How Do You Get an FBI Background Check from Malaysia?

An FBI background check from Malaysia may be required when an employer, immigration authority, licensing body, university, or legal organisation wants information about your criminal record history in the United States.

You do not need to travel to the US to get one. Your fingerprints can be collected on an FD-258 or FD-1164 card while you are living in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor, Sabah, Sarawak, or another part of Malaysia. The completed card is then submitted through the selected application route for processing by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division.

This blog explains each stage, including the required fingerprint cards, documents, local collection options, submission routes, and common mistakes.

Fingerprinting for FBI background check from Malaysia applications begins with understanding what the document is, what it covers, and which forms are required. Once these basics are clear, you can decide where to get fingerprinted and how to begin the process.

What Information May Appear in the FBI Report?

An FBI Identity History Summary may include:

• Arrest information linked to your fingerprints
• Criminal charges reported after an arrest
• Case outcomes or court dispositions
• Convictions, acquittals, dismissals, or sentencing details
• Information submitted by federal, state, local, tribal, and certain foreign criminal justice agencies

The report only reflects information that participating agencies have submitted or made available to the FBI. Some state repositories may hold additional or more recent records. Therefore, an employer, licensing board, or immigration authority may separately request a state-level background check for a particular US state.

There are two practical ways to apply:

Option 1: Apply Directly to the FBI Yourself

Applying independently can work well when you are comfortable completing the forms, arranging fingerprinting in Malaysia, and mailing the original card to the United States.

Within the direct FBI route, you can either start the request online through the eDO portal or send the complete application by mail.

1. Arrange the Correct Fingerprint Card

You need a fresh FD-258 or FD-1164 fingerprint card. You can download and print:

• FD-1164 Identity History Summary fingerprint form
• FD-258 Applicant Fingerprint Card

The downloaded FD-1164 can be printed on standard white paper. However, a police unit or private fingerprinting provider may prefer card stock. Applicants using the Bukit Aman fingerprinting route should print and bring an FD-258 card.

The completed card should include:

• Your full legal name
• Date and place of birth
• Citizenship, sex, race, height, weight, eye colour, and hair colour
• Current address
• Date fingerprinted
• Your signature
• Collector’s details
• Ten individually rolled fingerprints
• Flat impressions of both thumbs and the four fingers of each hand

Use the same name format that appears on your passport and FBI application.

2. Choose Where to Get Fingerprinted in Malaysia

Choice I: Royal Malaysia Police Headquarters at Bukit Aman

General fingerprinting is not available at the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Applicants can instead contact the Fingerprint Unit at the Royal Malaysia Police headquarters in Bukit Aman.

The currently published details are:

Location:

Fingerprint Unit, Fourth Floor, Tower 2

Listed hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Enter through Gate A, bring a separate photo ID for the visitor badge, and keep your passport available for fingerprint verification. You should also bring the fingerprint card and the letter or email explaining why the FBI check is required. Confirm the current access arrangements, hours, and fee before travelling.

Choice II: A Private or Mobile Fingerprinting Provider

You may also use an experienced private provider. Some providers operate from an office, while mobile services may visit your home, office, hotel, or condominium where coverage is available.

Before booking, confirm that the provider:

• Works with FD-258/FD-1164 cards
• Takes both rolled and flat impressions
• Checks each fingerprint for ridge clarity
• Completes and signs the collector section
• Provides the card or requires you to bring it
• Offers collection only or also supports submission

Visa biometric centres should not be treated as FBI fingerprint-card providers. Their fingerprints are normally collected for a specific immigration application and cannot simply be transferred to your FBI request.

3. Check the Fingerprint Card before Mailing It

Do not leave the appointment until you have checked:

• All ten rolled fingerprints are present
• Flat thumb and four-finger impressions are included
• Fingers appear in the correct order
• No print is heavily smudged, overly dark, or incomplete
• Your personal details match the application
• Your signature and the fingerprint collector’s details are present

The FBI requires a current fingerprint card and does not return the submitted card. If your fingerprints are repeatedly rejected, have multiple sets taken, preferably by a fingerprinting technician, and mail all sets with the request.

4. Send Your Documents to the FBI

Route A: Apply Through the FBI eDO Portal

For applicants in Malaysia, the electronic request is usually the more convenient direct option because you complete the application and payment online and receive the result electronically. However, you must still physically mail the fingerprint card from Malaysia.

1. Open the Official eDO Portal

Open the official FBI eDO portal and choose the service for obtaining your Identity History Summary.

First, provide a valid email address. The portal sends a secure link and PIN that allow you to access the request form.

