Apostilled FBI Background Check, Handled from Mexico
If an employer, an international school or another country’s consulate wants your U.S. record check, this is the full route from Mexico: new fingerprints, the FBI request, the federal apostille in Washington and, if required, a Spanish translation by a perito. Mexican residency with the INM normally does not need it.
Which Mexican offices ask for this document
These are the most common procedures; the receiving office may ask for more:
Employment, International Schools and Visas for Other Countries
- A national, fingerprint-based record check: the FBI report (U.S.) or the RCMP certificate (Canada).
- Many institutions want it apostilled; some other countries’ consulates do not require an apostille. Check before you apply.
- The check usually has to be no more than 3 to 6 months old.
Temporary or Permanent Residency in Mexico
- When residency is based on a family tie, the foreign marriage or birth certificate must carry the apostille of the state or province that issued it.
- As a rule, the INM does not ask for an FBI or RCMP check for residency; the consulate or INM office may request additional documents in specific cases.
- Documents in English or French are usually filed with a Spanish translation.
Which version works and which does not
An apostille can only go on a public document with the right signature and seal:
- Original FBI report bearing the CJIS Division’s signature and seal, in the format the Department of State accepts
- State police or county sheriff clearances
- Notarized copies of the report with a state apostille
- Screenshots or edited reports
How to prepare this document
Follow this order so the authority apostilles it and the Mexican office accepts it:
New fingerprints taken in Mexico for the request.
Request to the FBI: electronic if you are a U.S. citizen or green card holder; on paper by mail otherwise.
The report goes to the Department of State in Washington, D.C. for the federal apostille.
Spanish translation by a perito traductor, if the Mexican authority asks for it.
Which authority apostilles your document?
The apostille comes from a specific office, depending on where the document was issued or signed. Pick your case:
U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Washington, D.C.)
Apostilled by U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Washington, D.C.) (United States federal jurisdiction).
Already living in Mexico?
You do not need to travel to the U.S. We tell you where to have your prints taken in Mexico, file the request by the route that fits your citizenship or residency, send the report to Washington for the apostille and courier it back to you.
1. Online review
Send us a photo or scan of the document. We check the signature, seal and authority before you send anything.
2. Shipping originals
If the procedure needs the original, we tell you how to send it by tracked courier or collect it from your address.
3. Delivery to your door
We send the apostilled document and, if you asked for it, the translation by a perito anywhere in Mexico.
Translation by a perito traductor
Mexican offices usually ask for documents in English or French to be translated into Spanish by a perito traductor authorized by the state judiciary. The translation normally includes the apostille. Each office decides which peritos it accepts: some only take peritos from their own state.
Usual timelines
These are the authorities’ timelines; shipping and translation are on top:
Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
Asking a state for the apostille (for example on a notarized copy) instead of the Department of State.
Assuming anyone gets results in 24 to 48 hours: the electronic route is only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Requesting the report too early so it passes the 3-to-6-month window employers and consulates usually accept.
Apostille questions: FBI Background Check (Identity History Summary)
Can I reuse the fingerprints from an earlier request?
No. Every new FBI request needs a new set of fingerprints. So if your previous report is no longer recent enough for the recipient, you start again from the fingerprinting step.
I am Mexican and used to live in the U.S. Can I request my FBI report?
Yes. Anyone can request their report, but if you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident the request goes on paper fingerprint cards by mail and the answer takes several weeks. The Department of State apostille is handled the same way afterwards.
Can I apostille my FBI report in Mexico or in the state where I used to live?
No. No Mexican authority can apostille a U.S. document, and state offices have no authority over federal documents. The only valid apostille for an FBI report is issued by the Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Who can get the electronic result in 24 to 48 hours?
Only U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful permanent residents (green card holders). For them, the electronic result usually arrives in 24 to 48 hours, or about 4 business days with standard service. Everyone else applies with paper fingerprint cards and the answer takes several weeks.
Do I need an FBI report for my Mexican residency?
Usually not: the INM does not normally ask for it for temporary or permanent residency. Employers, international schools and other countries’ consulates ask for it more often. If your office does request it, get the requirement in writing before you start.
We help you in Mexico
- U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/office-of-authentications.html
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI CJIS Division): https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/identity-history-summary-checks
- Instituto Nacional de Migración (Mexico’s National Migration Institute, INM): https://www.gob.mx/inm
Pre-review: FBI Background Check (Identity History Summary)
Before any paper moves, we review your document: who issued it, whether the signature and seal can be apostilled and what the Mexican office needs. You get the timeline and a quote in writing.
Pre-review: FBI Background Check (Identity History Summary)
We check the authority, signature and seal, and send you a quote before you ship the original.