Expedited Tennessee FBI Apostille Services
Your visa or residency file calls for an FBI background check with an apostille, and you are in Tennessee. The state office in Nashville is not the one that issues it. Apostille Authentications collects your FBI result by email, delivers it by hand to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, and returns the apostilled check to your Tennessee address by FedEx in 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 Nashville cannot apostille your FBI background check
Tennessee apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State’s Business Services Division, whose Office of Authentications is at 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue in Nashville. The Secretary of State describes its authority as covering documents executed, issued or certified by Tennessee County Clerks, the Tennessee State Registrar and the Tennessee Secretary of State.
That list is the whole reason an FBI check does not belong there. An FBI Identity History Summary is signed by an official of a federal agency, not by a County Clerk, the State Registrar or the Secretary of State. The apostille for it is issued by the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC.
Two mistakes we see from Tennessee clients:
- A TBI background check is not an FBI check. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation offers the public a Tennessee adult criminal history through its TORIS service, with no fingerprints required. It is a Tennessee record. When a consulate writes FBI, federal or national on its checklist, a TBI report does not meet the requirement.
- Sending a notarized copy through the state does not convert it. A copy of the FBI result that has been notarized and pushed through the Tennessee process ends up with a state certificate on a federal record. Foreign authorities reviewing a federal background check generally will not accept that.
For Tennessee birth certificates, marriage records and other state documents, see state apostille services.
How it works from Tennessee
- Fingerprints close to home. You can have an ink FD-1164 card done at a police department, sheriff’s office or fingerprinting vendor. Or you can register on the FBI’s eDO site and have prints taken electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office. Request the FBI Identity History Summary with either method. The FBI fee is $18.
- The FBI sends your result. It arrives as a PDF marked with the FBI watermark and signed by a division official.
- You forward the PDF. Email it to us along with your passport photo page. We confirm the name and date of birth line up before the request goes in.
- Filing by hand. We fill out Form DS-4194, and our Herndon, Virginia office takes the request to the Office of Authentications in person. FBI results need no DOJ certification first. They go straight to the Department of State.
- Return. FedEx to any address in Tennessee, or FedEx or DHL to your new address overseas.
Apostille Authentications has no Tennessee office and takes no fingerprints in the state. We step in once you have the FBI PDF.
Avoid Rejections
Avoid apostille rejections with our expert help.
Expedite Your Documents
State agents for same-day apostille service.
Security
We prioritize the security and confidentiality of your documents.
Translations/ Intl. Shipping
Certified translation and discounted shipping.
Tennessee 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 |
Turnaround is measured from the day your FBI PDF arrives. Expedited orders are hand-delivered in Washington, which is what shortens the wait.
Where we serve Tennessee clients
All three Grand Divisions. In Middle Tennessee we work with clients in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin and Clarksville. In West Tennessee, Memphis and Jackson. In East Tennessee, Knoxville, Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities of Johnson City and Kingsport. The service is run by email and FedEx, so a client in Memphis is no further from us than one in downtown Nashville.
Why Tennesseans need an apostilled FBI check
Common destinations for our Tennessee clients include Japan and South Korea, for work and teaching visas, and Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama for residency. Spain and Italy ask for the FBI check with residency, study and citizenship applications. Germany requests it in some work and residence permit cases, and China and India for employment and family visas.
Where the destination country uses another language, a translation is normally part of the file. Certified translation can be ordered alongside the apostille. An FBI check has a short useful life for immigration purposes, often 3 to 6 months from issue, so schedule fingerprinting with your filing date in mind.
Read more about the federal process on our FBI apostille services page.
FAQ
Can the Tennessee Secretary of State apostille an FBI background check?
No. The Business Services Division in Nashville issues apostilles for documents from Tennessee County Clerks, the State Registrar and the Secretary of State. An FBI background check is federal and is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.
How fast is an expedited FBI apostille in Tennessee?
10 business days from the date your FBI result is in our hands. Standard service runs 7–8 weeks.
Can I submit a TBI background check instead of an FBI check?
Only where the foreign authority has asked for a state check. A TBI report is a Tennessee adult criminal history and does not replace an FBI Identity History Summary.
I am in Memphis, Knoxville or Chattanooga. Do I need to go to Nashville?
No. An FBI apostille does not pass through Nashville, and we have no office in Tennessee. You send the FBI PDF by email and the apostille comes back by FedEx.
Can the apostille be shipped to me abroad?
Yes. We send by FedEx or DHL to an overseas address if you have already left Tennessee.
Start your Tennessee FBI apostille
Call (971) 514-3743, message us on WhatsApp, or request a quote with the destination country and your deadline.
