How to Get an FBI Background Check from Dubai

You might be living in Dubai now, but your U.S. records are still following you around.

For ex-US residents and expats, the request for an FBI background check from Dubai surfaces when applying for a new visa, job, or residency. Trying to deal with American authorities from halfway across the world sounds like a complicated task, but it doesn't have to be.

You don't need to fly back to the States. You can get FBI fingerprinting in Dubai and send your request to the FBI in the USA. Just focus on getting the details right the first time: fingerprint quality, submission routes, and card formats.

Also check How to Obtain a United States Background Check from the UAE

An FBI background check and a Dubai Certificate of Good Conduct are two different documents issued by two different authorities. The key difference is the jurisdiction and criminal-history records each document is intended to verify.

If you are an American expat or former U.S. resident now living in Dubai, understanding how these two differ, and when you need them, can help avoid confusion.

Understanding the Key Differences

FBI Identity History Summary Check:

• The FBI generates the Identity History Summary from criminal history information associated with fingerprint submissions maintained by the Bureau.
• If a foreign employer, university, or immigration office asks for a "U.S. police clearance," this is what they mean.
• Crucially, the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai do not issue these reports directly.

Dubai Certificate of Good Conduct (Police Clearance Certificate)

• Issued by Dubai Police (or the UAE Ministry of Interior), this document certifies that you have a clear criminal record during your period of residence within the UAE.
• Current and former residents can request this online via the Dubai Police app or the UAE Ministry of Interior portal using a valid Emirates ID or passport.

Which One Do You Actually Need?

It comes down entirely to the instructions provided by the authority reviewing your application. Neither document can substitute for the other.

• You need an FBI check if: You are applying for a work visa, residency, or professional license abroad that specifically asks for a background check covering your time in the United States.
• You need a Dubai Certificate of Good Conduct if: A local employer or foreign consulate needs proof that you maintained a clean record while living in the UAE.
• You may need both if: the receiving authority asks for criminal-record certificates from both the United States and the UAE, particularly where you have lived in both countries during a specified period.

No. The U.S. Consulate General in Dubai does not provide routine fingerprinting services for police clearances.

The U.S. Mission in the UAE explicitly states that neither the Embassy in Abu Dhabi nor the Consulate in Dubai rolled out fingerprinting for the general public. The only exception is if you have a formal, written job offer from the U.S. federal government.

For all standard visa, employment, or residency requests, you must handle your fingerprinting through local UAE channels.

The two most used options for FBI fingerprinting in Dubai include official UAE law enforcement or specialized private fingerprinting agencies.

1. Dubai Police Headquarters (Fingerprint Division)

• Main Headquarters: Located in Al Twar, you can contact the Fingerprint Division directly (+971 4 609 6841 / +971 4 609 6843) to confirm current operating hours.
• Dubai DXB Airport Location: You can also get fingerprinted at Dubai DXB Airport Terminal 2 / Staff Entrance near Gate 3.
• Operating Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 07:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Note: Hours and days can shift around national holidays or policy updates; confirm before heading out).
• Turnaround: Per guidance from the U.S. Mission in the UAE, physical fingerprint cards rolled by Dubai Police are typically available for pickup the following business day.
• Cost: 110 AED. Must be paid in cash with exact change.
• What to Bring:
  • Valid Emirates ID.
  • Original U.S. Passport (or current valid passport).
  • Your own printed FBI Fingerprint card (the station will not supply standard U.S. cards for you).

2. Private Fingerprinting Providers

If traveling to the airport or police headquarters doesn't suit your schedule, several private global agencies in Dubai offer ink-rolled fingerprinting on FD-258 or FD-1164 cards. Established providers like Globeia even offer mobile fingerprinting services that come directly to your office or residence.

If you choose to mail a physical paper packet to the FBI CJIS Division in West Virginia rather than finishing your application entirely through the online eDO portal, you cannot send just the fingerprint card on its own. The FBI will reject incomplete mails.

Your complete mail-in packet must include:

• FBI Identity History Summary Request Form (Form 1-783): This primary cover application identifies who you are, provides your contact details and physical delivery address, and states your reason for requesting the record.
• Completed Fingerprint Card: Your ink-rolled prints on standard cardstock (Form FD-258) or standard white paper (Form FD-1164).
• FBI Credit Card Payment Form (Form 1-786): If paying the non-refundable $18 processing fee (subject to change) via credit card, you must complete and sign this specific authorization sheet. Alternatively, you can include a U.S. money order or certified check for $18 USD made payable to the "Treasury of the United States." Cash and personal checks are strictly forbidden.

