How to Get an FBI Apostille in Spain: The Complete Guide

When you are about to use your FBI background check internationally, such as in Spain, it is important to make sure that it is properly legalized with an FBI apostille to be recognized overseas. The apostille certifies the document as official for individuals that are Hague Apostille Convention signatories (including Spain).

This blog sets out everything you need to know from A to Z, for obtaining an FBI background check apostille for Spain, including how to go about the process step by step, necessary tools, and important dos/don'ts. Whether you are using it for employment, immigration, or other legal purposes, this guide will help you get through the process and help avoid pitfalls.  

An FBI apostille is the certification that verifies the FBI background check for use in foreign countries. It certifies that it is an official US document published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and legal around the world under the Hague Convention of 1961. The apostille includes a stamp or certificate; once this certificate is attached, Spain and other member countries of the Hague Convention will accept it as a valid, authenticated document.

Difference Between Apostille and Notarization

People often confuse the two, but they serve completely different purposes.

An FBI background check should never be notarized, at any stage of this process. Notarizing it does not add any legal value for Spain, and it will not help the document get accepted faster.

In fact, having it notarized before sending it for the apostille can cause delays or an outright rejection from the Department of State. The report should go directly from the FBI to the apostille process, with nothing done to it in between.

Learn More Here FBI Background Check Apostille: Do You Really Need Notarization?

Complete FBI Apostille Process From Spain

The primary groups driving demand for FBI apostille services in Spain include:

• Retirees and High-Net-Worth Individuals (Non-Lucrative Visa Applicants): Financially independent Americans moving to Spain without working locally.
• Remote Workers / Freelancers (Digital Nomad Visa Applicants): Tech workers, consultants, and contractors working for US companies who want tax-advantaged living in Spain.
• Language Assistants and Exchange Teachers (NALCAP / Auxiliares de Conversación): Young professionals and college grads living in Spain on student/teaching visas.
• Long-Term Students or Researchers: US students enrolling in Spanish master's programs, study abroad programs, or PhD tracks. Any study stay exceeding 180 days mandates a background check with an apostille.
• Expats Applying for Spanish Citizenship, Golden Visas, or Marriage/Pareja de Hecho: US expats living in Spain who are legalizing their status, marrying a Spanish/EU citizen, or adjusting status through residency.

Read About Retiring in Spain as an American: The Complete Visa Types, Document Apostille Checklist

Now let's slow down and go through each part of this process in detail, so you know exactly what to do at every stage.

Step 1: Request Your FBI Background Check

Get fingerprinted in Spain

You cannot get fingerprinted at a US embassy or consulate in Spain for this purpose. They stopped offering this service, so you will need another option.

You can visit a local police station in Spain and ask if they can take your fingerprints on FD-258 or FD-1164 cards. Many stations will do this even without a formal letter. Or you can use a private fingerprinting service in Spain that specializes in this and already knows the FBI's requirements.

Submit your documents to the FBI

• Go to the FBI's own online request portal and fill out the form for an Identity History Summary.
• Pay the fee, which is $18 USD if you apply directly through the FBI.
• Print the confirmation page once your online request is complete.
• Mail your fingerprint card along with this confirmation page to the FBI's CJIS Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
• Receive your PDF
• Once it is ready, you will get an email with a PIN. Use this PIN to log back into the portal and download your report as a PDF. Keep this PDF file safe, since you will need to print it for the apostille step.

To learn more about how to get an FBI Background Check in Spain, read our complete guide here!

Step 2: Fill Out Form DS-4194

Once you have your FBI background check, the next step is filling out Form DS-4194, officially called the Request for Authentications Service. This form tells the Department of State exactly what you need.

Fill in every field completely. List Spain as the country where the document will be used. This matters because it tells them you need an apostille, not a different type of certificate. If a section does not apply to you, such as naming a representative to pick up the document, write N/A instead of leaving it empty.

You can download this form directly from the Department of State's website and print it at home.

Step 3: Prepare Documents and Submit for the Federal Apostille

This what your package should include:

• Your completed Form DS-4194
• Your original FBI Identity History Summary report.
• Payment of $20 USD per document. If mailing, this must be a check or money order made out to the US Department of State. Cash and credit card details are not accepted by mail.
• A self-addressed, prepaid envelope so your document can be mailed back to you. You need to attach the postage yourself, using USPS or UPS.

