How to Get a Background Check in Sudan for Ecuador Visa

Sudan's official criminal background check document is called the Certificate of Good Conduct (also known as the Police Clearance Certificate or "Feesh" in local parlance). It is issued by the Persons Identification Department within the Ministry of Interior, under the General Administration of Forensic Evidence, Fingerprint Directorate.

The certificate is a pink form with the applicant's fingerprints recorded on the back. It confirms that the holder has no criminal record, has not been convicted of any offenses, and is not wanted for prosecution in Sudan.

Ecuador requires this document for all visa applicants over the age of 18. You must submit a background check from Sudan (your country of origin) and from every country where you have resided in the last 5 years. If you have lived in Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, or any other country during that period, you must obtain a separate background check from each of those countries as well.

You cannot plan this process without understanding the reality on the ground.

Sudan has been in a state of civil war since April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Khartoum — where the Ministry of Interior is headquartered — was severely damaged during nearly three years of active warfare. Over 11 million people have been internally displaced and more than 2.5 million have fled to neighboring countries.

As of January 2026, the Sudanese government announced its return to Khartoum from its wartime capital of Port Sudan, and some government offices are reopening in makeshift headquarters. However, many ministry buildings remain too damaged for use, basic services are barely functioning, and infrastructure rehabilitation is estimated to cost $350 million.

What this means for your background check: - The Ministry of Interior may be operating with severely limited capacity - In-person applications in Khartoum may be impractical or impossible depending on the security situation at the time you apply - Processing times are unpredictable and may be significantly longer than pre-conflict norms - Sudanese embassies abroad remain the most reliable channel for most applicants - If you are a displaced Sudanese national applying from a third country, you may need to consult Ecuador's immigration authority directly about alternative documentation paths

Do not assume the standard process described below will work on a predictable timeline. Build substantial extra time into your plan and have a backup strategy.

This is the single most important thing to understand before you start.

Ecuador is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. Sudan is not.

For countries inside the Hague Convention, a simple apostille stamp authenticates a document for use in Ecuador. For Sudan, apostille is not available. Instead, your Certificate of Good Conduct must go through a longer chain of authentication called consular legalization:

1. Ministry of Interior (Persons Identification Department) — issues the certificate
2. Ministry of Justice — authenticates the Ministry of Interior's signature and seal
3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs — provides a second-level authentication confirming the Ministry of Justice stamp
4. Ecuador's nearest consular mission — legalizes the document so Ecuador's immigration authority will accept it

Skipping any step in this chain will result in automatic rejection of your visa application. Each step builds on the previous one — you cannot jump ahead.

During the current conflict, steps 2 and 3 (Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication) are the most uncertain. These ministries may be operating from temporary locations with reduced capacity. Confirm their operational status before traveling to Khartoum or submitting documents.

Option A: Apply Through a Sudanese Embassy or Consulate Abroad (Recommended)

For most Sudanese nationals — especially those displaced by the conflict — applying through the nearest Sudanese embassy or consulate is the most practical route. The embassy handles the initial fingerprinting, then forwards your file to the Ministry of Interior in Sudan for processing and issuance.

Required documents: - Valid Sudanese national passport (personal attendance required for fingerprinting) - Two passport-sized photographs - A letter explaining why the certificate is being requested and the destination country - Proof of Sudanese nationality or residency history - Payment of applicable fees

Embassy fees vary by location: - Washington, D.C. (Embassy of Sudan): $75 USD — payment by cash, U.S. postal money order, company check, or cashier's check only. No personal checks, credit cards, or debit cards accepted. Make payable to "Embassy of Sudan." - London (Embassy of Sudan): 65 GBP - Canberra (Embassy of Sudan): 200 AUD - Other embassies: Contact directly for current fees

Important: Mail applications are not accepted. You must appear in person for fingerprinting.

Option B: Apply In Person at the Ministry of Interior in Khartoum

If you are in Khartoum and security conditions permit:

Location: Ministry of Interior Affairs, Nile Street, Khartoum Phone: +249 18 377 5300

Required documents: - Valid national passport - National identity document or proof of citizenship - Passport-sized photograph - Completed application form (obtained at the office) - Valid contact information and email address

For non-citizens who resided in Sudan: You will additionally need copies of your residence permit, passport used during your stay, and proof of legal residency (passport stamps, entry/exit seals).

Processing time: Varies significantly. Pre-conflict estimates ranged from 1-2 weeks for straightforward cases to up to 4 months if any police charges exist on record. Under current conditions, processing times are unpredictable.

Cost: The Ministry does not publish a fixed fee schedule. Fees are communicated during the application process. Expect to pay the equivalent of approximately $10-30 USD in local currency.

Applicants must be at least 16 years old to request a Certificate of Good Conduct.

After receiving your Certificate of Good Conduct, the document must be authenticated by the Ministry of Justice in Khartoum.

This step verifies that the signature and seal of the Ministry of Interior on your certificate are genuine. The Ministry of Justice applies its own authentication stamp, reference number, and officer signature.

What to bring: - Original Certificate of Good Conduct - Photocopy of your passport - Payment for authentication fees

Processing time: Pre-conflict standard was 3-7 working days. Current processing times are unknown and may be significantly longer.

Conflict-era note: If you obtained your certificate through a Sudanese embassy abroad, confirm with that embassy whether they can facilitate the Ministry of Justice authentication step on your behalf, or whether you must arrange it separately in Khartoum. Some embassies may handle the full authentication chain internally before returning the completed document to you — ask specifically about this when you apply.

Following Ministry of Justice authentication, your certificate must be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan.