2. Enter Your Personal Information

After opening the secure link:

• Read and accept the Privacy Act statement.
• Enter your name exactly as you want it to appear on the FBI response.
• Add your date and place of birth.
• Enter your citizenship and country of residence.
• Provide your Malaysian mailing address.
• Enter your telephone number and email address.
• Add any prisoner number only if applicable.
• Enter your Social Security number or its last four digits if you choose to provide it.

The Social Security number field is optional, but the other required identity and contact fields must be completed. The name on the final response will match the name entered in the electronic request.

3. Select Your Delivery Preferences

During the online request, choose whether you want email status notifications.

4. Pay the FBI Fee Online

The official FBI fee is US$18 per request.

Complete the online payment through the portal. Another person may pay on your behalf by entering their payment information during the request.

Save:

• Payment receipt
• Request confirmation
• Secure-link email
• PIN
• Order or transaction reference
• Fingerprint mailing instructions

5. Mail the Physical Fingerprint Card

Because your fingerprints are being collected in Malaysia, the participating US Post Office electronic fingerprint option is not available. Mail the original completed fingerprint card to the address shown in your eDO confirmation.

Use the following CJIS mailing location:

FBI CJIS Division

Follow the exact attention line or mailing label generated by the eDO portal. Include the confirmation page or reference requested by the portal so the FBI can match the card to your electronic request.

Use a tracked international courier and keep a scanned copy of the card before dispatch.

Completing the eDO form alone does not start the fingerprint search. Processing begins after the FBI receives your completed fingerprint card and matches it to the electronic request.

Route B: Apply Entirely by Mail

You can also submit the application, fingerprint card, and payment together as one physical package.

1. Complete the Request Form

Download and complete the current Identity History Summary Request Form, Form 1-783.

Complete all required fields, including:

• Full name
• Date and place of birth
• Citizenship
• Country of residence
• Race and sex
• Malaysian mailing address
• Email and phone number
• Payment method

Sign and date the form. Each adult applicant needs a separate signed request, fingerprint card, and US$18 fee.

2. Choose a Payment Method

For a mailed request, the FBI accepts:

• Credit card: Complete and sign the official Credit Card Payment Form.
• Certified check: It must be for the exact amount and payable to the Treasury of the United States.
• Money order: It must also be payable to the Treasury of the United States.

The FBI does not accept cash, personal checks, or business checks. The fee is US$18 for each request.

For most applicants in Malaysia, the credit card form may be more practical than arranging a US-dollar certified check or money order. Confirm that your card permits international transactions and enter the billing address exactly as registered with the card issuer.

3. Prepare the Mailing Package

Your package should contain:

• Signed Form 1-783
• Completed FD-258/FD-1164 fingerprint card
• Credit card payment form, certified check, or money order
• Contact details in case the FBI needs to reach you

Do not send original passports or unnecessary identity documents unless the FBI specifically requests them.

Mail the package to:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request

Use tracked international delivery. The FBI does not accept a self-addressed stamped return envelope for this process.

You have already seen how many separate steps are involved when applying on your own. An incorrect form, unclear fingerprint, missing detail, or wrong submission route can lead to delays, resubmission, or rejection.

If you are working against a deadline and want the process to remain organised from fingerprinting to result delivery, Globeia can coordinate the application for you.

With more than 10 years of international fingerprinting experience, Globeia has supported over 30,000 applicants across more than 50 countries. The FBI still processes and issues the Identity History Summary independently, while Globeia coordinates the supporting application and submission stages.

Note: Globeia does not issue the FBI background check and is not an FBI-accredited channeler. The FBI independently processes and issues the official Identity History Summary.

An FBI Identity History Summary already carries an FBI watermark and an authorised official’s signature. However, a Malaysian employer, regulator, immigration authority, or other receiving body may ask for further authentication.

Malaysia is not listed as a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Therefore, when formal validation is required, an FBI report may need a US authentication certificate followed by Malaysian consular legalisation or further endorsement, depending on the receiving authority’s instructions. Confirm the exact requirement before proceeding.

Globeia can coordinate document review, US authentication, embassy legalisation, translation, and international delivery.

Note: Globeia manages the submission process but does not issue government authentications or legalisations.

Getting an FBI background check from Malaysia does not require a trip to the United States, but it does require more than visiting a general biometric centre. You need the correct FBI card, clear rolled and flat fingerprints, consistent identity information, an accepted US submission route, and enough time for international delivery.

Applicants in or near Kuala Lumpur may consider the Bukit Aman fingerprinting route, while those managing work, family, or travel commitments may prefer a confirmed mobile appointment.

If a home or office visit fits your schedule better, Globeia can arrange mobile fingerprinting in Malaysia through a trained associate who collects and reviews your prints locally before the card is mailed to the USA.

You can also review how to prepare for a mobile fingerprinting appointment before booking.