Does your Criminal Background Check need an Apostille?
If you travel abroad for work or any other reason, you are required to have a certificate, confirming that you don’t have a criminal history or felonies which will restrict you from traveling to the country of your destination. That country can ask you for a background check issued within the past 90 days with an apostille.
Usually, a criminal background check is needed for the following reasons:
- Travel documents / Visa application
- Application for a dual citizenship
- Teaching abroad
- Study abroad
- Adoption
- Marriage abroad
- Inheritance
- Retiring
- Purchasing Property, etc.
The FBI, Police, Sheriff, and State can issue a Background Check statement. Generally, all countries will accept an FBI Background Check with an Apostille. Before mailing your Background Check to our office for the Apostille, please make sure it was issued within the past 90 days.
To apostille your Background Check, you need to mail in the original or a certified copy to our office.
If your Background Check was provided by the local Police, Sheriff, or State office, it must be authenticated only by the issuing state. The Secretary of State is not permitted to complete authentication of documents originated from another State, so, if for instance, your background check was performed in Illinois, only the State of Illinois can issue an Apostille on it.
If the country of your destination requires a local Police Station Background Check, you will need to contact your local police station and have them compile a letter stating that they have no records of your criminal history. Usually, obtaining a Police Background Check takes a few business days. Once your Background Check is ready and available for pick up, you will need to bring a mobile Notary Public with you to notarize the signature of the signing officer and attest it with the affidavit. After that, you are ready to mail your Police Background Check to our office for an Apostille.
If the country of your destination requires a local Sheriff’s Department Background Check, you will need to contact the local Sheriff’s Department and have them compile a letter stating that they have no records of your criminal history. Usually, obtaining a Sheriff’s Department Background Check takes a few business days. Once your Background Check is ready and available for pick up, you will need to bring a mobile Notary Public to meet with a Deputy, notarize his/her signature, and attest it with the affidavit. After that, you are ready to mail your Sheriff’s Department Background Check to our office for an Apostille.
Obtaining a Background Check from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Attorney General is somewhat more complex. The results of a background check from the Department of Justice typically include not only criminal history but also credit history and past employment verification. To request a DOJ Background Check, you will first need to contact the Department of Justice in your state and file a request for the check. Your State’s Office of the Attorney General will provide you with the step-by-step application instructions. Not all state offices can issue a Background Check. If your State’s DOJ cannot provide it, they will direct you to the local Police or Sheriff.
If you need an FBI Background Check you must first contact an FBI-Approved Channeler, who will provide you with detailed step-by-step instructions and with a fingerprint card. Once you receive the results of your Background Check, you should mail it to our office for Apostille processing. If you are currently outside of the United States and require an FBI background check, an FBI approved Channeler will supply you with instructions on how to obtain a digital copy of an FBI Background Check. Once you receive the digital copy, you can email it to our office for Apostille processing.
Obtaining an apostille can be intricate. Avoid leaving this task for inexperienced staff or non-professionals who are not fully aware of the complexities of the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your application may be rejected, and you lose time and money. Make a better choice!
Our experts are available Monday through Saturday from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM. Please call us at 1-770-447-0360 and we will answer all your questions and offer easy to follow detailed instructions.