This second-level authentication confirms the validity of the Ministry of Justice stamp and prepares the document for consular legalization by the destination country.

What to bring: - Original certificate with Ministry of Justice authentication stamp - Photocopy of your passport - Payment for authentication fees

Processing time: Pre-conflict standard was approximately 1-2 weeks. Under current conditions, this is unpredictable.

Important: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs operated from Port Sudan during the wartime period (2023-2025). As of early 2026, government offices are reopening in Khartoum but may still be transitioning. Confirm the current operational location before traveling.

After both Sudanese ministry authentications, you must have the certificate legalized by an Ecuadorian consular mission. This is the step that makes the document legally valid for Ecuadorian immigration authorities.

Ecuador does not have an embassy or consulate in Sudan. You must use the nearest Ecuadorian diplomatic mission:

• Consulate General of Ecuador in Nairobi, Kenya — approximately 1,730 km from Khartoum
• Embassy of Ecuador in Cairo, Egypt — approximately 1,915 km from Khartoum

Contact the relevant mission well in advance to: - Confirm they offer document legalization services - Obtain the current legalization fee - Schedule an appointment (if required) - Confirm what documents they need to see alongside the authenticated certificate

What to bring: - Original certificate with both Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication stamps - Photocopy of your passport - Completed consular application form (if required — obtain from the consulate) - Legalization fee

For displaced Sudanese nationals already in Egypt or Kenya: This step is logistically simpler if you are already located near one of these consular missions. If you are in another country, research whether Ecuador has a diplomatic mission there that can handle the legalization.

Processing time: Varies by consulate. Contact directly and allow 1-2 weeks for appointment availability plus processing.

Ecuador requires all documents not in Spanish to be translated by a certified translator. Your Certificate of Good Conduct will be in Arabic (and possibly English) and must be translated into Spanish before submission.

Requirements for the translation: - Translated by a certified or sworn translator - The translator's signature and credentials must be present on the translation - Some consulates require the translation to be notarized

Timing: Get the translation done after the full authentication and legalization chain is complete. Translating before legalization may require you to translate again if new stamps, annotations, or pages are added during the authentication process.

Service option: EcuadorTranslations.com provides certified Arabic-to-Spanish and English-to-Spanish translation and notarization for foreign documents, with a standard turnaround of approximately $150 per document. This service handles the specific format of police clearance certificates and understands Ecuador's immigration requirements.

Ecuador requires that your Certificate of Good Conduct be issued within 180 days of your visa application submission date.

Critical rule that most applicants misunderstand: The 180-day clock pauses while Ecuador is actively reviewing your application. The certificate does not expire during processing. If Ecuador takes 45 days to review your application, those 45 days are not counted against the 180-day window.

This means: - The 180-day limit applies to the window between the certificate's issuance date and the date you submit your visa application - Ecuador's own processing time after submission does not consume your validity window - The clock does not restart at authentication or translation — it starts at the original issuance date from the Ministry of Interior

Practical implication: Given Sudan's unpredictable processing times during the conflict, aim to submit your visa application within 90-120 days of your certificate's issuance date. This gives you buffer time for the authentication chain, consular legalization, and translation without cutting close to the 180-day limit.

Worst-case scenario: If the authentication chain takes so long that your certificate approaches 180 days before you can submit your visa application, you may need to request a new certificate and restart the process. This is why starting early is critical.

Ecuador requires background checks from your country of origin (Sudan) and every country where you have resided in the last 5 years.

This is especially relevant for Sudanese nationals given the mass displacement caused by the civil war. If you have fled to or lived in any of the following countries (or others) since 2021, you must obtain a background check from each:

• Egypt — where over 1 million Sudanese refugees have resettled
• Chad — hosting hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees
• South Sudan — significant cross-border displacement
• Ethiopia — another major refugee-hosting country
• Kenya, Uganda, or other East African countries
• Saudi Arabia, UAE, or other Gulf states — where Sudanese diaspora communities exist

Each country's background check has its own process, authentication requirements, and timeline. Start all background check applications simultaneously rather than sequentially — this is the single biggest time-saver for applicants who need certificates from multiple countries.

For countries that are Hague Convention members (such as Saudi Arabia), the document only needs an apostille rather than the full consular legalization chain. For non-member countries (such as Chad or South Sudan), consular legalization is required.

If you are a displaced Sudanese national and cannot access the Ministry of Interior, Sudanese embassies, or the full authentication chain, you may face a situation where the standard process is simply not feasible.

Steps to take:

1. Contact Ecuador's immigration authority directly — explain your situation and ask whether alternative documentation is accepted for applicants from conflict-affected countries. Ecuador's Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana may have provisions or case-by-case discretion for applicants who cannot obtain standard documentation.

1. Contact the nearest Ecuadorian consulate (Nairobi or Cairo) — ask specifically about documentation alternatives for Sudanese nationals affected by the conflict. Consular officers may be able to advise on what Ecuador will accept in lieu of a fully legalized Certificate of Good Conduct.

1. Obtain UNHCR documentation — if you are registered as a refugee or asylum seeker with UNHCR, your UNHCR registration and any background screening conducted during the refugee determination process may support your application. This does not replace the background check requirement, but it provides context.

1. Seek legal assistance — an immigration attorney familiar with Ecuadorian visa law can advise on whether a sworn declaration, alternative police clearance from your country of current residence, or other documentation may satisfy the requirement in your specific case.

Do not skip this step and hope for the best. If you cannot obtain the standard documentation, proactively communicating with Ecuador's immigration authorities about your situation is far better than submitting an incomplete application.