FBI Background Check from Vietnam: Where Do You Begin?

You've been told to get an FBI background check. Where do you begin when you're in Vietnam? Most applicants already know what document they need. The problem is understanding how the application works from overseas. Questions about fingerprinting, online versus mail-in applications, processing times, and receiving your completed report often create more confusion than the FBI requirements themselves.

Most applicants are relieved to know that the entire process can be completed from Vietnam. The key is understanding your options before you submit your application.

This blog explains each step, from fingerprinting and application methods to processing times and receiving your FBI Background Check from Vietnam, so you know exactly what to expect.

Before looking at fingerprinting or application methods, it's helpful to understand exactly what you're requesting.

Here's a quick overview.

*Applicants outside the United States cannot use the FBI's electronic fingerprint capture option available at participating U.S. Post Office locations. Instead, they must submit a physical fingerprint card to the FBI.

I’m Not a US Citizen. Does It Matter?

No. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a US citizen or not. The FBI's Identity History Summary is based on whether the FBI maintains records associated with your fingerprints, not your citizenship or nationality. As long as the requesting organisation requires an FBI-issued criminal history record, anyone can apply.

You may be:

• A U.S. citizen living or working in Vietnam.
• A dual citizen.
• A Vietnamese citizen who previously studied, worked, or lived in the United States.
• A former U.S. visa holder.
• A permanent resident (Green Card holder).
• A citizen of another country who previously spent time in the U.S.

In each of these situations, you can request an FBI Identity History Summary if it's required.

Likewise, you don't need a current U.S. address to apply. Applicants living overseas can complete the process from Vietnam and receive their report electronically or by post, depending on the application method they choose.

Many applicants also don't have a U.S. Social Security Number. While providing one can help the FBI distinguish between individuals with similar identifying information, it isn't mandatory for submitting an Identity History Summary request.

Every FBI Identity History Summary begins with the same requirement: a complete set of fingerprints. Applicants in Vietnam generally have different options for obtaining FBI-compliant fingerprints, depending on their nationality, location, and preferred level of assistance.

Option 1: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam directs U.S. citizens who need fingerprints for an FBI Identity History Summary to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Appointments are required, and fingerprinting is available at its offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

You can book an appointment at:

Option 2: Private Fingerprinting Centres

Several private providers across Vietnam also assist applicants who need fingerprints for international background checks.

While these providers aren't affiliated with the FBI, many have experience taking fingerprints for overseas applications, including FBI Identity History Summary requests.

Before making an appointment, it's worth confirming that the provider can:

• complete an FD-258/FBI-1164 fingerprint card; and
• allow you to review the completed fingerprint card before you leave.

Option 3: Mobile Fingerprinting with Globeia

If travelling to a fingerprinting location isn't convenient, Globeia offers a mobile fingerprinting service in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. One of our trained associates can meet you at your home, office, or another agreed location (subject to availability). Your fingerprints are captured on an FBI-compliant FD-258/FBI-1164 fingerprint card and reviewed before moving to the next stage of the application.

This option is preferred by busy professionals, families applying together, or applicants who simply prefer the convenience of completing the appointment at a location of their choice.

Whether you already have your fingerprints or need them taken for the first time, Globeia can also coordinate the remaining stages of your FBI Background Check application. Our USA office, Globeia Inc., handles these requests daily.

How Do You Know if Your Fingerprints Are FBI-Compliant?

The FBI requires a full set of rolled fingerprint impressions on an FD-258 or FD-1164 card. Each finger is rolled from one side to the other to capture the complete fingerprint pattern.

Flat impressions (sometimes called plain impressions) are also included on the fingerprint card for comparison purposes, but they don't replace the rolled impressions.

Before leaving your appointment, it's good practice to check that:

• All ten fingerprints have been captured.
• The impressions appear clear and complete.
• There are no obvious smudges, blank areas, or double impressions.
• Your personal details have been completed accurately.
• The fingerprint card has been signed where required.

The FBI makes the final decision on whether fingerprints are suitable for processing. But reviewing the card before you leave can help identify obvious issues while they can still be corrected.

With your fingerprint card completed, the next decision is how you'll submit your application.

For applicants in Vietnam, there are two common approaches. You can submit the application yourself directly to the FBI, or you can use a submission coordination service that helps manage the administrative stages of the process.

The FBI issues the same Identity History Summary regardless of which option you choose. The difference is who prepares the paperwork, coordinates the submission, and manages everything before and after your fingerprints arrive at the FBI.

Before deciding, it's worth understanding what each approach involves.

Option 1: Apply Directly to the FBI

Applicants who prefer to manage the process independently can submit an Identity History Summary request directly to the FBI.

