An FBI background check needs an apostille when it will be used in a country that belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. It needs an authentication certificate when the country is not a member. Both are issued by the U.S. Department of State, not by a state office, because an FBI background check is a federal document.
Getting this wrong is expensive. The wrong certificate, or one from the wrong office, is refused abroad and you start again.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document so that another country will accept it as genuine. It confirms the signature and seal on the document. It does not confirm that the contents are true. Countries that joined the Hague Convention accept an apostille with no further steps.
What is an authentication certificate?
Countries outside the Hague Convention do not accept apostilles. For those countries the U.S. Department of State issues an authentication certificate instead. In most cases the document must then be legalized by that country’s embassy or consulate in the United States before it is accepted.
Which one do I need?
- Find out where the document is going. The destination country decides the certificate.
- Check whether that country is a Hague Convention member. If it is, you need an apostille. If it is not, you need an authentication, usually followed by embassy legalization.
- Ask the receiving authority what else it requires. Many ask for a recent background check and a certified translation.
Who issues an apostille for an FBI background check?
The U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications handles federal documents, and requests are made on Form DS-4194. This is the step people most often get wrong. A Washington birth certificate or a notarized document goes to the Washington Secretary of State, which is what our Washington apostille service covers. An FBI background check cannot be apostilled there.
What are the steps?
- Get fingerprinted. Clear prints prevent delays. See why FBI fingerprints get rejected.
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary. The FBI charges $18 and does not expedite requests. The FBI authenticates its results with a watermark and the signature of a division official. Start with our FBI background check service.
- Send the FBI results to the U.S. Department of State with Form DS-4194, naming the destination country.
- Complete embassy legalization if the country is not a Hague member.
- Arrange a certified translation if the receiving authority requires one.
How long does an FBI apostille take?
The U.S. Department of State says it processes mailed requests within five weeks from the date it receives them. Walk-in drop-off requests take seven business days. Same-day service is limited to life-or-death emergencies. Add the time for fingerprinting, the FBI check and shipping in both directions. If you have a visa or residency deadline, begin as early as you can.
What mistakes cause delays?
- Sending an FBI background check to a state Secretary of State.
- Asking for an apostille for a non-Hague country, or the reverse.
- Leaving the destination country off the request form.
- Submitting a background check that the receiving country considers too old.
- Fingerprints rejected for poor quality, which restarts the FBI step.
How much does it cost?
At AI Fingerprinting, an FBI background check is $135, and an FBI background check with apostille is $395. Our FBI apostille service covers fingerprinting, the FBI request and the Department of State submission in one order. For state-issued documents, see all apostille services, and for a step-by-step walkthrough read FBI Apostille Service Vancouver WA.
Frequently asked questions
Does an FBI background check need an apostille?
It does if you are using it in a country that belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention and the receiving authority asks for one. Countries outside the convention require an authentication certificate instead.
Who issues an apostille for an FBI background check?
The U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. An FBI background check is a federal document, so a state Secretary of State cannot apostille it.
How long does an FBI apostille take?
The U.S. Department of State says mailed requests are processed within five weeks from the date it receives them, and walk-in drop-off requests take seven business days. The FBI background check itself must be completed first.
What is the difference between an apostille and an authentication?
An apostille is for documents used in countries that are part of the 1961 Hague Convention. An authentication certificate is for countries that are not, and those countries usually also require legalization by their embassy or consulate.
Start your FBI apostille in Vancouver, WA
AI Fingerprinting is at 201 NE Park Plaza Dr #221, Vancouver, WA 98684, open Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 10 AM to 2 PM. Book an appointment or call (360) 998-7302. Current rates are on our pricing page.
Need help with this? AI Fingerprinting provides FBI apostille service in Vancouver, WA. Book an appointment online or call (360) 998-7302.