FBI background check from any country: no office near you? We can still help
Last reviewed: 2026-11-12
Yes, you can get an FBI background check without living near one of our offices. The FBI accepts fingerprints taken anywhere in the world, so what matters is getting good fingerprints to us. Depending on what you already have, you can upload a scan of your own ink fingerprint card, ask for a technician to come to you, or, if you already have your FBI certificate, order just the apostille and the translation. Here is which option fits you.
What do you need? The short answer
- You need the FBI check and there is no office near you: have your fingerprints taken on an FD-258 card (for example at your local police station), scan it, and upload it to us.
- You already have an ink fingerprint card: upload the scan. No appointment is needed.
- You already have your FBI certificate: order the apostille and, if needed, the translation. No fingerprints are needed.
- You are near one of our offices, or a technician can travel to you: book an appointment and we take your fingerprints digitally.
- You will need more FBI checks later: ask us to keep your digital fingerprints on file, so the next check needs no new fingerprints.
Upload your fingerprint card · Order an apostille only · Find an office near you
Option 1: send us your own ink fingerprint card
This works from almost any country. You do not need to travel, and the price has no fingerprinting fee.
- Print the FD-258 fingerprint form and fill in your details.
- Have your fingerprints taken on it, for example at a police station. Each finger should be rolled "nail to nail". The person who takes them signs or stamps the card.
- Have the card scanned at a copy or photo shop: TIFF file, 1200 dpi (600 dpi minimum), actual size, high contrast.
- Upload the scan on our order page. It is checked as you add it, and only clear, sharp scans that meet the FBI standard are accepted, so you know straight away whether it will work.
- Choose your pack (FBI check, apostille, translation), pay, and follow every step online. We send the result by email, and the originals by courier if you need them.
Option 2: a technician comes to you
In many cities near our offices, a technician can come to your home, office or law firm and take your fingerprints digitally. Digital fingerprints give the fastest result and can be kept on file for later checks. Ask when you book: we confirm whether a technician can reach you, and the time.
Option 3: you already have your FBI certificate
If you already have your FBI Identity History Summary, you do not need new fingerprints. We get the apostille from the US Department of State and arrange the sworn or certified translation your destination asks for, then send everything to you.
We only provide apostilles for countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. Countries outside the convention need a different process (legalisation) that we do not offer.
Will you need another FBI check later?
Visas get renewed, applications take longer than planned, and some processes need a new certificate after a few months. If we take your fingerprints digitally, we can keep them securely on file for 1 or 3 years, with your consent. Your next FBI check is then a message to us, with no new fingerprints. Ink cards cannot be submitted twice, so this is only possible for digital fingerprints.
How fingerprint safekeeping works
Which countries can you help from?
Almost all. The FBI check is requested electronically and the result is sent by email, so where you live does not slow it down. What depends on the country is the apostille, which we provide for Hague Convention countries, and the translation: sworn for Spain, certified for most other countries.
Questions
Can I get an FBI background check if I live outside the US?
Yes. The FBI accepts fingerprints taken in any country. You can upload a scan of an ink fingerprint card taken where you live, or have your fingerprints taken at one of our offices.
Do I have to travel to one of your offices?
No. If there is no office near you, have your fingerprints taken on an FD-258 card locally, scan it and upload it to us. In some cities a technician can also come to you.
Who can take my fingerprints on the FD-258 card?
Usually the local police. Some notaries and fingerprinting services also do it. Each finger must be rolled nail to nail, and the person who takes them signs or stamps the card.
What if my scan is not good enough?
Our order page checks the scan as you add it: resolution, actual size and contrast. If it does not meet the standard, it tells you what to fix before you pay, so you do not pay for prints the FBI would reject.
I already have my FBI certificate. Can you just do the apostille?
Yes. Order the apostille only, with a translation if you need one. No fingerprints are needed. We provide apostilles for Hague Convention countries.
Can you deliver the documents to another country?
Yes. You receive a digital copy by email and, if you need them, the originals by international courier, to you or to your lawyer.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements change: always check the current list of the office handling your application.