FBI Background Check From Riyadh: Here's How to Apply in 2026

An FBI background check from Riyadh starts with getting your fingerprints taken on an FBI-accepted fingerprint card, followed by an FBI Identity History Summary request. You can submit the request directly to the FBI or use an FBI-approved channeler, depending on the route available to you.

For applicants in Saudi Arabia, the process does not end when the FBI report arrives. If the document is being submitted to a Saudi employer, government authority, regulator, or immigration body, you may also need authentication, an apostille, and/or an Arabic translation. The exact requirements depend on the organization requesting the report.

Also read: What Is an FBI Background Check? Complete Guide to the Identity History Summary

Saudi Arabia has a completely separate biometric and criminal-record system. Here’s how it’s different from the FBI.

If an employer, ministry, or foreign immigration authority asks specifically for your US record, an Absher Criminal Record Check does not substitute for it. Read the request carefully before assuming one covers the other.

No. The FBI's Identity History Summary process is handled by the FBI, not by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh.

The embassy and consulates are not a substitute for an FBI fingerprinting provider or an FBI Identity History Summary request. Applicants in Riyadh therefore need to arrange the fingerprinting and FBI submission separately.

The U.S. Department of State also states that U.S. embassies and consulates in Saudi Arabia cannot authenticate U.S. legal documents.

1. Get Your FBI Fingerprints in Riyadh

For most applicants, fingerprinting is the part of the FBI background-check process that happens locally.

If you are submitting a mailed FBI Identity History Summary request, the FBI requires a current fingerprint card. The Bureau says fingerprints can be taken by a local law-enforcement agency or by some private fingerprinting companies.

That means you do not have to travel to the United States simply to have your fingerprints taken.

FD-258 vs. FD-1164: Which FBI Fingerprint Card Do You Need?

Both FD-258 and FD-1164 can be used for an FBI Identity History Summary request when completed according to FBI requirements. FD-258 is the familiar standard fingerprint card, while FD-1164 is the FBI's downloadable fingerprint form that can be printed on standard white paper.

The important point is not simply the card number. The fingerprint impressions and identifying information must be completed correctly, and the FBI requires a current fingerprint card for each request. If you're getting fingerprints in Riyadh, confirm which card your receiving authority or fingerprinting provider expects before the appointment.

Your Fingerprinting Options in Riyadh

For international background checks, you have three options in Riyadh:

• General Directorate of Criminal Evidence (Al Malaz): The official government fingerprinting office. You may need to bring your own fingerprint card and an embassy letter attested by Saudi MOFA.
• Local police stations: Some stations may handle international fingerprint cards, but availability and authorized staff can vary, so confirm before visiting.
• Private fingerprinting providers: Licensed providers can be more convenient and may offer mobile fingerprinting, card availability, and flexible appointments.

For the detailed requirements, locations, and preparation steps, see our guide to fingerprinting services in Riyadh.

2. Submit your request to the FBI

You have two ways to submit your Identity History Summary request to the FBI:

• Direct submission to the FBI's CJIS Division by mail, along with the application form and fee. You can also apply through the eDO portal online, but fingerprints need to be sent through mail only.
• A Private FBI Submission Coordinator - a private company contracted to submit fingerprint data to the FBI electronically on your behalf.

For anyone applying from Riyadh, a private submission coordinator can be a helpful route. Mailing a physical fingerprint card internationally to the US, waiting for FBI processing, then having the result mailed back internationally, adds weeks.

3. Receive your Identity History Summary

The FBI processes requests in the order received and doesn't offer expedited service, so speed largely comes down to how you submit, not how urgently you need it.

4. Apostille through the Department of State

Submit the completed Identity History Summary to the Office of Authentications using the current request form, along with the applicable fee. If you're managing this yourself from Riyadh, this is the step most likely to require a US-based intermediary, since you can't walk into a Sterling, VA office from Saudi Arabia.

5. Confirm whether Arabic translation is needed

The Identity History Summary is issued in English. Arabic translation requirement and whether that translation needs its own certification or attestation depends entirely on the receiving Saudi authority.

6. Submit to the requesting Saudi authority

Once apostilled (and translated, if needed), the document goes to whoever originally requested it - an employer, a ministry, a licensing body, or an immigration file.

The FBI Identity History Summary currently costs $18 per request, whether you apply electronically or by mail. For a mailed request, the FBI accepts a credit card payment form, money order, or certified check; cash and personal or business checks are not accepted.

What Are the Three FBI Payment Options?

The FBI does not accept cash or personal/business checks for Identity History Summary requests.

Can I Pay for My FBI Background Check From Riyadh in Saudi Riyals?