There are two official application methods.

1. FBI Electronic Departmental Order (eDO)

The FBI's Electronic Departmental Order (eDO) system is the most popular option for many applicants because it allows you to:

1. Complete your application online.
2. Pay the FBI processing fee.
3. Mail your fingerprint cards to the FBI on the correct form.
4. Receive your Identity History Summary electronically once processing is complete (if eligible).

Important: This is not an end-to-end online process. Your fingerprint card still needs to reach the FBI via physical mail. The eDO system doesn't remove the fingerprint requirement or eliminate international document delivery. This means you will still need to arrange for your completed fingerprint card to be sent to the United States from Vietnam after you've submitted your online request.

2. Traditional Mail-in Application

The second option is to submit everything by mail.

Instead of creating an online application, you'll:

1. complete the FBI's Identity History Summary Request Form;
2. prepare your fingerprint card;
3. arrange payment; and
4. send the complete application package directly to the FBI.

Some applicants prefer this method because it doesn't require an online account. Others simply choose it because it better suits their organisation's document requirements.

What You’ll Need for Your Direct Application

Option 2: Use a Submission Coordination Service

Some applicants prefer to have the administrative stages of the application coordinated on their behalf.

This doesn't change how the FBI processes your request. The Identity History Summary is still issued exclusively by the FBI.

What’s different here is just the coordination service focuses on everything leading up to and following the FBI's processing.

Depending on the provider, this may include:

• reviewing your application before submission;
• checking your fingerprint card for obvious issues;
• coordinating payment and supporting documents;
• arranging international courier delivery;
• providing application updates; and

For applicants applying for the first time, working towards a tight deadline, or managing several international documents at once, having those administrative stages coordinated can reduce the burden.

Before you seal the envelope, or click submit, go through this Identity History Summary Request Checklist by the FBI.

For mail-in applications, the FBI accepts the following payment methods:

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

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

• The USD $18 fee is charged per application, not per page or per result.
• Once you receive your electronic Identity History Summary, you may download and print it as needed.
• If you require additional sealed paper copies from the FBI, you'll need to submit a separate request and pay the applicable fee for each additional copy.
• A family member, employer, or submission coordination service may pay the FBI fee on your behalf if they're handling your application.
• If you're unable to pay the application fee, contact the FBI before submitting your request to ask about the current fee waiver process.

Maybe. It depends on who requested your FBI Background Check. From 11 September 2026, Vietnam will officially become part of the Hague Apostille Convention. This means that many foreign public documents, including an FBI Identity History Summary, may be recognised in Vietnam with an apostille instead of going through the longer, traditional legalisation process.

For many applicants, this could make preparing documents for use in Vietnam simpler. But this doesn't mean every FBI Background Check will suddenly need an apostille.

Whether you need one still depends on the organisation requesting your documents. Some employers, universities, immigration authorities, and licensing bodies accept the FBI's electronic report as it is. Others may require a federal apostille before they'll accept it.

The FBI application process also stays exactly the same. You'll still need to obtain your FBI Identity History Summary first. If an apostille is required, that's a separate step completed after the FBI issues your report.

Tip: If you're applying on or after 11 September 2026, check the receiving organisation's latest document requirements before arranging authentication. Their guidance will determine whether your FBI Background Check needs an apostille or can be submitted without one.

When fingerprinting, international shipping, and, in some cases, apostille or translation services all need to be coordinated, it makes more sense to have a single point of contact for all.

Globeia allows you to manage your FBI Background Check through one provider rather than several.

What Does Globeia Coordinate?

Over the past 10 years, Globeia has assisted more than 30,000 applicants across 100+ countries with international documentation. Throughout the process, you'll have a single vendor from your initial application through to the delivery of your completed documents.

Already Have Your Fingerprints?

If your fingerprints have already been captured on an FD-258 or FD-1164 fingerprint card and are clear, legible, and suitable for FBI processing, they can often be used for your application.

Our team can review your fingerprint card before submission to identify any obvious issues. If the prints appear suitable, we'll coordinate the remaining stages of your FBI Background Check, helping you move forward without repeating the fingerprinting process.

You started with a single question: Where do I even begin? Now you know the answer. The decision that remains is whether you'll manage the process yourself or have an experienced team coordinate it from Vietnam to the FBI and back.

Your fingerprints are a unique identifier. They establish your identity, but they don't define what comes next. Whether your FBI Identity History Summary supports a new job, a visa application, professional licensing, or another opportunity, that next chapter belongs to you.

Now it's simply a matter of choosing your route, submitting your application, and allowing the FBI to do what only it can do. With the right preparation, the rest of the process becomes far more manageable.