How to Get an FBI background Check for Philippines with Apostille

One expensive mistake Filipino applicants make is believing the FBI background check is the last document they'll need. Often, it isn't. What many discover only after receiving their report is that it still cannot be used internationally until it has been authenticated in the United States, not in the Philippines.

This blog explains how Filipino applicants can get the FBI background check apostille from Philippines.

An FBI background check may need authentication because it is a U.S.-issued document being used outside the United States. The authentication step confirms that the document is genuine and was issued by the proper U.S. authority.

The reason this matters is that countries generally do not automatically accept foreign government documents without verification. The Hague Apostille Convention created a simplified process for this purpose, allowing participating countries to recognise public documents through an apostille. This eliminated the need for a longer legalisation process.

For FBI background checks, the Apostille confirms the authenticity of the U.S. official signature, seal, or certification attached to the document. It does not verify the information inside your FBI Identity History Summary or change the results of your background check.

The process is therefore:

Each step depends on the previous one, so delays early in the process can affect your overall timeline.

The need for an apostilled FBI report depends on the authority handling your application.

Important: Always follow the document checklist issued by the receiving authority. While an FBI background check may be required if you've lived in the United States, the authority ultimately decides whether an Apostille, certified translation, or a recently issued report is also necessary.

The FBI does not accept digital biometrics from Philippine NBI Clearance channels or local police databases. You need to get fingerprinted on the correct FD-258/FD-1164 forms.

This also requires the correct ink-rolling technique. Flat impressions won’t work here because the FBI compares rolled fingerprints against its criminal history database using the unique ridge patterns captured across the full fingerprint. Each finger must be rolled from one side of the nail to the other to capture the complete ridge detail.

Applicants in the Philippines usually complete this step through one of the following options:

The card should be duly filled, with clear impressions, accurate personal information, and the required signature or certification from the person capturing the fingerprints. Once your fingerprints are complete, the next step is getting them to the FBI for processing.

Now, some applicants may ask “What If I already have my fingerprints?”. To answer that, if your fingerprints are FBI-compliant and captured on the correct cards, then you don’t need another set. Just follow the next steps for submission and receive your FBI report. 

Once your FD-258/FD-1164 card is complete, it must reach the FBI. There are two main routes to submit your FBI background check application from the Philippines.

FBI Fingerprint Submission from Philippines: Route 1

The first is direct mail to the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Now, there are two ways of mailing that:

FBI Fingerprint Submission from Philippines: Route 2

The second route is a third-party submission coordinator.

1. You send your physical fingerprint card at their U.S. address and they submit them to the FBI’s office in West Virginia.
2. The result is delivered as an official PDF or first class mail, depending on the method you chose. If you need an apostille, a physical copy of the report may be required.

Coordinators like Globeia also offer additional services, and can also handle the apostille step on your behalf. For Filipino applicants who need both the FBI report and the apostille within a reasonable timeframe, this path is almost always the better choice.

If you were thinking of going to the Philippine DFA or the U.S. Embassy in Manila, stop here. They are not authorized to apostille a U.S. document. The sole competent authority for an FBI background check is the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Sterling, Virginia.

It is the legal structure of the Apostille Convention. The apostille must come from the country that issued the document, and then too from the relevant authority, in this case, Office of Authentications. Here’s a quick comparison:

Getting a FBI background check apostille from Philippines leaves you with two practical routes.

The DIY Route

The first question many applicants ask is, “Can I handle the process myself?”. Yes. Filipino applicants can complete the entire FBI Apostille process themselves. But it requires coordinating multiple organisations across two countries.

1. Mail a printed copy of your FBI report, together with Form DS-4194, the current fee, and a prepaid return courier envelope, to the Office of Authentications.
2. The fee must be paid in U.S. dollars, usually by money order or a check drawn on a U.S. bank. Arranging such payment from the Philippines is a common hurdle.
3. You must also set up a return courier label that works from the U.S. back to your Philippine address. DHL and FedEx offer this, but the process is unfamiliar to most individual applicants.

