Apostilling an FBI Background Check for Overseas Work

FBI Identity History Summary checks are federal documents — they're apostilled in Washington D.C., not your state capital.

Most work visas in Spain, the UAE, China, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia require an FBI background check apostilled within the past 3–6 months. Because the FBI is a federal agency, the apostille is issued by the U.S. Department of State, not your state's Secretary of State.

The process: request the FBI Identity History Summary (electronic delivery is fastest), forward it to a D.C.-based apostille service, and receive the apostilled document by courier in 5–15 business days. Rush service can compress this to 48–72 hours.

For non-Hague destinations, the apostille is followed by legalization at the destination country's embassy.