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FBI Background Check Apostille

The FBI background check is one of the most frequently requested documents for international use. Whether you are moving abroad for work, applying for residency, or completing an international adoption, here is everything you need to know to get it apostilled correctly.

From $149 per document · $19 government processing and handling fee

Federal Routing
U.S. Dept. of State
Official Apostille
Hague compliant
120+ Countries
Accepted worldwide

50+

States & Territories

120+

Countries Accepted

Federal

U.S. Dept. of State

100%

Hague Compliant

A Federal Document, Authenticated Federally

  • Federal routing: FBI Identity History Summaries are authenticated by the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C., not a state Secretary of State.
  • Processing time: Federal apostille processing typically takes 6 to 14 business days and cannot be expedited. Shipping time is separate.
  • International ready: Recognized across Hague Convention member countries. We prepare and submit your FBI document on your behalf and ship the apostilled document back to you with tracking.

Can I apostille a PDF of my FBI background check?

Yes. The FBI Identity History Summary is issued as an electronic PDF, and the U.S. Department of State issues the federal apostille for it. You do not need a printed original or a notarized copy: upload the PDF you received from the FBI or your channeler to us, and we handle the rest. This is the same federal authentication path described below, and it works whether you have the PDF or a printed copy.

You never have to mail an original document.
Why It Matters

Why You Need an Apostilled FBI Background Check

Foreign governments, employers, and institutions in Hague Convention member countries (about 129 countries as of 2026) require an apostille to recognize U.S. documents as authentic. Common situations include:

Teaching abroad (Spain, South Korea, Japan, and other countries require background checks for foreign teachers)

Work visas and employment abroad that require a clean criminal record

Immigration and residency applications

Citizenship applications in countries where you have ancestry or residency

International adoption processes

Process

The Full Process: Step by Step

1

Get Fingerprinted

Visit an FBI-approved channeler (fastest, results in days) or a participating USPS location. FBI-approved channelers submit your fingerprints electronically and return results much faster than direct mail.

2

Receive Your FBI Identity History Summary

You will receive an official FBI Identity History Summary, either as a PDF download or a physical document. This is the document that will be apostilled.

3

Submit to the U.S. Department of State

Submit your FBI document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. This is the recommended authority for federal documents. We handle the submission paperwork on your behalf.

4

Receive the Apostilled Document

Federal apostille processing typically takes 6 to 14 business days. Federal processing cannot be expedited.

5

Obtain Certified Translation if Required

Many destination countries require a certified translation of the apostilled document into the local language. Check with your receiving authority before submitting.

Timeline

Getting Your FBI Report Fast: The Channeler Path

How you obtain the FBI report decides how much time you have before your country's freshness window closes. The fastest route is an FBI-approved channeler.

1

Get fingerprinted at an FBI-approved channeler. Channelers submit your fingerprints electronically rather than by mail.

2

Receive your FBI Identity History Summary PDF. Through a channeler this is often issued the same day or within a few days.

3

Upload the PDF to Apostilles.us. We route it to the U.S. Department of State for the federal apostille and ship the finished document back to you.

If you submit fingerprints directly to the FBI by mail instead of using a channeler, plan for a longer wait, and the U.S. Department of State currently quotes about 5 weeks of processing for mail-in authentication requests (verified June 2026), plus mailing time in both directions, so plan for longer end to end before our handling. Using a channeler plus our service keeps your report well within most countries' freshness windows.

Last verified: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Department of State

How We Help

How We Help

We handle federal routing, paperwork, and timing coordination so you do not have to navigate the Department of State process on your own. Service starts at $149 per document (Economy Standard), plus a $19 Government Processing and Handling fee per document.

Correct federal routing to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications

All submission paperwork prepared and handled on your behalf

Timing coordination to help you stay within your country's freshness window

Certified translation bundling if your destination country requires it

Domestic overnight shipping ($49) and international shipping ($87) available

Federal processing typically takes 6 to 14 business days and cannot be expedited. Our service tiers reflect our handling and coordination time, not the Department of State's processing time.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The FBI Identity History Summary is issued as an electronic PDF, and the U.S. Department of State issues the federal apostille for it. You do not need a printed original or a notarized copy. Upload the PDF you received from the FBI or your FBI-approved channeler to us, and we route it to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications, obtain the apostille, and ship the finished document back to you with tracking.
FBI background checks are federal documents issued by a federal agency. The Hague Apostille Convention requires that the apostille be issued by the authority designated for the type of document. For federal U.S. documents, that authority is the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications, not any state Secretary of State. State offices will reject FBI documents because they have no jurisdiction over federal records.
Federal apostille processing through the U.S. Department of State typically takes 6 to 14 business days. Federal apostille processing cannot be expedited regardless of which service tier you choose.
Timing is critical. Your FBI background check has a date of issue, and many countries (including Spain, where consulates commonly require the check to be issued within the last six months, though some apply shorter windows) measure freshness from that date. Plan to obtain your FBI check, apostille it, and submit it to your receiving authority all within the required window. Getting the check through an FBI-approved channeler (results in days) rather than mailing fingerprints directly to the FBI (which takes weeks) gives you more time to work within the validity window. We help coordinate timing so you are not caught with a check that expires before it can be used.
It depends on your destination country and the specific authority requesting the document. Some countries and employers accept only the FBI federal check. Others require a state-level criminal history from your most recent state of residence in addition to or instead of the federal check. If your receiving authority specifies both, they must be apostilled separately: the FBI check goes through the U.S. Department of State, and the state check goes through the relevant state Secretary of State.
Yes. Results obtained through an FBI-approved channeler are official FBI Identity History Summary responses and are eligible for apostille through the U.S. Department of State. The channeler simply delivers the result faster than mailing fingerprints directly to the FBI. The document you receive is the same official FBI record either way.

Related Resources

State vs. Federal Apostille: What Is the Difference?True Copy vs. Original ApostilleGetting a U.S. Document Apostilled from Abroad
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We handle federal routing to the U.S. Department of State and coordinate timing so your FBI background check is apostilled correctly the first time.

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