Where Can You Get Fingerprinting in Berlin for a Background Check?

Looking for fingerprinting in Berlin for an international background check? Your main options are the city office at LABO in Kreuzberg, a private fingerprinting provider, or a local police station that agrees to take prints for an overseas application. LABO is intended for people whose main residence is registered in Berlin, and you must bring your own fingerprint card. Private providers may offer more flexible appointments, including visits to your home or workplace.

For many applicants, the biggest difference is what happens after the appointment. At LABO, you submit your completed card yourself. Some professional private providers, like Globeia, can also help with sending it to the correct authority and arranging other services, such as an apostille or translation, when needed.

Keep reading to discover how fingerprinting works in Berlin, how to compare your choices, tips for securing an appointment, associated costs, and everything else you need to know!

An officer in another country cannot search German records, or the records of the country you grew up in, on their own. So they ask you to bring a certificate from the country that holds your file.

Names can be shared, spelled in different ways or changed after marriage. Fingerprints cannot. That is why agencies such as the FBI in the United States and the RCMP in Canada run these checks on your fingerprints and not only on your name.

If you live in Berlin, you give those fingerprints here, on the right card, even though the check itself happens abroad.

Common Reasons

You may be asked for a fingerprint-based background check for one of these reasons:

• A visa or residence permit for another country.
• Citizenship or naturalization, including citizenship by descent.
• A job abroad, especially in healthcare, education, finance or work with children.
• A professional licence from a board or regulator abroad.
• Adoption or custody proceedings.
• A study, research or exchange program that asks for a clean record.
• Reviewing or correcting your own criminal record.

"I already gave prints for my German ID or residence card"

This is one of the most common questions in Berlin. You gave your fingerprints at the Bürgeramt or the immigration office, so surely a foreign agency can use them?

They cannot. Since August 2021, fingerprints are mandatory for a new German ID card, but only two fingers are taken and they are saved on the card's chip. They have no link to the police fingerprint database, and an international agency cannot pull them from there.

The prints on a residence permit card work the same way. They sit on the chip to confirm that the card belongs to you.

An international background check needs a fresh set; all ten fingers, rolled and flat, on an official card, taken for this purpose.

Explore What Does a Fingerprint Background Check Show?

Option 1: The City Office (LABO, Friedrichstraße) for Registered Residents

The Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) takes fingerprints for international authorities at Friedrichstraße 219 in Kreuzberg. This service is strictly for people whose main registered residence (Hauptwohnsitz) is in Berlin.

You have to prove it with your registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) and your valid national passport. If you do not have the certificate yet, the office can issue it on site.

• You must show up in person. You can book a slot through the Berlin service portal, but booking is not strictly required, because the office also works with a waiting number.
• German authorities do not supply country-specific fingerprint cards, so for your requirements, like an FBI background check, print or bring your own standard card, either the FD-1164 or the FD-258. If your embassy gave you a special fingerprint form, bring that instead.
• The fee is €15, plus €5 if a photo needs certifying, and the service is done on the spot.

Option 2: Private Fingerprinting Providers (Studio or Mobile)

Private providers take your prints on the correct card, either in a studio or at your home or office. Technicians who do this every week know how to roll each finger fully, and many check the card before you leave. Some also send the card to the agency for you.

Before you book, ask four things: which card they use, what the price includes, do they offer mobile fingerprinting services, and who pays for a retake if the card is rejected.

Option 3: Local Police

Local police stations are the least preferred option for international fingerprinting in Berlin. Many stations focus on fingerprints for police investigations and may not regularly handle fingerprint cards for foreign background checks. Staff may not be familiar with the card formats, rolling techniques, or completion requirements used by authorities abroad.

In Berlin, taking prints for private foreign applications is not a standard police service, and the city's service portal lists the LABO for this task, not the police.

If you still want to try a police station, call ahead and explain that you need ink fingerprints on a specific card for an international background check. Ask if they can complete that card, follow the receiving authority's instructions, and provide any required stamp or signature.

Also Read What Is the Difference Between Ink and Digital Fingerprinting?

Fingerprinting by District: Mitte, Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg, Prenzlauer Berg and Beyond

Berlin is spread out, and where you live or work decides which option feels easy.

Mitte - Embassies, law firms and large offices are here, so lunch breaks and after-work slots fill fast. A mobile visit to your office saves you the need to travel across town.

Kreuzberg - The city office is here. If you are registered in Berlin and have your cards ready, this is where you can get prints taken in person for the official fee. Many freelancers and startup teams also work from coworking spaces in Kreuzberg, which suits a visit to your desk.

Charlottenburg - A home visit works well for families, since everyone can be done in the same slot.

