The FBI background check that visas, residency permits and foreign employers ask for is formally an Identity History Summary. It is based on your fingerprints, not your name, so every route starts with a set of prints.
There are three ways to get one. You can apply directly to the FBI online and give fingerprints at a participating post office or on an ink card. You can use an FBI-approved channeler, a private company that submits your prints and usually returns results fastest. Or you can mail an ink fingerprint card, which is slow but is the only practical option for many people living abroad.
If the check is going to another country, it then needs a federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State, never a state one, and most destinations treat it as valid for only three to six months. Time the request so the check is fresh when you need it.
At a glance
The three routes
| Route | Fingerprints | Result | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI directly, online (eDO) | Participating post office (electronic) or an ink card | Electronic, with an optional paper copy by mail | Days with electronic prints; weeks with a mailed card |
| FBI-approved channeler | The channeler’s own locations or partners | Electronic; some offer a paper copy | Often the fastest |
| Mailed ink card | Police station, embassy or fingerprinting service, on Form FD-1164 | Paper, or electronic if requested | Slowest, but works from anywhere |
Only some post offices fingerprint for the FBI, and the Postal Service charges its own fee on top of the FBI’s. Check the location list before you go.
From outside the U.S.
- Apply online at the FBI’s eDO site and choose electronic or mailed delivery.
- Get rolled fingerprints on Form FD-1164 at a local police station or another authorised office. Ask for black ink; the FBI rejects red or purple.
- Mail the card to the FBI in Clarksburg, West Virginia, with your request details. International post adds weeks, so use a tracked courier.
- A rejected card means starting over, most often because of smudged or partial prints. Have them taken by someone who does it often.
When it arrives
- Do not write on it, stamp it, or have it notarized. Anything added can get it refused for the apostille.
- Keep the whole result, not just the page with your details. A channeler’s cover sheet is not the FBI document.
- Send it for the federal apostille promptly, so its validity is not used up before your appointment. See FBI background check apostille.
- Need a translation? Do it after the apostille. See translation requirements.
How it works
Step 1
Pick a route
Directly, through a channeler, or by mailed card if you are abroad.
Step 2
Give fingerprints
Electronic where you can; rolled ink on FD-1164 otherwise.
Step 3
Receive the result
Electronic, paper, or both. Leave it exactly as issued.
Step 4
Federal apostille
Send it to us and we take it to the U.S. Department of State.
How to Get an FBI Background Check: common questions
Is a state background check the same thing?
No. A state check covers only that state’s records, and it is apostilled by that state. When a country asks for an FBI check, it means the national Identity History Summary.
Can a channeler result be apostilled?
Generally yes, as a printed copy of the FBI result it contains. Some destinations prefer the paper copy mailed by the FBI. See FBI-approved channelers.
How long is an FBI check valid?
The FBI prints no expiry date. The country receiving it decides, commonly three to six months from the date it was issued.
Can a state apostille it instead?
No. It is a federal document, so only the U.S. Department of State can apostille it.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
FBI, Identity History Summary Checks · FBI electronic Departmental Order (eDO)
Ready to get started?
Have your FBI check? Book the federal apostille online, or upload it for a free check first.
Related: FBI check apostille · FBI-approved channelers · Visa guides