How to Get an FBI Background Check from Dublin

Background check can mean very different things depending on where the record comes from. In Ireland, you may be familiar with Garda documentation or an Irish police certificate, but neither provides a record of your U.S. criminal history. For that, the relevant document is the FBI Identity History Summary - a fingerprint-based record issued by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This becomes important when an immigration, employment, licensing, or other application in Ireland or abroad requires evidence of your U.S. criminal history. You need to obtain the U.S. record from the FBI. That means arranging FBI-compliant fingerprints in Dublin and completing the required U.S. submission process from Ireland.

This blog walks through what the FBI background check is and how Globeia Dublin makes the process easier from Ireland.

Also read Fingerprinting in Dublin: A Complete Guide for Expats, Professionals, and Global Movers

An FBI Identity History Summary reports criminal history information maintained by the FBI and may be requested for:

• U.S. immigration and naturalization: U.S. citizens and other applicants may need an FBI Identity History Summary for certain immigration, naturalization, or other U.S. immigration-related applications.
• Irish immigration and residency: Some applications for Irish immigration permission may require criminal-record documentation from countries where an applicant has lived. For applicants with a U.S. criminal history, this may include an FBI Identity History Summary, depending on the specific application requirements of Immigration Service Delivery (ISD).
• Professional licensing in the U.S.: Applicants seeking professional licensing with U.S. medical boards, bar associations, financial regulators, or other professional bodies may be asked to provide an FBI criminal record check.
• International adoption: Adoption applications involving the United States may require FBI criminal-record documentation alongside police certificates or clearances from other countries.

The FBI processes Identity History Summary requests through its Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. Applicants outside the United States can arrange their fingerprints locally and submit the required materials to the FBI through the available submission routes as confirmed by the U.S. Mission in Ireland.

The main question is where to get fingerprints that meet the FBI's requirements. Dublin applicants have more than one option:

Once your fingerprints have been taken on FD-258 or FD-1164 card, there are three main ways to submit an FBI Identity History Summary request:

1. FBI eDO Portal - Electronic Submission

The FBI's Electronic Departmental Order (eDO) system allows eligible applicants to submit their Identity History Summary request online. You complete the application and payment electronically, then follow the FBI's instructions for submitting your physical fingerprint card.

2. Traditional Mail Submission

You can also submit your application directly to the FBI by mail. Complete the application form, include an approved payment method and send the complete package along with your fingerprints to the FBI in the United States.

3. Third-Party Submission Service

A third-party service can coordinate the process between Dublin and the United States. Globeia can arrange fingerprinting in Dublin, review the fingerprint card, coordinate delivery to its U.S. office, and handle the FBI submission. Additional services such as apostille and certified translation can also be coordinated when required.

Which FBI Submission Method Is Right for You?

How to Pay the FBI Fee

The FBI Identity History Summary fee is currently $18. For mail-in applications, accepted payment options include:

• Money order: Payable to “Treasury of the United States.”
• Certified/cashier’s check: Payable to “Treasury of the United States.” Personal checks are not accepted.
• Credit card: Complete and sign FBI’s Credit Card Payment Form and include it with your application. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express are accepted.

For eDO applications, payment is made electronically during the online application.

The FBI controls the actual processing time once it receives your submission. Globeia's current estimated FBI processing times are 1-3 business days for U.S. citizens and 2-3 weeks for non-U.S. citizens, excluding international courier time.

• Fingerprinting appointment in Dublin
• Courier time to the United States
• FBI processing
• Return delivery of the result
• Additional time for apostille or translation, if required

Note: These are estimated timelines rather than guaranteed delivery dates. FBI processing can vary depending on workload, verification requirements, and individual circumstances.

For Dublin applicants, international courier time also needs to be factored into the overall timeline. The FBI states that electronic requests are generally processed faster than requests submitted by mail, although the FBI does not offer an expedited service.

Fingerprint quality can also affect processing. The FBI recommends having multiple sets taken, preferably by a fingerprinting specialist, if fingerprints are repeatedly rejected.

An apostille is not always required simply because you are using an FBI background check in Ireland. If the receiving authority requires an apostilled U.S. federal document, the FBI Identity History Summary must go through the appropriate U.S. Department of State authentication and apostille process before submission.

Confirm this before ordering your FBI background check. Some authorities also impose their own requirements for how recently the report must have been issued, so check the document instructions for your specific application before starting the process.

Globeia can coordinate the FBI apostille after the Identity History Summary is issued, along with certified translation where required.

Globeia coordinates the FBI background-check process for applicants in Dublin, from local fingerprinting through U.S. submission and optional document services.

The service includes:

• Mobile fingerprinting in Dublin on the required fingerprint card
• Fingerprint quality review before submission
• Submission coordination through Globeia Inc. in the United States
• Federal apostille coordination through the U.S. Department of State (located next door to Globeia Inc.)
• Certified translation when required
• International courier coordination and tracking

Globeia has served 30,000+ clients worldwide with a digital-first process built around SmartForm, Face ID verification, doorstep fingerprinting, and SmartPortal tracking. Our service maintains a 4.9-star Google rating, with a 95% first-time acceptance rate.

Already have your fingerprints? Our service packages can be customized as per your requirements. Contact us directly to see how we can help you at your stage of the application.

Moving between countries means carrying more than a passport. Your professional record, immigration history, and criminal-record history can all become part of the next application you make.

An FBI Identity History Summary provides the U.S. side of that history. Once the requirements are clear, the distance between Dublin and the FBI becomes a matter of coordination rather than a complication. Globeia can help connect those stages, from fingerprinting in Dublin to submission in the United States.