Prenzlauer Berg - Many people here work from home, so a visit at your door costs you no commute at all.

Beyond the centre - Neukölln, Friedrichshain, Schöneberg, Wedding, Pankow, Spandau, Zehlendorf and Köpenick all count as Berlin for a mobile provider. From an outer district, the trip to the city office can take close to an hour each way, so a visit at your door can save half a day. 

How to Choose Your Fingerprinting Option

Explore How to Get FBI Fingerprinting in Berlin for U.S. Police Clearance

If your agency only needs a stamp, you are registered in Berlin and your deadline is far away, the city office is a fair choice. If the deadline is close, or you are not sure about the card, a private provider is usually your best choice.

Step 1: Confirm What the Requesting Authority Wants

Start with the instructions from the office that asked for your check, not with a search for a provider. Three main things decide everything that follows.

• Which record they want. For the US, foreign offices usually ask for the FBI Identity History Summary, not a state check.
• Which card they accept, such as the FD-1164 or FD-258, or the RCMP's C-216C.
• Whether the result needs an apostille or a certified German translation.

Step 2: Work Backwards From Your Deadline

Start from the date you must hand in the certificate and count backwards:

• Certificate handed in to the requesting office.
• Apostille or translation finished, if needed.
• International processing, about 2 to 3 weeks.
• Mail from Berlin to abroad, and the result back
• Your fingerprint appointment

Then add two or three weeks of buffer. If the card is rejected, you start again from step 5.

Do not start too early either. If the office counts 90 days from issue, a certificate that arrives months before your submission date may be too old.

Step 3: Book Your Appointment

For the city office, you can book through the Berlin service portal and pick the LABO location for passport and special cases. Booking is optional there, but a slot saves you waiting in line.

Berlin says its 14-day appointment target was reached in March 2026, but slots still go quickly, so look as soon as you know you need one. Private providers usually book online, and some offer visits at your home or office within days.

Step 4: What Documents to Bring

What documents you need for fingerprinting depends on where you go, but this list covers most appointments:

• Your valid passport, and your ID or residence card if asked.
• Your Meldebescheinigung, for the city office.
• The fingerprint card (two if the provider offers a spare.)
• The instructions or form from the agency that requested the check.
• Your payment details for the government fee.
• Print your name and date of birth in black ink exactly as they appear on your passport.

Step 5: What Happens at the Appointment

The technician checks your ID and fills in the details at the top of the card. Then your fingers are cleaned and each one is rolled from one nail edge to the other. These are the "rolled" prints. Next come the flat prints, taken with the four fingers of each hand pressed together, then both thumbs. You sign the card, and the technician signs it too.

Ask the technician to look over the card before you leave. A smudged finger is easy to redo while you are still in the chair.

Check Out How Long Does Fingerprinting Take

Step 6: Submit to the Agency

Once your fingerprint card is complete, follow the submission instructions provided by the authority handling your background check. The process depends on the country, the type of check, and whether you are applying directly or through an authorised service provider.

Before sending anything, confirm these details:

• Where to send the card? Check the official instructions for the correct mailing address or authorised receiving agency.
• How to submit your application? Some authorities require an online application before you mail the card. Others require a paper application and supporting documents.
• How to pay? Check the accepted payment methods and the exact fee. Some authorities require payment before they begin processing.
• How to receive your result? Confirm whether the certificate will arrive by post, electronically, or through another method.

Some private providers submit the card to the agency for you, which means one less international parcel to track.

The cost depends on where you get your fingerprints taken and which authority will process your application. Given below is only the approximate fingerprinting fee, so budget separately for the background check, international delivery, and any apostille or translation you need.

Explore How Much Does Fingerprinting Cost?

On top of the appointment, plan for these:

• Processing Fee: charged individually by the authorities abroad.
• Courier: a tracked international parcel, and the result back to Germany.
• Apostille: a federal apostille fee, charged separately by relevant authority.
• Translation: a sworn German translation, priced by the translator.

A retake is the cost people forget. If a card is rejected, you may pay for a second appointment, a second parcel and extra weeks, so ask any provider what happens if the card does not pass.

Instead of waiting for a city office slot or calling police stations one by one, you can have your fingerprints taken at your door. Globeia offers doorstep fingerprinting across Berlin, and our associates meet you at a place you choose: your flat, your office, a coworking desk or a hotel lobby.

Our fingerprinting covers background checks for many countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE and others. For the USA and Canada, associates bring the required cards and fingerprinting materials to your location. For other countries, you bring the form your authority issued, and we take the prints on it.

Other Local Fingerprinting Providers vs Globeia in Berlin

You can book in about two minutes through our digital portal. Enter your details, upload your ID, complete the Face ID check, choose a location and a time, and your appointment is confirmed. Start here!