Once your package is ready, mail everything together to:

Office of Authentications

Step 4: Spanish Sworn Translation

Once your FBI background check has the apostille attached, it is still not ready to hand in. Spain will not accept it in English, even with the apostille on it. It needs to be turned into Spanish by a sworn translator, and this step is not optional at any consulate or office in Spain.

A sworn translator, called a traductor jurado, is someone officially appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, known as MAEC. Only translations done by someone on this list carry any legal weight in Spain.

Also Read Sworn Translation in Spain: Make Your Documents Legally Accepted Without Hassle

Where to Find MAEC-Registered Sworn Translators in Spain

The MAEC website has an official search tool where you can look up sworn translators by language and by province. You simply search for English as the language, and the tool gives you a list of names along with contact details such as email and phone number.

You can search for translators here.

A few independent websites also list these same translators in an easier to search format, but the safest way is always to check the name against the official MAEC search tool first.

Many sworn translators now work entirely online, so you do not need to live near them. You can send them a scanned copy of your apostilled report and receive the sworn translation by email.

What it Should Cost

For a short document like an apostilled FBI background check, expect to pay somewhere between 35 to 60 euros per page. Most translators charge by the page rather than by the word for a document this short, so get a fixed quote before you send anything over.

What the Final Document Should Include

Once you get your translation back, check that it has all of the following before you consider it done:

• The sworn translator's official seal and signature on every page.
• A certification statement from the translator confirming that the translation is a true and complete version of the original.
• The translator's official MAEC registration number, so anyone checking can confirm they are authorized.
• A translation of the apostille itself, not just the FBI report.
• A copy of your original apostilled document attached to the translation, with each page stamped by the translator.

Once your package is ready, you actually have three different ways to get it to the Office of Authentications.

Option 1: DIY By Mail (Current Processing Time: 6 to 8+ weeks)

You prepare the package yourself and mail it directly to the Office of Authentications in Sterling, Virginia. This route works well if you are applying well ahead of your consulate appointment and are not in a hurry. The only downside is the turnaround time, which is currently at 6 to 8 weeks. And the fact that any small mistake in your paperwork can send it back and cost you even more time.

Option 2: In Person Drop Off (Current Processing Time: 2 to 3 weeks)

Instead of mailing your documents, someone can walk them into the Office of Authentications in Washington, DC in person. This can be you, a friend, a family member, or anyone you trust with your documents. This is a good option if you have someone based in or near Washington, DC, or if you are visiting the US yourself before your Spain application is due.

You still need to bring the same paperwork as the mail-in option, including Form DS-4194, the original FBI background check, and payment.

Option 3: Professional Apostille Services (Expedited Processing: 7 to 10 days)

If you do not have anyone in Washington, DC and cannot wait five weeks, you can hire a company that specializes in this. These companies are based in the DC area and hand deliver documents on your behalf.

They handle the paperwork for you, including filling out Form DS-4194 correctly, which lowers the chance of rejection due to a mistake. Most of these services will also ship the apostilled document straight to you in Spain, so you do not need a US address to receive it.

At some point in this process, most people realize they cannot manage it alone. You are trying to coordinate fingerprinting in Spain, an office in Washington, DC that is thousands of miles away, and a sworn translator, all while living in a different time zone. This is usually the point where people start looking for professional apostille services instead.

Where to Look

Most apostille service providers working with Americans in Spain are based around, or have a strong client base in, a handful of major cities:

• Madrid
• Barcelona
• Valencia
• Malaga
• Alicante
• Marbella and the Costa del Sol

Plenty of these companies work entirely online and do not have a physical office you ever need to visit. If you search something like "FBI apostille near me" or "FBI apostille service Spain," you will find a mix of both, local offices in these cities and fully remote services that just ship documents to your address in Spain.

For most people, working with an online service is actually simpler. You send a scanned copy or the original report by mail, they handle the apostille and translation, and everything gets shipped back to your address in Spain.

How to Make Sure a Service Is Reliable

• Ask whether they submit your document directly to the Office of Authentications themselves, or whether they outsource this step to someone else. Direct handling usually means fewer delays.
• Ask for the name of the sworn translator they work with, and check that name yourself against the official MAEC search tool. A reliable company will not hesitate to share this.
• Look for reviews that specifically mention Spain visa applications, rather than generic five star reviews with no real detail.
• Get a full, itemized price before you commit. A trustworthy service will tell you exactly what you are paying for, including the government fee, their service fee, and shipping, rather than a vague quote.
• Get your turnaround time in writing, especially if you are working against a consulate appointment date.
• Check that they offer tracked international shipping to Spain, so you always know where your original documents are.