The total time for DIY apostille, including mail both ways and government processing, often stretches to 8 weeks or longer.

The Apostille Service Route

Here, you don’t need to worry about the logistics like you need to in the DIY route. Certain private providers operating in the Philippines coordinate apostille Services for FBI background checks.

You pay one fee and one point of contact handles the entire chain. For someone managing a work schedule or a tight application deadline, this route can be a convenient way to manage all the requirements through one coordinator.

Choosing to coordinate each stage separately means you're the one calling a courier in Manila, tracking a payment to West Virginia, and hoping the return label you printed actually works. Globeia consolidates those stages so you aren't left managing multiple different parts of the process. The full path, from a fingerprinting appointment in your living room to the receipt of an apostilled certificate, runs through one coordinated system.

Step 1: Mobile Fingerprinting at Your Location in the Philippines

A trained fingerprinting associate comes to your home or office in the Philippines and captures your prints on the official FBI FD-258 or FD-1164 card. Every impression is quality-checked on the spot for clarity and completeness.

If you want a fingerprint only service, we’ll return your fingerprint card along with a Letter of Identity Verification (a Globeia-issued document). But if you want a full service package, we will take care of the next steps.

Step 2: FBI Background Check Submission

Your completed fingerprint cards are securely mailed to Globeia Inc. in the United States. The U.S.-based team prepares and submits your Identity History Summary request directly to the FBI, monitors the application, and receives your official report.

You don’t track courier envelopes or wait for a physical letter to arrive at a Philippine mailbox. The progress of your application can be tracked through our SmartPortal in real time.

Step 3: Apostille by the U.S. Department of State

Once the FBI report is issued, Globeia prepares the apostille application and submits it to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. Because Globeia’s U.S. office is located next to the Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C., submissions are made in person rather than through the standard mail-in queue. This removes the delays associated with standard mail-in submission and provides a more predictable processing timeline.

Step 4: Tracked Delivery of Your Apostilled Document Back to the Philippines

After the apostille is attached, the completed FBI background check is dispatched to your Philippine address via a tracked international courier. The document arrives ready for submission to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, PRC, a local employer, or whichever authority requested it.

With one point of coordination, the full chain moves forward without requiring you to manage U.S. money orders, print return courier labels, or contact multiple service desks.

Already Have an FBI Identity History Summary?

If you’ve already completed fingerprinting and received your FBI report but need the apostille, Globeia can step in at that stage. We can handle the apostille application, the U.S. Department of State submission, and the courier returns back to the Philippines.

DIY vs Coordinated Service

Yes. An Apostille authenticates your FBI Identity History Summary, but it does not guarantee that the receiving authority will accept the document. Immigration offices, employers, licensing bodies, and government agencies can still reject an apostilled FBI background check if it does not meet their specific requirements.

Here are some of the most common reasons:

• The FBI background check is too old.
• An Apostille wasn't required or the wrong authentication was obtained.
• The wrong document was submitted.
• Translation requirements weren't met.
• The document package is incomplete.

Remember: An Apostille confirms that your FBI background check is an authentic U.S. public document. It does not certify that the document is suitable for every application. The final decision always rests with the authority requesting the document.

The total cost depends on whether you complete the process yourself or use a coordinated service. In addition to the FBI and Apostille fees, you'll also need to budget for fingerprinting and international courier charges.

Note: These are estimated costs as of 2026 and are intended as a budgeting guide. Actual fees may vary depending on your location in the Philippines, the courier you choose, and any additional services you require.

When your apostilled FBI background check finally arrives, you might be surprised by how ordinary it looks. It’s simply your FBI report with an additional page attached - a certificate bearing an official seal, signature, and authentication details. Yet that single page is what the entire cross-border process was about. It confirms one thing only: that the document came from the proper U.S. authority.

And that's exactly how the Apostille system is designed to work. Once the authentication is in place, there’s nothing left to prove. You submit the document, the receiving authority recognises it, and your application can move to the next stage. In the end, the goal isn't an impressive-looking document; it's one that's accepted without question.