Moving to Costa Rica or applying for residency? Your FBI background check needs an apostille for most residency applications. We personally walk your documents into the U.S. Department of State for the fastest turnaround in the country: 7 to 10 business days.
"From the beginning to delivering of my documents, Fingerprints & Apostilles took control and kept me informed every step of the way. I will without a doubt be a repeat customer for all my federal apostilles."
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You can absolutely do that. Here is what the experience looks like compared to using our service.
| Mail It Yourself | Fingerprints & Apostilles | |
|---|---|---|
| Turnaround | 5 to 12+ weeks | 7 to 10 business days |
| Paperwork | You fill out every form | We handle everything |
| Cost | $20 apostille fee + your shipping | $120 all-in (shipping included) |
| Tracking | None | Status updates throughout |
| Risk of Rejection | High (incorrect forms, missing items) | We catch issues before submission |
| Return Shipping | Extra cost, you arrange | 2-day shipping included |
Costa Rica requires an apostilled FBI background check for most residency pathways. Here are the most common reasons people need this service.
Costa Rica's pensionado category for those receiving qualifying foreign pension or retirement income. An apostilled FBI background check is a core requirement.
The rentista category for applicants with a stable fixed income. An apostilled FBI background check is part of the application filed with Migracion.
Foreign investors making qualifying investments in Costa Rica need an apostilled FBI background check for the inversionista residency process.
Applicants joining a spouse or relative who is a resident or citizen of Costa Rica typically submit an apostilled FBI background check with their residency file.
Longer-term remote work and work-permit applicants are often asked for a clean criminal record, and the apostilled FBI background check is the standard document for U.S. citizens.
After qualifying years of temporary residency, applicants for Costa Rican permanent residency are commonly asked for an apostilled FBI background check.
Costa Rican authorities expect a recently issued FBI background check, commonly within 6 months of submission. Confirm the current rule with your immigration attorney or Migracion, since validity windows can change.
If you mail your document to the Department of State, the standard timeline is 5 to 12 weeks. That eats into your validity window before the apostille even comes back. And Costa Rica usually requires an official Spanish translation after the apostille.
Our 7 to 10 business day turnaround preserves your validity window. You get your apostilled document back with enough time to complete the translation and submit your residency application before the deadline.
FBI background checks are federal documents. Only the U.S. Department of State can apostille them. Your state's Secretary of State cannot do this. If someone tells you to go to your state, they are wrong.
Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, so an official Spanish translation of your apostilled FBI background check is usually required. The translation should be done after the apostille, not before. We can point you to a certified translation partner.
The Department of State attaches the apostille to your document with a staple and grommet. Costa Rican authorities will reject your documents if the staple shows signs of tampering. Do not remove, rebind, or laminate it.
In Virginia? Get fingerprinted at one of our three locations (results in as low as 30 minutes). Anywhere else in the U.S.? Get ink fingerprints on an FD-258 card locally and mail the card to us. Already have your FBI background check? Skip straight to step 2.
Upload your completed FBI background check through our website, email the PDF to us, or drop it off in person at our Alexandria office. Americans living abroad can email it from anywhere in the world.
We personally walk your documents into the U.S. Department of State. Your apostilled FBI background check is returned with 2-day shipping included. International return shipping is available when you provide your own label.
After you order, you receive tracking texts, emails, and a personal tracking page so you always know exactly where your documents are. You know the ready date as soon as we drop your documents off at the Department of State. No waiting in the dark, no chasing updates. And if anything comes up, you have a dedicated point of contact who can help.
Need an apostille for a different country? We handle FBI background check apostilles for all Hague Convention member countries.
Yes. Costa Rica is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille from the U.S. Department of State authenticates your FBI background check for use with Costa Rican immigration authorities.
7 to 10 business days. We personally walk documents into the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. instead of mailing them. The standard timeline by mail is 5 to 12 weeks.
Yes. Costa Rican authorities expect a recently issued FBI background check, commonly within 6 months of submission. Our 7 to 10 business day turnaround gives you the maximum usable window. Confirm the current validity rule with your immigration attorney or Migracion.
Usually, yes. Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, so an official Spanish translation of your apostilled FBI background check is typically required. The translation should be completed after the apostille. We can point you to a certified translation partner.
If you are in the Washington, D.C. metro area, yes. Get fingerprinted at one of our three Virginia locations, receive your FBI background check (results in as low as 30 minutes), and we begin the apostille process immediately.
Yes. If you already have your FBI background check, you can send it to us from anywhere in the world. We handle the apostille and ship it back to you. International shipping is available when the customer provides their own shipping label.
Yes. If you already have your FBI background check, email the PDF to us and we handle the apostille. For return shipping outside the United States, you provide your own shipping label.
You do not need to be in Virginia. If you already have your FBI background check, email it to us from anywhere. If you need fingerprints, you can get ink fingerprints done on an FD-258 card at any fingerprinting location near you and mail the card to us. We will process your FBI background check and start the apostille. Visit our mail-in fingerprinting page for details.
Most do. The common residency categories, including pensionado (retirement), rentista (fixed income), and inversionista (investor), require a clean criminal background check, and the FBI Identity History Summary is the standard document for U.S. citizens. Confirm with your immigration attorney or Migracion handling your application.
No. The Department of State attaches the apostille to your document with a staple and grommet. If the staple shows signs of tampering, Costa Rican authorities will reject your documents. Do not remove, rebind, or laminate it.
Don't Have Your FBI Background Check Yet?
You do not need to arrive with your FBI background check in hand. We handle the entire process from fingerprints to apostille under one roof. Get fingerprinted at one of our three Virginia locations, receive your results in as low as 30 minutes, and we take it straight to the Department of State.
Book an appointment, get fingerprinted, and walk out. We handle everything from there. Your apostilled FBI background check arrives at your door.
Visa consultants, relocation companies, immigration attorneys, and fingerprinting businesses: add FBI background check apostilles to your services without building the process yourself.
Costa Rica usually requires an official Spanish translation of your apostilled FBI background check. Get the apostille first, then translate the entire packet. We recommend Rush Translate for fast, affordable certified translations in 65+ languages.
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7 to 10 business days. 2-day return shipping included. We walk your documents into the Department of State personally so you do not have to wait months.
Costa Rica residency through a spouse or a Costa Rican-born child usually needs your US marriage and birth certificates apostilled to prove the family link, and the DGME holds them to the same six-month window as your FBI check. We apostille vital records from all 50 states, with the same expedited handling and return shipping included.