Most delays with fingerprinting in Berlin have little to do with fingerprints. They come from a missing registration paper, a full booking calendar or a form nobody explained in English. These four points cover them.

Proof of Registration (Anmeldung, Meldebescheinigung)

You must register your address (Anmeldung) within 14 days of moving in. You book a Bürgeramt slot and bring your passport, the registration form and a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, a confirmation signed by your landlord. A rental contract does not replace it.

Registration is free, and you get a Meldebestätigung on the spot.

The city office for fingerprints asks for a Meldebescheinigung, which is an official certificate that you are registered in Berlin. You can request it free of charge online with a BundID account and your ID card's online function (eID), or at a Bürgeramt for a fee. The LABO can also issue it on site.

Keep the rule behind this in mind. The LABO serves people whose main residence is in Berlin. If Berlin is your second home, or you have not registered yet, a private provider is your route.

Booking Tips for Berlin Offices

• On the service portal, choose "Termin berlinweit suchen" instead of one district. A free slot is sometimes just a few stops away.
• Check again during the day. Slots are released and cancelled all the time.
• Cancel what you will not use. Berlin reports that about 12% of booked slots go unused.
• For the LABO, booking is optional. Without a slot you take a waiting number. Check the page for closure days before you travel.

Getting There by BVG and S-Bahn

The LABO at Friedrichstraße 219 is about 100 metres from the U6 stop Kochstraße (Checkpoint Charlie). Other options are S Anhalter Bahnhof (S1, S2, S25, S26) and U Stadtmitte (U2, U6), each about 600 metres away, and U Hallesches Tor (U1, U3, U6) at about 700 metres. Bus M29 stops nearby, and the building is wheelchair accessible.

A single ticket for the whole city (zone AB) costs €4 since January 2026 and is valid for two hours. The Deutschlandticket costs €63 a month. If you book a mobile visit with Globeia, there is no trip to plan at all.

Language: What to Say in German

Forms and signs at the LABO and the Bürgeramt are in German, so a few phrases help.

Worn or Hard-to-Read Fingerprints

Worn prints are common among bakers, builders, gardeners, nurses who wash their hands all day and older adults. Moisturise your hands for several days before the appointment, but skip cream on the day. Tell the technician at the start so they can use lighter pressure and retake a finger if needed. If cards keep failing, contact the authorities directly and ask what options exist for worn prints.

Read More My Fingerprints Were Rejected: What Should I Do?

Families and Children

Every person needs their own signed fingerprint cards, application form, and fee, even in a couple or a family. Ask the requesting office from what age they want a certificate, because the rules differ between countries.

Children have small hands and fine ridges, so allow extra time. A home visit keeps things a bit calmer. Ask whether the whole family can be done in one slot. Bring each child's passport and a parent's ID.

You Are in Berlin But the Check Is for Someone Elsewhere

The person who needs the certificate has to give their own prints and sign their own form. Nobody can do that for them. If they live in another country, they get their prints taken there and mail the card.

From Berlin you can help with the rest, like the payment, the form and a tracked courier. And if you are the one who lives in Berlin while the requesting office is abroad, nothing changes. What counts is the agency's card and rules, not where you stand when the prints are taken.

Urgent Deadlines

If you need a fingerprint-based background check by a specific date, plan for the entire process, not just the appointment. Getting your fingerprints taken in Berlin may take a day or a few days, but the background check, international delivery, and any required apostille or translation can take much longer.

Most authorities have their own processing procedures and timelines, and you should not assume that paying an additional fee will make your application move faster. For example, the FBI does not offer expedited processing for its Identity History Summary checks.

To avoid losing time:

• Confirm the deadline and document requirements with the office requesting the certificate, including whether an apostille or translation is needed.
• Ask about the receiving authority's current processing time and whether any faster submission route is available for your particular application.
• Arrange fingerprinting early and have the technician check the card before you leave.
• Use tracked international delivery when mailing the card or supporting documents.
• Contact the requesting office early if the deadline looks difficult to meet. Ask if an extension or proof that your application is in progress will be accepted.

The main thing you can control is how quickly you complete each step and whether your application is correct the first time. No fingerprinting provider in Berlin can guarantee how quickly an international authority will issue your background check certificate.

If you are new to Berlin, arranging fingerprinting can involve a few extra steps, especially if you need proof of registration or are unfamiliar with German forms. Check which documents you need before visiting LABO, and allow time to arrange any missing paperwork. If the process feels difficult to manage, compare private services that offer appointments in English or additional application support. A little preparation can make the appointment easier to handle.