Certify FBI Identity History Summary Checks for use abroad
Isarey provides expedited Apostille and attestation services in the United States to authenticate FBI certificates (Identity History Summary Checks).
- FBI certificate apostilles from the U.S. Department of State are normally in 7-10 business days
- We arrange attestation at all major embassies in Washington DC
- We apostille and authenticate state and local police certificates.
FBI background checks issued in the United States are legalized for official use abroad by obtaining an Apostille stamp from the US State Department.
Authorities of countries that have signed the Apostille Convention will recognise the Apostille directly as confirmation of authenticity. Apostille countries include: 
Netherlands - Spain - Italy - Portugal - Greece - Cyprus - France - Saudi Arabia - Germany - China
Otherwise, confirmation is required from the destination country's embassy in Washington DC. Non-Apostille countries include: United Arab Emirates - Qatar - Thailand - Taiwan - Vietnam
Isarey will take care of the entire process for you. We offer individual assistance certifying your documents and a dedicated project manager to ensure that each process is carried out efficiently and securely.
We'll arrange an insured courier to collect your original certificate and then obtain all necessary apostilles, legalizations and certifications. We also provide notarized and certified translations into Spanish, French, Portuguese and other languages, so that your certificate is properly legalized and ready to submit in the country where you need to present it.
We arrange secure delivery by courier worldwide.
How to obtain a US Criminal Record Certificate
While it's also possible to obtain apostille certification of State police certificates, most countries requiring a Criminal Record Check from the United States ask for an Identity History Summary issued by the FBI. However, it is important to check the requirements of the authority or embassy you are submitting to, as some authorities may require a specific type of certificate or even both Federal and State certificates.
FBI Identity History Summary (USA)
An FBI Identity History Summary shows an applicant’s arrest record in the United States. A clean FBI background check is generally accepted by authorities abroad as proving an absence of criminal history in the USA for work permit, visa and immigration purposes. Anyone can apply for an FBI background check including non-US citizens and residents.
Applications for a background check can be made online and the certificate can be issued digitally (accessible via a secure link sent by email). This electronic certificate is valid for authentication by Apostille issued by the US Department of State, and for additional embassy or consular attestation where required for presentation to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Vietnam.
Fingerprints for FBI background checks
Fingerprints must be provided when applying for an FBI Identity History Summary. These muse be submitted using the
FBI fingerprint form (pdf).In the United States, you may visit a participating
U.S. Post Office location to submit your fingerprints electronically.If applying from abroad, you can normally have fingerprinting done at a local police station.
Most authorities requiring criminal record certificates ask for a recent certificate (usually issued within the last three months)
Certified translations of FBI Background Checks
When presenting an FBI check in a country which does not have English as an official language, then a certified translation may be required. The certified translation must meet the requirements of the destination country and will normally need to be apostilled or authenticated along with the original document if done in the United States.
We offer a full range of certified translation services in the USA, and we also provide sworn translations locally in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Portugal and many other countries. We ensure that translations are properly certified, meeting the requirements of immigration authorities and consulates in support of visa and residency applications.
Isarey works with local notaries and sworn translators in a wide range of destination countries. We'll take care of the entire legalization and translation process, so that your certificates are correctly translated and ready to submit:
- GERMANY: translations into German must be certified by an officially authorized and appointed sworn translator.
- SPAIN: translator must be authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Spanish) ("Traducción Jurada")
- FRANCE: translations into French must be certified by a translator accredited by a French court of appeal (Cour d'appel)
- ITALY: translations must be authenticated by a Court Clerk or by a Notary Public in Italy
- PORTUGAL: translations into Portuguese can be certified in Portugal by a local notary
For further information about our US apostille service for FBI History Checks and other police certificates for use in Europe and abroad, use our online quotation form or send us an email. We will get back to you directly with a quotation and details of how to proceed: