Getting an FBI Background Check in Bern: Fingerprinting, Apostille and More

If you're a U.S. national or expat living in Bern and you've just been asked to provide an FBI background check, whether for a Swiss residency permit, a visa application abroad, an international job offer, or a citizenship process anywhere in the world, you're not alone.

As Switzerland's federal capital, Bern is home to thousands of international professionals, diplomats, and expats who need to obtain U.S. federal documents from overseas every year.

Whether you need an FBI background check for immigration, employment, adoption, or professional licensing, understanding the process from Bern can be challenging. This blog explains the key requirements, common steps, and practical considerations to help you complete the process smoothly and avoid unnecessary delays.

The FBI Identity History Summary, commonly called an FBI background check, is a federal document issued by the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. It records any criminal history in the U.S. federal database linked to an individual's fingerprints.

It is not the same as a Swiss Strafregisterauszug, which covers Swiss criminal records only. When any authority, Swiss or international, needs to verify your U.S. criminal history, they will ask specifically for this federal document.

A state or city Criminal Record Check from the U.S. is not an acceptable substitute. If you're based in Bern and need an FBI background check in Bern, this is the document you're applying for.

People living in Bern request an FBI background check for a wide range of reasons across different countries and authorities. The most common include:

• Swiss residency permit applicants: US citizens or Green Card holders applying for a B or C residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung / Niederlassungsbewilligung) through the Canton of Bern migration office.
• Swiss naturalization applicants: Individuals with U.S. ties pursuing Swiss citizenship (Einbürgerung) at the cantonal or federal level.
• Employment and work permit holders: Professionals whose Swiss employer or a federal authority requires U.S. criminal clearance as part of onboarding or permit renewal.
• FINRA-regulated financial professionals: Staff at Swiss subsidiaries of U.S. financial firms who need FBI-compliant fingerprinting for U.S. regulatory compliance.
• Family reunification applicants: Families applying under Swiss immigration law (Familiennachzug) where U.S. criminal clearance is required.
• International organization staff: Employees of organizations headquartered in Bern, such as the Universal Postal Union (Weltpoststrasse 4, Bern), that require background checks as part of their vetting process.
• Applicants for residency, employment, or visas in other countries: Bern-based individuals applying to countries such as Canada, Australia, the UAE, or others that require a U.S. federal background check as part of their immigration or employment process.

Note: Short-term tourists and visitors with Schengen visas do not need an FBI background check.

The Official Fingerprinting Location in Bern

The official location for FBI fingerprinting in Bern is the Kantonspolizei Bern, Kriminaltechnischer Dienst / Erkennungsdienstliche Behandlung, located at Genfergasse 22, 3001 Bern. An appointment is required, and the Swiss police charge a fee. The location is a short walk from Bern Hauptbahnhof, making it easy to reach from anywhere in the city.

The police will take your fingerprints and record them on an FD-258 or FD-1164 card, which is the standard fingerprint form required by the FBI. Be sure to bring a valid government-issued photo ID to your appointment.

Does the U.S. Embassy in Bern Offer FBI Fingerprinting?

No. The U.S. Embassy in Bern, located at Sulgeneckstrasse 19, only provides fingerprinting services for certain USCIS immigration matters and does not take fingerprints for FBI Identity History Summary applications.

Many applicants mistakenly assume the Embassy offers this service and are turned away. Always check the Embassy's current fingerprinting policy before making arrangements.

Mobile FBI Fingerprinting in Bern via Globeia

Globeia offers mobile ink fingerprinting across Bern, with a trained associate  coming directly to your home, office, or any preferred location, available seven days a week. Prints are taken on FBI-compliant fingerprinting cards and reviewed on-site for quality.

Every appointment also includes Globeia's QR-coded Letter of Identity Verification, a tamper-proof record of the fingerprinting session not offered by any other provider. To book mobile FBI fingerprinting in Bern, visit Globeia's website.

Getting an FBI background check from abroad is entirely possible without travelling to the United States. Follow these five steps to move through the process efficiently from Bern.

Step 1: Confirm Your Requirements

Contact the authority requesting your document, whether a Swiss migration office, foreign embassy, or employer. Confirm upfront whether you need an apostille, a certified translation, and what validity window applies. This one step prevents costly mistakes later.

Step 2: Get Fingerprinted in Bern

Your FBI background check application starts with fingerprinting. In Bern, you have two options:

1. Kantonspolizei Bern: Book an appointment at Kantonspolizei Bern, Bring a valid government-issued ID and your appointment confirmation.
2. Mobile Fingerprinting: Book Globeia's mobile fingerprinting service and a trained associate will come directly to your home, office, or another convenient location in Bern.

If using Globeia's coordinated service, your associate will conduct an on-site quality review before leaving. If submitting independently, consider requesting a second set as a precaution.

Step 3: Submit Your Fingerprints to the FBI

Once your fingerprints have been taken, they must be submitted to the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division for processing. You have two options:

1. Direct submission to the FBI: Mail your completed FD-258/ FD-1164 fingerprint card along with the required fee to, FBI CJIS Division, Attn: SCU, Mod. D-2, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306, USA.
2. Submission through Globeia: Your fingerprint cards are securely couriered from Bern to Globeia Inc. in the United States, where they are digitized and submitted to the FBI on your behalf. This results in processing times of 1-3 business days for U.S. citizens and approximately 2–3 weeks for non-U.S. nationals. Globeia also provides tracking and status updates throughout the process.

Step 4: Receive Your FBI Identity History Summary

The FBI will process your fingerprints and issue one of two outcomes: an FBI Identity History Summary listing any criminal record entries in the U.S. federal database, or a No Record response confirming no criminal history was found.

Once you receive this document, review it carefully for accuracy before moving to the next step.

Step 5: Submit to the Requesting Authority

Submit your complete package, FBI background check document, apostille, and translation to the requesting institution. Before submitting, confirm that your FBI background check in Bern is still within the required validity window, typically three months from the date of issue. Keep certified copies of all documents for your own records.

Receiving your FBI background check is only part of the process. Depending on the authority or country requesting it, you may need to take additional steps before the document is accepted. Here is what most Bern-based applicants need to know.

Does Your FBI Background Check Need an Apostille?

If the authority requesting your document is based in a country that is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, which includes Switzerland, most of Europe, Canada, Australia, and dozens of other nations, your FBI background check will need to be apostilled before it is accepted.

An apostille is a standardized certificate attached to an official document that confirms its authenticity for use in any Hague Convention member country. Without it, foreign authorities have no formal way to verify the document is genuine.

For FBI background checks specifically, the apostille must come from the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. This is because the FBI is a federal agency; a state-level apostille will not work and will be rejected.

If you are applying for a federal apostille for your FBI background check and want to avoid managing U.S. government offices from Bern, Globeia coordinates this step on your behalf as part of its FBI background check apostille service, submitting your document directly to the U.S. Department of State once it has been issued.

Will Your FBI Background Check Need to Be Translated?

This depends entirely on the country and institution requesting your document. If you are submitting to a Bern cantonal authority or a Swiss employer, you will most likely need a certified German translation, produced by a sworn translator (Beidigter Übersetzer), as Bern is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

If your document is heading to a French, Arabic, or Spanish-speaking authority, the translation language will change accordingly. Always confirm the exact requirement with the requesting institution before arranging translation. Globeia coordinates certified translations into over 50 languages as part of its combined documentation package.

How Recent Does the FBI Background Check Need to Be?

Most authorities set a validity window on how recently your FBI background check in Bern must have been issued at the time of submission. Swiss immigration offices typically require the document to be no older than three months. Some employers or international bodies may allow up to six months, while others may have stricter requirements entirely.

The practical advice here is to not start the fingerprinting process too far in advance. If your FBI report arrives before your submission appointment is confirmed, it may expire before you can use it.

Globeia takes the coordination work off your plate entirely, from ink fingerprinting at your Bern location to FBI submission, apostille, and certified translation, all managed under one roof.

What Globeia handles for you:

• Mobile fingerprinting across Bern: A trained associate comes to your home, office, or any location including Altstadt, Kirchenfeld, Bumpliz, and Bethlehem, seven days a week.
• FBI-compliant fingerprint collection: Fingerprints are taken on official FBI FD-258 or FD-1164 fingerprint cards and checked on-site to reduce the risk of rejection.
• FBI submission support: Your fingerprint cards are securely couriered to Globeia's U.S. office, where they are digitized and submitted to the FBI CJIS Division on your behalf.
• Apostille and translation coordination: If your FBI background check will be used outside the United States, Globeia can coordinate U.S. Department of State apostille services and certified translations where required.
• Secure document handling: All personal information is handled using GDPR-compliant processes to ensure confidentiality and data security.

Why Applicants in Bern Choose Globeia

• 4.8-star Google rating across more than 30,000 clients.
• Offices in Washington D.C. and Toronto for direct processing support.
• No need to manage U.S. government agencies yourself.
• Trusted by expats, multinational companies, immigration consultants, and law firms throughout Switzerland.

Getting an FBI background check from abroad is a multi-step process, but by now you have everything you need to move forward with confidence. You know what the FBI Identity History Summary is, who needs it, and why authorities around the world request it. You know exactly where to get fingerprinted in Bern, how apostille and certified translation requirements work, and what a realistic timeline looks like from start to finish.

If you would rather have every step, fingerprinting, FBI submission, apostille, and translation coordinated for you without the back-and-forth, Globeia handles it all as a single service. Book your FBI fingerprinting appointment in Bern with Globeia today.

Getting your FBI background check in Bern does not have to be overwhelming. With the right information and the right support, it is a process you can complete from Bern efficiently and without stress.