The FBI's own fee is charged in U.S. dollars, so a direct FBI request does not use a Saudi-riyal payment option. If you use a service provider instead, the provider may offer a local-currency payment option separate from the FBI's $18 government fee.

Globeia’s Payment Options in Riyadh

Globeia offers an alternative for applicants who prefer to pay for their fingerprinting or document service online rather than managing U.S.-dollar payment paperwork themselves. Applicants can pay online using credit or debit cards or PayPal, with the service amount presented in the applicable local currency.

Globeia's service payment is separate from the FBI's $18 government processing fee. If you choose Globeia's FBI submission support through Globeia Inc. in the USA, the applicable service charges cover Globeia's services, plus the FBI fee associated with the Identity History Summary request.

The total timeline depends on how your fingerprints are submitted to the FBI and whether the final report needs authentication, an apostille, or translation.

The FBI does not offer expedited processing. Electronic requests may be processed faster upon receipt than mailed requests, but the FBI does not guarantee a fixed turnaround time for every applicant.

The authentication stage can add a lot of time. The U.S. Department of State currently lists mail processing for authentication requests as 5+ weeks, while eligible walk-in submissions may be processed in seven business days. These processing times can change, so check the Department of State's current guidance before planning around a deadline.

Globeia Inc.’s proximity to the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. allows us to securely walk your FBI background check to the office.

Where Riyadh applicants may lose time

Waiting until the visa or Iqama deadline is close before starting. Given how many independent stages are involved, such as Riyadh fingerprinting, US-based FBI processing, Washington-based apostille, possible translation, this isn't a document you can rush at the last minute.

Also read: How Long Does an FBI Background Check Take: Processing Times Explained

An FBI Identity History Summary may need an apostille for use in Saudi Arabia, but it depends on the Saudi authority requesting the document. Saudi Arabia has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since December 7, 2022, so an apostille can be used for submission to other Hague Convention countries.

Do I need Notarization for My FBI Background Check?

You do not need to notarize the original FBI report before requesting an apostille. The Department of State specifically instructs applicants not to notarize the original federal document. If a translation is required, the translation may have separate notarization requirements depending on the country of use.

Important: An apostille does not automatically guarantee acceptance by a Saudi employer, ministry, regulator, or other recipient. The receiving authority can still set requirements for document age, translation, format, or additional supporting documents. Confirm those requirements before sending the FBI report for authentication.

How Globeia Can Help With Your FBI Background Check From Riyadh

Coordinating fingerprinting in Riyadh, FBI processing in the US, and an apostille through a Washington-area office isn't something most applicants want to manage across three time zones on their own. Globeia handles this as one connected process rather than separate tasks.

1. Fingerprinting done right the first time. Our team in Riyadh takes your prints on an FBI-compliant card, at our location or yours, and checks them on the spot.
2. FBI direct submission through Globeia Inc. Globeia submits your fingerprints to the FBI. Our estimated turnaround is 1–3 days for US citizens and 2–3 weeks for non-US citizens, once your fingerprints are received.
3. A physical presence near the Department of State. Since Globeia Inc. operates close to the Office of Authentications in the Washington, D.C. area, we can walk your Identity History Summary in for apostille processing rather than relying solely on the mail-in route, which currently runs 5+ weeks on its own.
4. Arabic translation, only when it's actually required. We confirm with your specific receiving authority whether translation is needed before adding it to your process, rather than assuming it every time.
5. One point of contact for the whole file. From your first fingerprinting appointment in Riyadh to a translated, apostilled document ready for your Saudi employer or ministry, you're working with a single team rather than separate providers.

Contact Globeia to get your FBI background check handled correctly, without leaving Riyadh.

Once your FBI background check has gone through any required authentication, legalization, and translation stages, the final document can be submitted to the organization that requested it.

That could be:

• An employer
• A government ministry
• A professional regulator
• An immigration or residency authority
• A licensing body
• Another organization with a specific background-check requirement

Check the document's age before you start

There is no single universal FBI rule that says every Saudi application accepts an FBI report for exactly three, four, or six months.

That is why the common “three-to-six-month rule” should not be treated as a universal FBI rule.

If your employer or ministry says the police clearance must be recent, use that requirement to plan when to order your FBI report.

By the time your apostilled Identity History Summary reaches Saudi Arabia, it has passed through an FBI office in West Virginia, the U.S. Department of State's authentication process, and finally the authority requesting it in Riyadh. Three stages, two countries, one document. It may seem like a lot of machinery for a background check, but each stage serves a different purpose: the FBI verifies the record, the federal authentication confirms the document's authenticity, and the Saudi recipient decides whether it meets its requirements.