🇺🇸 United States·1961 Hague Convention·Code: US-FED · Seat: Washington, D.C.
U.S. Department of State (federal) Document Apostilles for Mexico
If your document was issued or signed in U.S. Department of State (federal), the apostille comes from U.S. Department of State. We prepare the submission, follow it up and arrange the translation by a perito so you can file it in Mexico without leaving the country.
This is the office’s own timeline; international shipping and translation are on top of it.
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What to know about U.S. Department of State (federal)
Details about this authority that prevent rejections and wasted trips:
Point 1
An FBI background report is a federal document, so only the State Department’s Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. can apostille it. No state Secretary of State, no Mexican office and no consulate has that power.
Point 2
Notarizing a copy of the report and apostilling it in a state is the wrong route: the apostille then vouches for the notary’s signature, not the FBI’s, and the office reviewing it in Mexico may turn it down.
Point 3
Electronic FBI requests (results in 24–48 hours through an approved channeler, or about 4 working days through the standard route) are open only to U.S. citizens and green card holders. Everyone else mails paper fingerprint cards and waits several weeks.
Point 4
For a report that will be apostilled, how it was obtained matters: the State Department says it does not apostille results issued by channelers. We check with you which version you need before you apply.
Point 5
Allow 10–12 business days at the State Department, plus shipping to Mexico. Since most Mexican offices only accept a background check issued within the last 3–6 months, plan backwards from your appointment.
Point 6
This office also apostilles federal court judgments, the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240) and documents signed by federal officials. State birth, marriage or divorce records do NOT belong here: they go to the state that issued them.
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Vital records (US-FED)
Not applicable for federal level (Vital records are state-regulated; federal vital records are Consular Reports of Birth Abroad FS-240)
Location: U.S. Department of State Vital Records Section, 44132 Mercure Cir, PO Box 1513, Sterling, VA 20166
Note: Birth and marriage records are issued by the states. The one federal “birth record” is the FS-240 for people born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent; certified copies come from this section and are apostilled by the same State Department.
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Notaries public (US-FED)
Requirements for powers of attorney, affidavits and certified copies signed in U.S. Department of State (federal):
The State Department does not apostille state notaries’ signatures: a power of attorney or affidavit signed before a notary in Texas, California or any other state is apostilled by that state.
The federal document must keep the original signature or seal of the issuing official; a photocopy, even a notarized one, does not replace the original.
Do not write on, staple or separate the pages of an FBI report before it goes for apostille; any alteration can invalidate it.
Documents
U.S. Department of State (federal) documents often apostilled for Mexico
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FBI Identity History Summary (federal criminal record check)
Apostille: U.S. Department of State
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Judgments and certified copies from U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts
Apostille: U.S. Department of State
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Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)
Apostille: U.S. Department of State
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Documents signed by officials of U.S. federal agencies
Apostille: U.S. Department of State
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Federal immigration and naturalization records certified by the issuing agency
Apostille: U.S. Department of State
How we do it
Your U.S. Department of State (federal) paperwork, step by step
You do not have to queue or ship documents to another country on your own. We tell you which copy you need, send it to the authority, receive the apostille and arrange the translation for the Mexican office.
1
Identify the federal document
For a criminal record check, the process starts with your fingerprints on an FD-258 card. For a federal judgment or an FS-240, the certified copy is first requested from the court or the State Department.
2
Request the report through the route open to you
U.S. citizens and green card holders can apply electronically; other nationalities apply by mail with paper cards. We confirm with you which version the State Department will apostille.
3
Apostille in Washington, D.C.
The document is filed with the Office of Authentications with Form DS-4194 and the official fee. Allow 10–12 business days.
4
Translation by a perito traductor
Back in Mexico, a translator authorized by the state judiciary translates the report together with the apostille. Ask the receiving office whether it accepts peritos from any state or only its own.
5
Hand it in on time
File before it expires: most offices accept background checks no more than 3–6 months old.
Shall we start with your document?
We handle shipping to U.S. Department of State, the government fees and the translation by a perito.
🔒 Orders are placed securely on our main booking site: fbibackgroundcheck.co.uk
🏛️ Offices in Mexico where U.S. Department of State (federal) documents are filed
With the apostille and a translation by a perito, U.S. Department of State (federal) documents are usually filed with:
Employers in Mexico that ask foreign hires for an FBI checkInternational schools screening teachers and staffMexican courts that need a judgment from a U.S. federal courtNotarios públicos, when an act in Mexico depends on a federal documentINM (National Migration Institute): generally does not ask for an FBI check for temporary or permanent residency, but confirm the requirements for your case
Frequently asked questions
Questions about U.S. Department of State (federal) apostilles
What people ask us about documents from U.S. Department of State (federal):
Can I apostille my FBI report in Mexico or at the U.S. Embassy?
No. Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the U.S. consulates in Mexico issue apostilles, and a Mexican authority cannot apostille a U.S. document. Only the State Department in Washington, D.C. apostilles FBI reports.
Why not just notarize a copy and apostille it in my state?
Because that apostille only vouches for the state notary’s signature, not for the FBI document. It is faster, but it is the wrong route for a federal document and the reviewer in Mexico may reject it.
Can anyone get an FBI check in 24–48 hours?
No. The fast electronic route is only for U.S. citizens and green card holders. If you hold another nationality, your prints travel on paper by mail and the result takes several weeks. And if the report will be apostilled, first confirm that the version you are requesting can be apostilled.
Will INM ask for an FBI check for my residency?
Generally not: INM does not usually ask for an FBI check for temporary or permanent residency. The ones who ask most are employers, international schools and certain specific procedures. Always confirm with the office handling your case.
How long does the whole process take, from fingerprints to a translated report in Mexico?
Add up the time to issue the report (days if you qualify for the electronic route, weeks by mail), 10–12 business days for the apostille in Washington, shipping to Mexico and the certified translation. That is why it pays to start as soon as you know your appointment date.
Is your document from a state or province that is not listed? We handle it too. Write to us →
Working to a deadline?
Free review of your U.S. Department of State (federal) document
We check that your document is the right version, tell you if a prior step is needed (such as county certification) and send you the timeline and a quote before you pay.