To get an apostille on an FBI background check, you send the original Identity History Summary, a completed Form DS-4194, and $20 per document to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. It is the only agency that can authenticate a federal document for use abroad. State-level apostille offices and notaries cannot touch it. Mail-in processing currently runs about five weeks from the day the office receives your package, with faster in-person options available in narrow circumstances.
Get the FBI Identity History Summary First
You cannot apostille a document you do not yet have. The FBI charges $18 per Identity History Summary request.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions You can submit fingerprints electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office or mail a completed fingerprint card directly to the FBI. Direct mail-in submissions take roughly six to eight weeks.
If your timeline is tight, use an FBI-approved channeler. Channelers are private companies authorized by the FBI to forward fingerprints electronically and return results, usually within a few business days. They charge their own service fee on top of the FBI’s $18. The FBI publishes the current list of approved channelers on its website.2Federal Bureau of Investigation. List of FBI-Approved Channelers for Departmental Order Submissions
What the Office of Authentications Will Accept
The Office of Authentications will apostille only an original FBI Identity History Summary. If the FBI sent your results electronically as a PDF, a printed copy of that PDF is acceptable. If you requested a mailed hard copy, the sealed response from the FBI counts as the original. Photocopies of someone else’s document and scanned reproductions do not qualify.
The FBI authenticates every Summary with an FBI watermark and the signature of a division official.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions Those markings are what the Office of Authentications verifies. A document without them will not pass review.
Freshness matters at the other end. Many foreign authorities want the background check to have been issued within the last three to six months. The window varies by country and by consulate, so check with your destination’s embassy before you start. If you order the FBI report, wait several weeks for the apostille, and then discover the receiving country wants a report less than 90 days old, you may have to run the whole process again.
Fill Out the DS-4194 and Pay the Fee
Every apostille request needs a completed Form DS-4194, Request for Authentications Service, which serves as the cover sheet. The form is a PDF on the State Department’s website.3U.S. Department of State. DS-4194 – Request for Authentications Service Complete it in black ink. If you make a mistake, print a fresh copy rather than correcting the existing one; corrections on the form are not permitted.
Section 4 is where most people slip up. You have to name the destination country, the number of documents, and the document type. The fee is $20 per document, not per page, and the amount must be exact.4U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services The rate is set at 22 CFR 22.1.5eCFR. 22 CFR 22.1 – Schedule of Fees It is nonrefundable, even if the request is denied.
For mail-in requests, pay by check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” Checks must be preprinted with your name and address, with a check number over 100. Do not send cash or credit card information through the mail.4U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services For in-person visits, the rule flips: pay by credit card, debit card, or contactless payment like Apple Pay or Google Pay. Cash, checks, and money orders are not accepted at the window.
Include one self-addressed, prepaid return envelope. USPS and UPS are accepted; the State Department specifically asks that you not use FedEx on the return envelope. Use a trackable method.
Where to Send It
Most applicants mail their package. Send everything (DS-4194, original FBI Summary, payment, and return envelope) to:
Department of State
Office of Authentications
44132 Mercure Circle
P.O. Box 1206
Sterling, VA 20166-1206
Delivery to Sterling is not the same as receipt by the office. There is a lag of several days while mail moves from the Sterling postal facility to the D.C. office. Processing time begins on the day the D.C. office actually receives your package, not the day tracking shows delivery in Virginia.4U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services
In-Person Drop-Off
Walk-in service is available at 600 19th Street NW, Washington, D.C., but only if you are traveling internationally within two to three weeks. Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and the office processes them within seven business days.
Emergency Same-Day Appointments
If you are traveling in under two weeks because of a life-or-death emergency involving an immediate family member abroad, you may qualify for a same-day appointment. Email CA-PPT-TO-AUT@state.gov with proof of travel within two weeks and proof of the emergency (a hospital letter or death certificate, for example). Appointments run Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.4U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services
How Long It Takes and How to Check Status
Mail-in requests are currently processed within five weeks from the date the D.C. office receives the package. Add mailing time in both directions, and the realistic end-to-end turnaround runs six to eight weeks.
There is no online portal for tracking a pending request. You can call the Office of Authentications at (202) 485-8000 for status inquiries.6HCCH. United States of America – Competent Authority The tracking number on your return envelope is the most useful tool you have. Once the office ships your documents back, that number will show movement.
When the apostille arrives, do not tamper with it. Removing staples or separating the certificate from the underlying FBI Summary can void the authentication and force you to start over.
Why Packages Get Returned
The Office of Authentications returns incomplete or defective packages without processing them. The most common problems:
- No Form DS-4194 in the envelope.
- The wrong payment amount, usually from miscounting documents.
- A check made out to something other than “U.S. Department of State,” or cash or credit card details enclosed with a mail-in request.
- Form filled out in blue ink, or with visible corrections instead of a fresh copy.
- No self-addressed, prepaid return envelope.
Every rejection means starting the mailing cycle over. The $20 fee is nonrefundable if the office actually processes and denies your request, so it pays to get the package right the first time.
Translation After the Apostille
Many destination countries require the apostilled FBI background check to be translated into the local language. Requirements vary. Much of continental Europe and Latin America requires a sworn translation by a translator officially recognized by a court or government body. English-speaking countries usually accept a certified translation, where the translator signs a statement attesting to accuracy.
Handle translation after the apostille is issued, not before. The apostille certificate itself may need translating along with the underlying document. Some countries maintain lists of approved translators, and using someone off that list can lead to rejection even when the translation is accurate.
If Your Destination Is Not a Hague Country
The apostille process only works for the 129 countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.7HCCH. Hague Convention 12 – Status Table If your destination is not a member, you still submit through the same office on the same DS-4194 form, but the office issues an authentication certificate instead of an apostille. You then take that certificate to the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the U.S. for legalization, which is a separate step with its own fee and timeline. Confirm which track applies to your country before you build your schedule around a five-week estimate.
When a Private Expediter Is Worth It
Private companies will assemble your package, drop it off in person in D.C., and return the completed apostille to you. They typically charge $75 to $125 on top of the $20 government fee, depending on speed. They are not affiliated with the government and cannot skip the queue beyond what in-person drop-off already allows.
An expediter is worth the money in three situations: you have a visa or job start deadline that cannot absorb a rejection, you are outside the U.S. and cannot easily route mail to Virginia, or you specifically need in-person drop-off but cannot travel to D.C. yourself. If your timeline fits comfortably inside the five-week mail-in window and your paperwork is straightforward, handling the request yourself saves the added fee.