FBI Apostille & Translations — Done Simply.
Order, translate, and track your FBI background check apostille from one clean portal. U.S. Department of State authentication, sworn translations, and worldwide delivery — hand-carried into DC every business morning.
Trusted FBI apostille specialists.
A decade of federal authentications, built specifically for the U.S. Department of State pipeline.
Walk-In USDOS Daily
We hand-carry every order to the Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.
Nationwide Service
Clients in all 50 states — submit by upload, mail, or office walk-in.
Fast Turnaround
Standard 2–3 weeks; expedited 8–10 business days post-walk-in.
13+ Sworn Languages
Country-specific sworn translators for Hague Convention members.
Worldwide Delivery
Tracked FedEx shipping to any address, plus Philadelphia office pickup.
Transparent Pricing
Flat rates — no hidden courier fees, no third-party markup.
Secure Handling
Documents handled in-house — no mail-in middlemen between FBI and USDOS.
Direct Communication
Reach Brian Perez and team on your local time zone.
Five simple steps from submission to delivery.
Our team coordinates the entire path — you focus on getting the FBI report to us.
Upload Your FBI Report
Securely upload your FBI Identity History Summary as a PDF — no mailing required. Our team confirms receipt the same business day and prepares your order for the next USDOS walk-in.
- PDF upload only
- No mailing required
- Same-day confirmation
Walk-In USDOS
Every business morning we hand-carry orders into the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. — no mail-in middlemen, no third-party couriers.
- 7:00 AM DC walk-in
- Office of Authentications
- Same-day intake
Pick Up Apostille
After USDOS processing, we collect your apostilled FBI report directly from the Office of Authentications. No shipping in between — your document stays in our chain of custody.
- Direct USDOS pickup
- No interim shipping
- Tracked through portal
Translate (Optional)
Add a certified or sworn translation when required by your destination country. Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and 8+ more covered by country-specific sworn translators.
- Certified — $45/page
- Sworn — $99 + $69/add'l
- Country-specific authority
Pickup or Ship
Collect at our Philadelphia office, scan delivery to your inbox, or we ship worldwide via tracked FedEx — including to the address printed on your FBI report.
- FedEx tracked worldwide
- Digital scan available
- Office pickup — free
Estimate your FBI apostille completion.
Pick a submission date to see your projected walk-in, processing, pickup, and arrival days.
June 2026
USDOS processes FBI apostilles Monday–Thursday only — never Fridays, weekends, or federal holidays. Documents submitted electronically are walked into the Office of Authentications the next processing morning (e.g., a Thursday submission is walked in the following Monday). USDOS processing runs ~8–10 business days; we pick up on the 8th business day and the courier delivers it to our firm the next business day (Thursday pickup → Friday arrival; Friday pickup → Monday arrival). Click any date on the calendar to project from there.
Two paths. Transparent pricing.
Pick the turnaround that fits your timeline — both include hand-carried USDOS walk-in.
- USDOS walk-in
- Direct pickup at USDOS
- Tracked status updates
- Priority intake
- USDOS walk-in
- Same-day pickup at USDOS
Certified & sworn translations.
Translations are only required by some destination countries. Add either to your apostille order in one step.
Sworn Translation
$99 flat + $69 / add'l pageCountry-specific sworn translator. Issued under the official certifying authority of your destination country (see list below).
Sworn translation countries & certifying authorities
Spain
ElectronicFrance
Wet-inkItaly
Wet-inkGermany
Wet-inkMexico
ElectronicBrazil
ElectronicArgentina
ElectronicPoland
ElectronicCzech Republic
Wet-inkDon't see your country? Request a quote.
Estimated durations for each stage.
Orders submitted on weekends (Fri–Sun) or after 3:30 PM EST are considered received the next business day. The walk-in at USDOS occurs two business days from the original submission.
Submission & Intake
Same business dayOrders received before 3:30 PM EST on a business day are walked into USDOS two business days later.
USDOS Processing
~8 business daysOffice of Authentications processing time after walk-in submission.
Sworn Translation
1–5 business daysCountry-specific sworn translators in 13+ jurisdictions.
Return Shipping
1–3 business daysTracked FedEx domestic and international, or office pickup.
The 4 most common FBI apostille mistakes.
Rejections and re-orders cost weeks. Our firm catches these before your report leaves Philadelphia.
Submitting an expired FBI report
Most destination countries require the FBI Identity History Summary to be no older than 3–6 months. We confirm your report's issue date is within your country's window before walking it to USDOS.
Apostilling a state-level background check instead of FBI
State background checks (Pennsylvania, California, etc.) require state Secretary of State apostilles — not USDOS. For international use, most countries specifically require the FBI Identity History Summary apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.
Skipping the translation when the country requires it
Spain, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, France, and most non-English-speaking countries require a sworn or certified translation of both the FBI report and the apostille certificate. Submitting without one delays your filing abroad.
Using a mail-in service that ships to USDOS
USDOS mail-in processing takes 8–12+ weeks. Our team walks documents directly into the Office of Authentications every business morning — your report never sits in a backlog.
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille is a boutique authentication firm based in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. We specialize in FBI Identity History Summary apostilles, sworn and certified translations, and U.S. Department of State document authentications for clients relocating, marrying, studying, or doing business abroad.
Every order is handled in-house by our team. We physically walk client documents into the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. every business morning — no mail-in middlemen, no third-party couriers between the FBI and the apostille. That's why our turnaround is among the fastest in the country and our pricing is transparent.
We work with attorneys, immigration consultants, HR teams, and individuals worldwide, and offer sworn translations into 13+ jurisdictions for documents bound for Hague Convention member countries.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to apostille your FBI report?
Have questions about timelines, translations, or international delivery? Contact Brian Perez directly, or begin your order online.