Expedited Pennsylvania FBI Apostille Services
Pennsylvania residents who need an FBI background check apostilled for use abroad often start in Harrisburg and lose time there. The apostille for an FBI check is federal. Apostille Authentications takes your FBI result by email, files it by hand at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, and ships the finished document to you in Pennsylvania within 10 business days.
Call (971) 514-3743 or request a quote.
- Ensure your documents are processed without delay
- Speak with our experts for personalized assistance
- Discover how we can expedite your apostille process
Why Harrisburg cannot apostille your FBI background check
In Pennsylvania, apostilles are prepared by the Department of State for the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Requests go to the Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation in the North Office Building, 401 North Street, Harrisburg. That office certifies the signatures of Pennsylvania officials on original documents. Its own examples are business documents such as articles of incorporation and certificates of good standing, adoption paperwork, birth and marriage certificates, and diplomas and transcripts.
For FBI checks, the Department’s document certification page points people elsewhere: it tells them to contact the U.S. Department of State about FBI background checks and other federal documents. The office that issues that apostille is the Office of Authentications in Washington, DC.
Two things Pennsylvania clients get wrong:
- A PATCH report is not an FBI check. The Pennsylvania State Police run criminal history requests through PATCH, the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system. PSP says these requests are checked against Pennsylvania law enforcement criminal history records only, not federal records. The search is run on the name and identifiers you enter, with no fingerprints.
- The notarized PATCH option does not make it national. PSP will notarize some results for an added fee. A notarized result is still a Pennsylvania-only record. If the consulate’s checklist says FBI, federal or national, you need the Identity History Summary.
For Pennsylvania vital records, diplomas or corporate documents, see state apostille services.
How it works from Pennsylvania
- Fingerprints, taken locally. Use an ink FD-1164 card from a police department, sheriff’s office or fingerprinting vendor, or sign up on the FBI’s eDO site and have your prints captured electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office. Order the FBI Identity History Summary at the same time. The FBI charges $18.
- The result comes back. The FBI sends a PDF with its watermark and the signature of a division official.
- Send us the PDF by email. Add a scan of your passport photo page. We check that the name and date of birth agree before the request is filed.
- Hand delivery in Washington. We complete Form DS-4194, and our Herndon, Virginia office carries your file to the Office of Authentications. FBI results skip DOJ certification and go straight to the Department of State.
- Return shipping. FedEx to any Pennsylvania address, or FedEx or DHL to an address overseas.
Apostille Authentications does not have a Pennsylvania office and does not offer fingerprinting in the state. Our service begins with your FBI PDF.
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State agents for same-day apostille service.
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Translations/ Intl. Shipping
Certified translation and discounted shipping.
Pennsylvania pricing and turnaround
| Service | Price | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Expedited FBI apostille (you already have the FBI result) | $390 | 10 business days |
| Standard FBI apostille | $195 | 7–8 weeks |
The clock starts when we have your FBI PDF. Expedited orders are faster because our Herndon office delivers them in person.
Where we serve Pennsylvania clients
The whole Commonwealth, with nothing to do in person. We work with clients in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, in the Lehigh Valley cities of Allentown and Bethlehem, in Reading, Lancaster and Harrisburg, in Scranton and Erie, and in State College. Whether your FedEx envelope goes to a Center City apartment or a rural route in the northern tier, the turnaround is the same.
Why Pennsylvanians need an apostilled FBI check
Common destinations for our Pennsylvania clients include Italy, where the FBI check is part of citizenship and residency files, and Spain and Portugal for residency and retirement visas. South Korea, Japan and China ask for it with teaching and work visas. India requires it in a range of employment and family cases, and Germany and the Netherlands in some work and residence permit applications.
If the receiving country does not work in English, expect to supply a translation. Certified translation is available on the same order. Because many authorities only accept an FBI check issued in the past 3 to 6 months, do not order it too far ahead of your appointment.
More on the federal process is on our FBI apostille services page.
FAQ
Can the Pennsylvania Department of State apostille an FBI background check?
No. The office in Harrisburg certifies the signatures of Pennsylvania officials. It refers people to the U.S. Department of State for FBI background checks and other federal documents.
How fast is an expedited FBI apostille in Pennsylvania?
10 business days, counted from when we receive your FBI result. The standard option is 7–8 weeks.
Is a Pennsylvania State Police PATCH check accepted instead?
Only if the foreign authority asked for a state check. PATCH searches Pennsylvania records and not federal ones, so it does not satisfy a request for an FBI or national background check.
I am in Pittsburgh or Erie. Do I need to go to Harrisburg or Philadelphia?
No. There is no step in Harrisburg for an FBI apostille, and we have no office anywhere in Pennsylvania. You email the PDF and the apostille is delivered by FedEx.
Do you translate the apostilled FBI check?
Yes. Certified translation into Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages can be ordered together with the apostille.
Start your Pennsylvania FBI apostille
Call (971) 514-3743, message us on WhatsApp, or request a quote. Let us know which country the document is for and when you need it.
