documents page). The page asks for a police record certificate "from the country of origin or the country where the applicant is residing for over a year." It asks for proof of means of subsistence "as stipulated by law." It does not mention apostille, translation or bank statements. The page adds that the consular post may ask for more.

Mexico (temporary resident visa by economic solvency, Mexican consulate in Houston page, no date shown). The page offers two routes. For savings, a balance of about 11,400 UMA days at each month-end for the last 12 months, which the page lists as "(aprox. $73,188.95 USD)", shown by bank statements or a signed bank letter. For income, 680 UMA days a month for the last 6 months, which the page lists as about US$4,342.08. For a pension, it asks for an original letter from Social Security or the pension-paying institution, plus certified bank statements for the last 6 months showing the deposits. Each direct dependent adds 220 UMA days a month (about US$1,405.02). Foreign birth and marriage certificates need an apostille or legalization, except those from the U.S. or Mexico, and papers not in English or Spanish need an official translation. The page does not mention a police record. The visa fee shown is US$54.00. Other Mexican consulates may post different pages.

Panama (permanent residence as retiree or pensioner, government services portal, no date shown). The pension must be lifetime and at least B/.1,000.00 a month (B/.750.00 if the applicant proves a property purchase in Panama over B/.100,000.00). Foreign documents must be "debidamente apostillados o autenticados por la embajada o consulado de Panamá en el país que los expidió" and also by Panama's foreign ministry. The page does not mention a police record, a limit on document age or a fee.

Thailand (long-stay "O-A" visa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs page, no date shown). The applicant must be 50 or older. The money test is one of three: a bank deposit of not less than 800,000 baht, a monthly income of not less than 65,000 baht, or a deposit plus monthly income that totals not less than 800,000 baht. The police record letter must come from the country of nationality or residence and be valid for not more than three months, notarised by notary organs or by the applicant's diplomatic or consular mission. The medical certificate has the same three-month limit. A bank statement must come with an original letter of guarantee from the bank.

Costa Rica (pensioner residence, Dirección General de Migración, requirements page, no date shown). The applicant proves a lifetime pension of not less than US$1,000 a month with a document from the competent authority. If it is issued abroad it must be legalised, authenticated or apostilled. The police record is from the country of origin, or from the country where the applicant has lived legally in the last three years. It must be original and current, and apostilled or legalised.

Colombia (pensioner resident visa, foreign ministry, cancilleria.gov.co, no date shown). The pension must be not less than three monthly minimum legal wages. A competent authority certifies it, and a certificate sent from abroad must be authenticated by a Colombian consul or carry an apostille. The page adds that every document created or issued abroad needs an apostille or legalisation, depending on the issuing authority.

What is left open

• Mexico and Panama: the pages I read do not mention a police record. Ask the consulate in writing whether one is required for your permit.
• Whether the FBI summary itself needs the State Department's apostille: neither the FBI page nor the State Department page says so directly. The State Department's apostille page for federal documents is the place to ask.
• How long a State Department apostille takes. The authentication page lists a fee of US$20 per document, and it lists no processing time.
• How old a bank or pension letter may be in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia: no page gave an age limit. Thailand gives three months for the record and the medical certificate. Mexico asks for the last 6 or 12 months of statements, which is a period, not an age limit.

An accountant or lawyer who works with Americans abroad could confirm the order and the dates for your file.