Current procedures reviewed regularly. We review Secretary of State, federal, and embassy procedures regularly and confirm current requirements before submission.
Apostille Global Services is a private document authentication service. We are not a government agency.
Procedures reviewed regularly
We review Secretary of State, federal, and embassy procedures regularly and confirm current requirements before submission.
All 50 states + District of Columbia
Hague apostille and non-Hague embassy legalization, routed to the appropriate authority.
Confirmed before submission
We confirm the current requirements for your document type, issuing authority, and destination country before anything is filed.
Compliant with the rules that actually get documents accepted
Hague Apostille Convention (1961)
Apostilles issued for member countries; embassy legalization routed for non-member destinations.
State Secretary of State rules
Each filing follows the issuing state's current fee schedule, form requirements, and accepted document formats.
Vital records sourced from the state
California birth, marriage, and death certificates are sourced from the California Department of Public Health (state office), which the Secretary of State accepts for apostille on the first submission.
Notary-compliant document prep
Notarizable forms are sent blank so you can fill in the facts and sign in front of a notary — then the apostille is applied to your notarized original.
FBI Identity History Summary Apostille
The FBI Identity History Summary is issued by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. It is the nationwide criminal-history document foreign employers, immigration authorities, and visa/residency programs commonly require (e.g., UAE, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Golden Visa programs, intercountry adoption).
Federal Apostille Route for an FBI Identity History Summary
An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document issued through the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division. It is not apostilled by a state Secretary of State.
The correct apostille or authentication authority is the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, in Washington, D.C. The federal submission uses Form DS-4194 and the U.S. Department of State fee.
For Hague countries, the U.S. Department of State issues an apostille. For non-Hague countries, the U.S. Department of State issues an authentication certificate, and the document then goes through the destination embassy or consulate legalization process.
FBI Background Check Rejection Risks
The most common mistake is sending an FBI background check to a state apostille office. A state apostille on an FBI report is not the correct route and is rejected abroad.
The report should be original, complete, and unaltered. Do not laminate it, resize it, write on it, staple over official areas, hole-punch it, or submit an unofficial summary.
Freshness is also important. The apostille itself does not expire, but many countries measure the age of the FBI report. Spain commonly uses a short window of about 90 days for visa filings. Italy, Portugal, Greece, and other countries commonly expect recent reports for certain uses.
How the FBI Apostille Process Works
First, obtain the FBI Identity History Summary directly from the FBI or through an FBI-approved Channeler.
Second, submit the official FBI-issued report to the U.S. Department of State with Form DS-4194.
Third, use the destination country to determine the final route. Hague destinations receive an apostille. Non-Hague destinations require federal authentication followed by embassy or consulate legalization.
Common Uses for an FBI Identity History Summary Abroad
An FBI Identity History Summary is commonly requested for immigration, residency, work permits, visas, teaching abroad, professional licensing, intercountry adoption, and background screening.
Common destination countries include Spain, Italy, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries that require national-level criminal history records.
FBI Identity History Summary FAQ
Can a state apostille an FBI Identity History Summary?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and must go through the U.S. Department of State.
Does the FBI apostille expire?
The apostille does not expire, but the receiving country can reject the FBI report if the report is too old.
Can I use an FBI Channeler?
FBI-approved Channelers can be used to obtain the FBI Identity History Summary faster, but the apostille route is still through the U.S. Department of State.
What happens for a non-Hague country?
The document needs federal authentication first, then embassy or consulate legalization for the destination country.
What is the biggest FBI apostille mistake?
The biggest mistake is sending the FBI report to a state Secretary of State instead of the U.S. Department of State.
Questions before you submit?
Amelia — Apostille Specialist
Amelia reviews every request personally and replies with an itemized quote and next steps.
- Replies during business hours, Monday through Friday
- Or use the request form below — no payment is collected
Request Full Service
Tell us about your document, where it was issued, the destination country, and your deadline. A specialist will review the information and email an itemized quote and next steps.
No payment is collected when you submit this request.
- $125 for the first document
- $95 for each additional document submitted in the same order
Government fees, shipping, and required third-party charges are separate and itemized before submission.
Embassy legalization is quoted after document and destination review. The total depends on the document, issuing authority, destination country, required authentication chain, embassy or consular fees, and shipping.