The FBI has published a self-audit checklist - Form 1-785 to help applicants confirm that they have completed the list of required items.

You can apply directly to the FBI from Dubai in two ways: through the FBI's electronic eDO portal or by mail. Both routes require a completed fingerprint card.

Option 1: FBI eDO Portal

The electronic route is considered the faster of the two direct FBI options.

1. Start your request: Submit an Identity History Summary request through the FBI's eDO portal.
2. Pay the FBI fee: The FBI charges $18 per Identity History Summary request (subject to change).
3. Get fingerprinted: Have your fingerprints taken in Dubai on an FD-258 or FD-1164 fingerprint card.
4. Mail the card: Send your completed fingerprint card to the FBI using the instructions provided with your eDO request.
5. Receive your result: The FBI can provide the result electronically, with a paper response also available by U.S. First-Class Mail.

The eDO route does not mean your physical fingerprint card is transmitted electronically. Applicants outside the U.S. still need to mail their completed card to the FBI.

Option 2: FBI Mail-In Application

You can also submit the entire request by mail.

• Complete the FBI application: Fill out the Identity History Summary request form.
• Get fingerprinted: Have your fingerprints captured on the required card.
• Include the $18 fee: Add the required FBI payment.
• Mail your documents: Send the completed application and fingerprint card to the FBI CJIS Division.
• Receive your result: The FBI sends the completed Identity History Summary by mail.

For international submissions from Dubai, use a tracked courier and keep copies of your application and fingerprint card before sending the originals.

The FBI recommends having fingerprints taken by a trained provider if you have previously had fingerprint submissions rejected.

If you want someone else to coordinate the U.S. shipment and FBI submission, a third-party service is another option. We cover that route next.

You do not have to manage the FBI fingerprinting in Dubai, international courier, and FBI submission yourself. A third-party coordinator can bring these steps together, while the FBI remains responsible for processing the application and issuing the Identity History Summary.

FBI Background Check from Dubai with Globeia

Globeia gives you two ways to arrange your FBI background check from Dubai.

Already have your fingerprints?

If you have already been fingerprinted on an FBI-compliant FD-258 or FD-1164 card, you can mail the original fingerprint cards to Globeia Inc. in the USA. The U.S. office reviews the cards before coordinating submission to the FBI.

Need the entire process coordinated?

Globeia can arrange the FBI fingerprinting in Dubai through a trained associate. Your fingerprints are taken on the appropriate FBI card and reviewed for clarity and completeness before the appointment ends.

The completed cards are then couriered to Globeia Inc. in the USA for onward submission to the FBI.

How Globeia Coordinates the Process

• Apply through Globeia: Provide your application details and identification documents.
• Use your existing fingerprints or book fingerprinting: Send existing FD-258/FD-1164 cards, or arrange a Dubai fingerprinting appointment.
• Fingerprint quality review: Globeia checks the impressions for clarity and completeness before submission.
• U.S. mailing: Original fingerprint cards are couriered to Globeia Inc. in the USA.
  FBI submission: Globeia Inc. submits the fingerprint cards to the FBI.
• Receive your result: The FBI independently processes the request and issues your Identity History Summary.

Globeia can also coordinate apostille, legalization, and other document services if the FBI report will be used outside the UAE and the receiving authority requires additional authentication.

Learn more about how we help with FBI background checks from UAE.

Does an FBI Background Check from Dubai Need an Apostille?

Not exactly, because the UAE isn't a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille alone is never valid there, regardless of document type. Instead, an FBI Identity History Summary destined for UAE use needs the full authentication and legalization chain:

1. U.S. Department of State authentication of the FBI report
2. UAE Embassy legalization (in Washington, DC)
3. UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAIC) attestation once the document reaches the UAE - increasingly done as a digital e-stamp
4. Certified Arabic translation, if required by the receiving authority

Most UAE authorities also expect the FBI report to be recent (issued within roughly the last 3 months) and the authentication completed within about 6 months, though this varies by receiving authority.

Why Use a Third-Party Coordinator?

The main advantage is having one point of contact for the steps that happen across different locations. Instead of arranging Dubai fingerprinting, checking the card yourself, finding an international courier, and coordinating the U.S. submission separately, Globeia manages those steps through its Dubai and U.S. operations.

An FBI background check from Dubai is, in many ways, a document that bridges two places: your history in the United States and the life you are building elsewhere. The process may involve a FBI fingerprinting in Dubai, a submission to the FBI in the United States, and sometimes another chain of authentication before the document reaches its final destination.

What matters is not simply getting the check, but making sure every link in that chain is handled correctly. Once that is done, the distance between Dubai and the United States becomes little more than geography.