Americans in United Arab Emirates
FBI Background Check & Apostille in Dubai
How Americans living in Dubai get an FBI background check fingerprinted locally, issued by the FBI, and apostilled for use in United Arab Emirates — all by mail.
Quick answer
Get fingerprinted in Dubai on FBI FD-258 cards at a local police station or fingerprinting service, then mail the cards to us. We obtain your FBI Identity History Summary, authenticate it and have it legalized at the United Arab Emirates embassy in Washington, D.C., and ship it back to Dubai. United Arab Emirates is not a Hague Convention member, so your FBI check needs U.S. Department of State authentication and then legalization at the United Arab Emirates embassy.
- United Arab Emirates route
- Authentication + embassy legalization
- Translation
- Legalized Arabic translation required.
- Price
- $548 + $99 worldwide return
- Turnaround
- 16–19 business days once we receive your prints
Why Americans in Dubai need it
UAE employment and residence visas often require an attested criminal record. The UAE isn’t a Hague member, so that means authentication plus embassy legalization — and possibly a further attestation in the UAE. Because only the FBI holds your nationwide U.S. record, it can’t be replaced by anything you get locally — and because it’s a federal document, only the U.S. Department of State can authenticate it.
Fingerprinting: the only step that happens in Dubai
Everything after your fingerprints is paperwork between Washington offices, handled by mail. The prints themselves have to be taken where you are:
- Where: a local police station or a private fingerprinting service in Dubai. Call ahead — not every station offers it, and some want an appointment.
- What to bring: blank FBI FD-258 fingerprint cards and your passport. Ask for rolled prints in black ink.
- Take two sets. If the FBI rejects one card for quality, the spare saves you another appointment and weeks of delay.
- The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi generally doesn’t take fingerprints for FBI checks — confirm before relying on it.
Step by step from Dubai
Get fingerprinted
Two full sets on FD-258 cards, with your identifying details filled in exactly as on your passport.
Order online and mail the cards
Send them to our processing office by tracked international courier. Don’t fold or bend them.
We obtain your FBI report
We submit your prints through an FBI-approved channel — typically 1–2 business days after we receive them.
Authentication and embassy legalization
The Department of State authenticates the report, then the United Arab Emirates embassy legalizes it.
Shipped to Dubai
Returned by tracked international courier, with a certified translation if you ordered one.
What United Arab Emirates requires
United Arab Emirates is not a Hague Convention member, so your FBI check needs U.S. Department of State authentication and then legalization at the United Arab Emirates embassy. Legalized Arabic translation required. Receiving offices often want the report issued within the last three to six months, so time your fingerprinting close to your filing date.
More detail on the route for United Arab Emirates: FBI background check for United Arab Emirates · all documents for United Arab Emirates.
FBI check from Dubai — FAQ
Can I get fingerprinted at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi?
U.S. embassies and consulates generally don't take fingerprints for FBI background checks. Confirm with the embassy, but plan on a local police station or fingerprinting service in Dubai.
How long does an apostilled FBI check take from Dubai?
Allow several days for your prints to reach us by courier, then about 16–19 business days once we receive your prints, plus international return shipping.
How much does it cost?
$149 FBI check + $399 authentication and embassy legalization, plus $99 worldwide return shipping. Government fees are included.
Do I need a translation in United Arab Emirates?
Legalized Arabic translation required. We can arrange certified translation with your order.
Is the FBI check the same as a United Arab Emirates criminal record certificate?
No. The FBI check covers your U.S. record. If you've lived in United Arab Emirates for a while, authorities may also ask for a local certificate from United Arab Emirates's own authorities.
What if my fingerprints are rejected?
The FBI rejects prints it can't classify. Taking two full sets at the same appointment saves weeks if one is rejected.
Related: How to get an FBI background check · FD-258 fingerprint cards · FBI background check apostille
Ready to start?
Order online in minutes, or call and we will walk you through it. Federal documents from anywhere in the U.S. — one flat price, all government fees included.