Guide
How to Get an FBI Background Check From Abroad
You can request your FBI Identity History Summary from anywhere. The one step people miss is asking for the authenticated version up front.
Quick answer
Get fingerprinted on an FD-258 card by local police (U.S. embassies don’t take fingerprints), then request your Identity History Summary from the FBI online at edo.cjis.gov or by mail to CJIS in Clarksburg, West Virginia, with the $18 fee. Ask for the authenticated version when you submit — the FBI won’t authenticate results it already processed. Then send the report for the U.S. Department of State apostille.
Key takeaways
- U.S. embassies and consulates abroad don’t provide fingerprinting; local police often can.
- Anyone can request online through the FBI’s eDO site, regardless of citizenship.
- The FBI fee is $18, paid by credit card, money order or certified check.
- Ask for FBI authentication when you submit; it can’t be added later.
- The FBI doesn’t expedite requests; electronic ones are processed faster than mail.
On this page
Step by step
Get fingerprinted locally
U.S. embassies and consulates abroad don’t provide fingerprinting. The State Department says local police can often take your prints on a fingerprint card. Use the FBI’s FD-258 card and make sure every box is complete and the prints are clear.
Submit the request to the FBI
Apply online through the FBI’s Electronic Departmental Order site (edo.cjis.gov) — anyone can use it, regardless of citizenship — or by mail. By mail, send the signed request form, the fingerprint card and the $18 fee to: FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306.
Ask for the authenticated version
The FBI places its watermark and a division official’s signature on the results at the time of submission. It will not authenticate results it has already processed, so ask for authentication when you submit, not afterwards.
Receive the report
The FBI returns all results, foreign and domestic, by U.S. first-class mail. Online requesters get an electronic response and can choose a mailed copy too. Many people abroad have the report mailed to a U.S. address — such as ours — to save the international mail time.
Get the apostille
Send the authenticated report, as issued, to us for the FBI background check apostille ($299). We review it, submit it to the U.S. Department of State, and ship it to you abroad with tracking (international return $99). For a non-Hague country, it gets State Department authentication and embassy legalization instead ($399).
FBI request details at a glance
| Online | edo.cjis.gov — open to all individuals, regardless of citizenship |
|---|---|
| By mail | FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306 |
| Fee | $18 per request; each extra copy $18. Credit card, money order or certified check — no personal checks or cash. |
| Fingerprints | FD-258 card; U.S. embassies and consulates abroad don’t provide fingerprinting |
| Results | Returned by U.S. first-class mail; online requests also get an electronic response |
| Speed | Processed in the order received; no expedites; electronic requests are faster |
Don’t skip the authentication
The apostille certifies the FBI’s own authentication: the FBI watermark and a division official’s signature. The FBI adds those when it processes your request and won’t authenticate results afterwards. Without them, there is nothing for the State Department to apostille, and you’d have to start over. See what an FBI report needs before it can be apostilled.
Timing it for your visa
Most destinations want the report recently issued — often within 3 to 6 months — and mail from abroad adds weeks. Check the rule for your visa first. We’ve published the official rules for Spain, Portugal, Korea, China, Vietnam and Colombia.
Visiting Florida?
If you’ll be in South Florida, we can take your fingerprints in person at our West Palm Beach or Miami office and handle the whole thing: the FBI check + apostille bundle is $399, about 12–14 business days. You get back the original FBI report, issued by the FBI with its seal and signature, with the State Department apostille attached.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an FBI background check while living abroad?
Yes. Get fingerprinted locally on an FD-258 card and request your Identity History Summary from the FBI online through eDO or by mail. Anyone can apply, regardless of citizenship.
Can the U.S. embassy take my fingerprints?
No. The State Department says U.S. embassies and consulates abroad do not provide fingerprinting. Local police can often take them on a fingerprint card.
How much does an FBI background check cost from abroad?
The FBI fee is $18, paid by credit card, money order or certified check. Local fingerprinting and international postage cost extra.
Can I get my FBI report authenticated after I receive it?
No. The FBI adds its watermark and an official’s signature when it processes the request and does not authenticate previously processed results. Ask for it when you submit.
Can you apostille my FBI report and ship it abroad?
Yes. Mail us the authenticated report, as issued. The apostille is $299, and international return shipping is $99.
Official sources: FBI — Identity History Summary Checks FAQs · FBI — Identity History Summary request instructions (mail) · U.S. Department of State — Criminal Record Checks · U.S. Department of State — Request Authentication Services. Federal Apostille USA is a private service, not a government agency.
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