FBI Background Check Apostille Services | NY Notary Public Services

NY Notary Public Services provides expedited FBI Background Check Apostille and Federal Authentication services for FBI Identity History Summary Reports intended for international use.

An FBI Identity History Summary Report (often called an FBI background check or FBI criminal background check) is a federal document. For international authentication, eligible FBI reports are processed through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC rather than a state Secretary of State.

Our Washington, DC team physically hand-delivers eligible FBI reports to the U.S. Department of State and retrieves them when completed. We assist clients throughout the United States and overseas with employment, immigration, residency, digital nomad visa, and other international requirements.

Why Expedited Processing Matters: FBI Report Validity Abroad

Many foreign immigration authorities, employers, and other receiving institutions require an FBI background check issued within the preceding three months or 90 days. The exact document-age requirement varies by country, program, and receiving authority.

Where the acceptance window is measured from the FBI report's issue date, lengthy federal processing can consume valuable time before the document is presented abroad. Our expedited Washington, DC service can help preserve more of that window for visa applications, overseas employment, residency, and other filings.

Important: An apostille does not reset or extend an FBI report's issue date or the receiving authority's acceptance window. Expedited processing does not guarantee that a foreign deadline will be met. Please confirm the destination's document-age requirements and tell us your deadline before proceeding.

What We Can Accept: Electronic FBI PDFs and Paper Reports

• Electronic PDF issued directly by the FBI: If you received your FBI Identity History Summary electronically, email the original PDF file to us for review. We will confirm whether its format is eligible and advise how it can be submitted for federal processing.
• Physical hard copy issued by the FBI: If you received a paper FBI background check, email a scanned PDF for initial review. The original physical document must ultimately be provided for processing when required for that submission route.

Please send the document in PDF format, not a phone photo or screenshot. We review the issuing source, document format, destination, and any instructions from the receiving authority before confirming the next steps.

If you have not yet obtained your FBI Identity History Summary Report, let us know. We can explain what information we need to review once it is issued; the FBI report itself and the federal apostille are separate steps.

Physical Submission and Retrieval in Washington, DC

Unlike a standard mail-in request, our expedited service uses a Washington, DC team to hand-deliver eligible FBI background checks to the U.S. Department of State and physically collect the completed documents.

This removes mail transit to and from the federal processing office and allows us to coordinate the submission and retrieval stages closely. We provide a current estimated processing window following document review and can relay the agency's expected return timeframe when available. Any date remains subject to agency processing and approval.

FBI Apostille Turnaround: Expedited vs. Standard Mail-In

• Our expedited service: Approximately 12–14 business days for eligible federal apostille or authentication processing, with physical Washington, DC submission and retrieval.
• Standard mail-in processing: Currently estimated at approximately 5–8 weeks.
• Both routes: Subject to U.S. Department of State review, approval, eligibility, and current operations. Shipping and any subsequent embassy legalization require additional time.

Processing estimates may change. Please provide any embassy appointment, visa filing, or document-expiration deadline when contacting us.

Our FBI Background Check Apostille & Authentication Process

1. Document review: Email the FBI report as a PDF along with the destination country and any deadline or receiving-authority instructions.
2. Eligibility and submission planning: We confirm the appropriate federal apostille or authentication route and whether an original paper report is required.
3. In-person federal submission: Our Washington, DC team physically submits the eligible report to the U.S. Department of State.
4. In-person retrieval: We collect the completed document once federal processing is finished.
5. Scans and delivery: We provide completion scans when appropriate and arrange domestic or international shipping. Shipping is quoted separately, and clients are welcome to provide a prepaid shipping label.

Related: Federal Apostille & Authentication Services

Hague Apostille vs. Non-Hague Authentication for FBI Reports

Hague Convention countries: Eligible FBI reports generally require a federal apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State for use under the Hague Apostille Convention.

Non-Hague countries: Eligible FBI reports may require federal authentication followed by embassy or consulate legalization, depending on the receiving authority. Because FBI reports originate with a federal agency, they generally do not require state-level authentication first.

NY Notary Public Services can coordinate applicable additional embassy or consulate legalization steps. The federal processing estimate does not include the entire embassy legalization timeline.

Related: Hague Country List | Non-Hague Country List | Embassy & Consulate Legalization

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an expedited FBI background check apostille take?
Our current estimated expedited federal processing time is approximately 12–14 business days. It is subject to U.S. Department of State review, approval, and operations and is not guaranteed.

How does your service differ from mailing an FBI report to the State Department?
Our Washington, DC team physically delivers eligible reports and retrieves completed documents, avoiding the inbound and outbound mail transit of standard mail-in processing, currently estimated at approximately 5–8 weeks.

Will my FBI background check expire after three months?
Many foreign authorities require FBI reports issued within the preceding three months or 90 days, but requirements vary. The receiving authority determines the applicable acceptance window, which may be measured from the FBI report's issue date.

Does an apostille extend the validity of my FBI background check?
No. An apostille does not change the report's issue date or automatically extend the receiving authority's document-age requirement.

Can I email my electronic FBI background check PDF?
Yes. Email the original electronic FBI PDF for initial review. We will advise on eligibility and the appropriate federal submission procedure.

What if I have a physical FBI background check?
Email a PDF scan for review first. If the federal processing route requires the original paper report, we will provide instructions for sending it securely.

Can you help if I live outside New York or overseas?
Yes. We work with clients throughout the United States and internationally. FBI apostilles and federal authentications are processed through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.

What if my destination country is not a Hague Convention member?
Federal authentication and additional embassy or consulate legalization may be required. We can review the destination's requirements and coordinate eligible stages.

Can you ship the completed FBI apostille internationally?
Yes. We can arrange international shipping at the current courier rate, or you may provide your own prepaid shipping label.

Start With FBI Document Review

Related services: Federal Apostille & Authentication | Embassy & Consulate Legalization | New York & Multi-State Apostille Services