A good apostille service should feel transparent from the first message. If a company is vague about pricing, timelines, or who is actually handling your documents, treat that as a warning sign and keep looking.

Most Spanish consulates and immigration offices treat your FBI background check as valid for 90 days from the date the FBI issued it, not from the date of the apostille or the translation.

This 90 day clock is the standard used for the Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, and most other residency routes. It is one of the stricter validity windows compared to other countries, so it leaves very little room for delays.

The clock starts on the date printed on your FBI background check, not the date you requested it or the date you received the apostille. So, even if your apostille and translation are done quickly, the underlying FBI report still needs to fall within this 90 day window on the day you submit your application.

How to Manage Your Timeline From Your Consulate Appointment Date

The easiest way to avoid a timing mistake is to work backward from your appointment date, rather than forward from today. 

A worked example

Say your consulate appointment is on October 15.

• You would want your fingerprinting done and your FBI request submitted by around late July, roughly 11 weeks earlier.
• Your FBI report should arrive sometime in August, which also starts your 90 day countdown.
• From there, send it for the apostille right away, whether by mail, drop off, or a professional service, so it comes back with enough time left on the clock.
• Your sworn translation should be finished by around October 8, giving you a few days of buffer before your appointment.

Working backward like this does two things at once. It protects you from missing your appointment, and it stops your FBI background check from expiring while it is still sitting in someone's processing queue.

By now, it should be clear that this process has a lot of moving parts. Choosing a reliable provider can make a significant difference in getting your FBI background check apostilled for Spain efficiently. Globeia is one example of a service designed to simplify the entire process:

Convenient Mobile Fingerprinting Services

Instead of you traveling to find a police station or a fingerprinting office, Globeia brings the service to you. Associates travel to your location, including areas outside major cities, carrying FD-258 or FD-1164 cards and the equipment needed to capture your fingerprints properly.

You can book your fingerprinting appointment in Spain here.

FBI Background Check Support

Once your fingerprints are captured, Globeia can help move them forward. Your fingerprint cards can be couriered on your behalf to Globeia's US office, or if you have already been fingerprinted elsewhere, you can courier your existing cards there yourself. From there, the team processes your documents and submits them to the FBI on your behalf.

Expedited FBI Apostille Services

Globeia's US office sits just a few blocks from the US Department of State's Office of Authentications in Washington, DC. This means the team can physically drop off your FBI background check instead of relying on the mail queue. With expedited service, processing time can be cut down to around 10 business days.

Ready to get your FBI Apostille in Spain? Begin your application now!

Sworn Translations into Spanish and More

Once your document is apostilled, Globeia also handles the translation step. You are connected with sworn translators registered with MAEC, so your translation carries full legal validity in Spain. Translations are also available in more than 50 other official languages, which helps if you need your documents for a different country as well.

End-to-End Document Tracking

Handing your documents to someone else does not mean losing sight of them. Globeia's online portal lets you track your documents from the very first step through to final delivery, alongside regular status updates and notifications along the way.

Completely Remote and Paperless Experience

The entire process is built so you never have to print, mail, or visit anywhere in person. You can book everything together as one bundle, fingerprinting, FBI submission, apostille, and translation, or choose individual services depending on what you actually need. Booking takes just a few minutes through the online portal, so you can start the whole process from your phone or laptop without leaving home.

Comparison of DIY and Third-Party Services like Globeia

You can also read our complete guide on How to Apostille US Documents for Spain

You are in control of how you get your FBI Apostille services in Spain. You can go through the U.S. department of State processes itself, utilize a channeler, or hire a third-party service. The DIY or channeler process may be cost effective. However, many applicants hire a third-party provider, such as Globeia, to get the full service, this means hiring a provider that will handle the entire process, including FBI submission, apostille authentication, mobile fingerprinting, and sworn translation.

This avoids errors, saves time, tracks secure delivery, and gets the FBI background check authenticated to Spanish authorities, all without travelling to multiple offices around the State Department. By understanding the process, having the right tools, and being mindful to hire a reputable service, you can get your FBI background check apostilled with confidence.