Apostille your FBI background check
What is an FBI background check?
An FBI background check is a detailed report of an individual’s criminal history and other relevant information compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It provides a comprehensive overview of any criminal records, arrests, convictions, and other interactions an individual has had with law enforcement.
An FBI background check is more thorough than a standard background check, as it searches national databases rather than just state or local records. This allows employers, agencies, and others to make fully informed decisions about a person’s suitability for a job, license, adoption, visa, or other purpose.
To use an FBI background check internationally, it must be authenticated through a process called apostille. Apostille certifies the origin and integrity of the document so it can be legally recognized outside of the country it was issued in.
Who actually needs one of these?
If you’re moving a piece of your life across a border, there’s a good chance an apostilled FBI record is part of the paperwork.
International adoption
Most countries require an apostilled FBI record from every adopting parent before finalizing the placement.
Work & teaching visas
Employers and immigration offices abroad routinely require it before issuing a work or teaching visa.
Residency & citizenship
Foreign residency and dual-citizenship applications often list it as a required supporting document.
Professional licensing
Using a U.S. license or qualification abroad usually means proving a clean record with an apostille.
Travel & visa-waiver screening
Some visa-waiver countries screen incoming travelers and request the record before entry is confirmed.
Study abroad & exchange
Universities and exchange programs overseas may ask for one as part of your enrollment file.
Four steps, start to finish
Send us what you have, and we handle the rest including anything that needs to go to Washington, D.C. on your behalf.
Get fingerprinted
Already have your official FBI Identification Record? Skip ahead. If not, we’ll point you to electronic live-scan fingerprinting or an FD-258 card through local law enforcement.
Send us your documents
Upload your FBI report, tell us the destination country, and choose your turnaround. We’ll flag anything that also needs notarization or translation before it’s submitted.
We handle the authentication
Our team submits your record to the U.S. Department of State, manages the paperwork, and follows up so nothing sits idle on someone’s desk.
Tracked return shipping
Your apostilled document ships back by secure courier with a tracking number, so you always know exactly where it is.
Why clients choose us
A dedicated team, not a drop box
Getting a federal document authenticated involves a lot of small requirements that are easy to get wrong. We built our process around avoiding rejected submissions and missed deadlines.
A case manager from day one
One point of contact who knows your file, not a rotating support queue.
Paperwork handled for you
We prepare and check the cover letters and forms the Department of State requires.
Expedited options that actually move
Direct relationships mean rush requests get processed as rush requests.
Secure, tracked return shipping
Every completed apostille ships back by courier with a tracking number.
Where it's accepted
Built for the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention
If your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is all you need no embassy visit required. A few of the countries we apostille FBI records for most often:
Frequently asked questions
Standard federal processing typically runs 7–8 weeks once we have your FBI Identification Record in hand. Expedited service can bring the full timeline down to about 10 business days, and next-day or same-day options are available when your report is already issued and ready to submit.
Most receiving countries and agencies want a record dated within the last three to six months, so an older report usually needs to be reissued before it can be apostilled. We can confirm the exact requirement for your destination before you order.
No, if you already have your official FBI Identification Record, no new fingerprints are needed for the apostille step itself. If you haven’t been fingerprinted yet, we’ll walk you through electronic live-scan or FD-258 card options first.
An FBI record is a federal document, so it’s apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. State-issued records birth, marriage, or death certificates go through the Secretary of State in the state where they were recorded instead.
Any of the roughly 125 member countries of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention will accept a properly apostilled FBI record. For countries outside the convention, full consular legalization is required instead ask us and we’ll confirm which path applies to you.
Yes. Once your FBI Identification Record is in hand, we handle the full submission to the Department of State, track its progress, and ship the completed apostille back to you you never have to mail anything to Washington, D.C. yourself.