FBI Background Check From Abroad: Steps and Apostille

Residence visas, digital nomad permits, teaching jobs and some citizenship applications ask Americans for proof of no criminal record. For most countries that means an FBI background check, which the FBI calls an Identity History Summary. You can get an FBI background check from abroad without flying home: you request it online, have your fingerprints taken locally, mail the card, and then send the result to the State Department for an apostille if the receiving country needs one. Here is the process, using the FBI's and the State Department's own instructions.

The short version

• The FBI charges $18 per person. You cannot pay more for faster service.
• Start online at edo.cjis.gov. From abroad, you mail a completed FD-1164 fingerprint card with your confirmation email printout.
• US embassies and consulates do not take fingerprints. Use local police or a fingerprinting service.
• Once the FBI receives a mailed card for an online request, it lists about 10 days for processing. Paper mail requests take up to 15 days, plus mail time.
• For use abroad, send the FBI result to the State Department's Office of Authentications for an apostille: $20 per document, about five weeks by mail.
• Check what the receiving country wants first: how recent the check must be, apostille or not, and whether it needs a sworn translation.

Step 1: Confirm what the receiving country needs

Before you pay anything, read the instructions from the consulate or immigration agency asking for the check. Look for:

• Which check. Nearly all ask for the FBI Identity History Summary. Some also ask for a state or local police check from where you last lived.
• How recent. Many countries accept a check issued within the last 90 days or six months. Time your request so it does not expire before your appointment.
• Apostille or authentication. Countries in the Hague Apostille Convention take an apostille. Others need an authentication certificate from the State Department and then legalization by their embassy.
• Translation. Many countries require a sworn or certified translation after the apostille. Our guide to apostilles and sworn translations explains the order of steps.

If the check is for a visa, our overview of visa types for Americans and the digital nomad visa overview list the documents most programs ask for.

Step 2: Start the request online

The FBI says the fastest option is to apply online.

1. Go to edo.cjis.gov and follow the steps to obtain your Identity History Summary.
2. Enter your details and pay the $18 fee by credit card. The name on the result will match the name you enter.
3. Opt in to email status notifications.
4. Print the confirmation email. You will mail it with your fingerprint card.

In the US, you could go to a participating Post Office for electronic fingerprints. From abroad, the FBI's instructions are to mail the completed fingerprint card with the confirmation printout to the address on that email. The FBI then processes it as an electronic request.

Step 3: Get fingerprinted abroad

The State Department is direct about this: US embassies and consulates abroad do not provide fingerprinting services. Your options are:

• Local police. Many police stations take fingerprints for foreign authorities, sometimes for a small fee. Bring your passport and a blank FD-1164.
• A private fingerprinting or document service. In large cities these are common, and they know the FD-1164 layout.

The FBI's requirements for the card:

• Use the standard FD-1164 form. The FBI accepts it printed on plain white paper, though a technician may prefer card stock.
• Put your name, date of birth and signature on the card.
• Include rolled impressions of all 10 fingers and flat impressions of all 10 taken at the same time.
• Use black ink. The FBI recommends against red or purple ink. Live scan is fine if you get a printed card.
• Use a new card. The FBI does not accept a previously processed one and does not return cards.
• If you want the last four digits of your SSN on the result, put your SSN on the card.

Illegible prints get rejected, which costs you weeks. The FBI suggests having multiple sets taken by a technician and mailing them all together.

Step 4: Mail the card

Send the card and your confirmation printout to the address on your confirmation email. Use a tracked international courier, keep the receipt and note the delivery date. Mail requests that skip the online step also need the FBI's applicant information form and payment, and the FBI does not accept return envelopes or prepaid courier labels.

Step 5: Wait for the result

The FBI's posted timelines:

• Online request, mailed card: about 10 days after the FBI receives the card.
• Mail request: up to 15 days, plus mail time.

The FBI does not expedite. If you applied online, you receive the result electronically and can also choose a copy by US first-class mail, which the FBI sends to foreign and domestic addresses. Results are printed on white paper, not blue security paper. The FBI places its watermark and the signature of a division official on every result, which is what the State Department authenticates.

If the result shows an error, the FBI takes challenges for free, with an average response within 45 days.

Step 6: Get the apostille

The FBI no longer adds a raised seal and does not issue apostilles. That is the State Department's job. Send to the Office of Authentications:

• Form DS-4194, naming the country where you will use the document
• The FBI result itself
• $20 per document, nonrefundable. By mail, pay by check or money order to the US Department of State.

Processing by mail is within five weeks of receipt. Walk-in drop-off is available for travel in two to three weeks, with processing within seven business days. For non-Apostille countries, you then take the authenticated document to that country's embassy for legalization.

The return address problem

The FBI mails paper results by US first-class mail, and a US check for the State Department fee usually means you have a US bank account. Many people abroad route the whole process through a US address. A trusted friend works, as does a package forwarding address. A service such as Shipito receives the apostilled document at a US address and sends it on to you with tracking, which beats waiting on international mail for a document with an expiry date. Our guide to package forwarding explains how these addresses work.

Common mistakes that cost weeks

• Smudged or partial prints. The most common cause of rejection. Ask the technician to check every box before you leave, and pay for a second set.
• A name mismatch. Enter your name exactly as it appears in the passport you will use for the visa, including middle names.
• Applying too early. A check that expires before your consulate appointment means paying and waiting again.
• Skipping the country question. The DS-4194 must name the country where you will use the document, because that decides whether you get an apostille or an authentication certificate.
• Translating before the apostille. Most countries want the apostille first and then a translation of both the result and the apostille.
• Sending a photocopy for authentication. The Office of Authentications works from the FBI result itself, so keep the original clean and unmarked.

Timeline planning

A realistic plan from abroad, if nothing goes wrong:

1. Week 1: apply online, get fingerprinted, send the card by courier.
2. Weeks 2 to 3: card arrives, FBI processes it.
3. Weeks 3 to 9: apostille by mail.
4. Then: sworn translation, if required, and courier to you.

Allow two to three months, and check the receiving country's validity window against the date on the FBI result.

Contact the FBI at [email protected] or +1-304-625-5590.

Common questions

Can a US embassy take my fingerprints for an FBI check? No. The State Department says US embassies and consulates abroad do not provide fingerprinting. Use local police or a private fingerprinting service.

How much does an FBI background check cost? $18 per person, whether you apply online or by mail. Local fingerprinting, courier costs and the $20 State Department apostille fee are separate.

How long does an FBI background check take from abroad? For an online request with a mailed fingerprint card, the FBI lists about 10 days after it receives the card. Add international mail time and about five weeks for an apostille by mail.

Who issues an apostille for an FBI background check? The US Department of State Office of Authentications. Send Form DS-4194, the FBI result and $20 per document, and name the country where you will use it.

Can the FBI speed up my request? No. The FBI does not expedite requests and processes them in the order received, though online requests are usually faster.