Americans in United Arab Emirates
FBI Background Check Apostille in Dubai
How Americans living in Dubai get fingerprinted locally, request their FBI report, and have it apostilled for use in United Arab Emirates — all by mail.
Quick answer
Get fingerprinted in Dubai on FBI FD-258 cards at a local police station or fingerprinting service, then submit them to the FBI or an FBI-approved channeler that accepts international cards. When your Identity History Summary arrives, mail it to us: we authenticate it and have it legalized at the United Arab Emirates embassy in Washington, D.C., and ship it back to Dubai. United Arab Emirates is not a Hague Convention member, so your FBI check needs U.S. Department of State authentication and then legalization at the United Arab Emirates embassy.
- United Arab Emirates route
- Authentication + embassy legalization
- Translation
- Legalized Arabic translation required.
- Price
- $399 + $99 worldwide return
- Turnaround
- 15–17 business days once we receive your report
Why Americans in Dubai need it
UAE employment and residence visas often require an attested criminal record. The UAE isn’t a Hague member, so that means authentication plus embassy legalization — and possibly a further attestation in the UAE. Because only the FBI holds your nationwide U.S. record, it can’t be replaced by anything you get locally — and because it’s a federal document, only the U.S. Department of State can authenticate it.
Fingerprinting: the only step that happens in Dubai
After your prints are taken, everything is paperwork by mail — first with the FBI, then with us. The prints themselves have to be taken where you are:
- Where: a local police station or a private fingerprinting service in Dubai. Call ahead — not every station offers it, and some want an appointment.
- What to bring: blank FBI FD-258 fingerprint cards and your passport. Ask for rolled prints in black ink.
- Take two sets. If the FBI rejects one card for quality, the spare saves you another appointment and weeks of delay.
- The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi generally doesn’t take fingerprints for FBI checks — confirm before relying on it.
Step by step from Dubai
Get fingerprinted
Two full sets on FD-258 cards, with your identifying details filled in exactly as on your passport.
Request your FBI report
Submit your cards to the FBI or an FBI-approved channeler that accepts international cards, and ask for the version suitable for apostille.
Order online and mail us the report
Send the FBI-issued report to our processing office by tracked courier, exactly as issued — no notarization, staples or markings.
Authentication and embassy legalization
The Department of State authenticates the report, then the United Arab Emirates embassy legalizes it.
Shipped to Dubai
Returned by tracked international courier, with a certified translation if you ordered one.
What United Arab Emirates requires
United Arab Emirates is not a Hague Convention member, so your FBI check needs U.S. Department of State authentication and then legalization at the United Arab Emirates embassy. Legalized Arabic translation required. Receiving offices often want the report issued within the last three to six months, so time your fingerprinting close to your filing date.
More detail on the route for United Arab Emirates: FBI background check for United Arab Emirates · all documents for United Arab Emirates.
Official sources: FBI — Identity History Summary Checks · FBI — Approved Channelers · U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document · HCCH — Apostille Convention status table (Hague countries).
FBI check from Dubai — FAQ
Can you get the FBI check for me?
Only in person: we take fingerprints and run FBI checks by appointment at our West Palm Beach and Miami offices in Florida. From abroad, request the report from the FBI or an approved channeler, then mail it to us for the apostille.
Can I get fingerprinted at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi?
U.S. embassies and consulates generally don't take fingerprints for FBI background checks. Confirm with the embassy, but plan on a local police station or fingerprinting service in Dubai.
How long does an apostilled FBI check take from Dubai?
About 15–17 business days once your FBI report reaches us, plus international return shipping. The FBI’s own processing comes first and depends on how you submit.
How much does it cost?
$399 for authentication and embassy legalization, plus $99 worldwide return shipping. Government fees are included. The FBI and any channeler charge their own fees for the report.
Do I need a translation in United Arab Emirates?
Legalized Arabic translation required. We can arrange certified translation with your order.
Is the FBI check the same as a United Arab Emirates criminal record certificate?
No. The FBI check covers your U.S. record. If you've lived in United Arab Emirates for a while, authorities may also ask for a local certificate from United Arab Emirates's own authorities.
What if my fingerprints are rejected?
The FBI rejects prints it can't classify. Taking two full sets at the same appointment saves weeks if one is rejected.
Related: How to get an FBI background check · FD-258 fingerprint cards · FBI background check apostille
Ready to start?
Order online in minutes, or call and we will walk you through it. Federal documents from anywhere in the U.S. — one flat price, all government fees included.