Moving to Japan or applying for a status of residence? Your FBI background check needs an apostille for many work, teaching, and family visa 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 |
Japan requires an apostilled FBI background check for many work, teaching, and family status pathways. Here are the most common reasons people need this service.
Teaching English or another subject at Japanese schools, on the JET Program, or as an ALT often calls for an apostilled FBI background check from the school board or employer.
The Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, and International Services status is Japan's main work visa. Some employers request an apostilled FBI background check for the file.
Applying for a Spouse or Child of a Japanese National status can require an apostilled FBI background check alongside your marriage or birth records.
Family members joining a worker or student in Japan on a Dependent status may be asked for an apostilled FBI background check as part of the application.
The Long-Term Resident status for those settling in Japan over an extended period commonly requires an apostilled FBI background check in the immigration file.
Applicants for permanent residency in Japan are often asked to provide an apostilled FBI background check to document their record while living in the U.S.
Japanese authorities generally want a recently issued FBI background check, often dated within the last 3 months, so the document should still be fresh when you file. That is a tight window.
If you mail your document to the Department of State, the standard timeline is 5 to 12 weeks. That could burn your usable window before the apostille comes back. And Japanese immigration also usually requires a Japanese translation after apostille.
Our 7 to 10 business day turnaround preserves that window. You get your apostilled document back with enough time to complete the Japanese translation and submit your application.
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.
After your FBI background check is apostilled, Japanese immigration and municipal offices usually require a Japanese translation. The translation should be done after the apostille, not before. We can point you to certified translation help.
The Department of State attaches the apostille to your document with a staple and grommet. Japanese 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 to Japan 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. Japan 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 Japanese immigration and government offices.
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.
Japanese authorities generally want a recently issued FBI background check, often dated within the last 3 months, so plan to apostille and submit it without long delays. Our 7 to 10 business day turnaround gives you the maximum usable window. Confirm the exact recency window with your employer, sponsor, or the office handling your application.
Often yes. Japanese immigration and municipal offices usually require a Japanese translation of your apostilled FBI background check. The translation should be completed after the apostille. We can point you to certified translation help.
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 to Japan, 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.
Not every one does. Some employers, school boards, and status categories request an apostilled FBI background check, and it is common for teaching, long-term residency, and permanent residency cases. Confirm the requirement with your employer, sponsor, or immigration attorney before you order.
No. The Department of State attaches the apostille to your document with a staple and grommet. If the staple shows signs of tampering, Japanese 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.
Japan usually requires a Japanese translation of your apostilled record. We handle certified translations directly, in house. Get your apostille first, then order your translation online with a live price.
Order Your Translation OnlineHandled by our own team, no referrals. Learn more about certified translations.
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.
A Spouse of a Japanese National status usually needs your US marriage certificate apostilled, and proving parentage for family or dependent cases, including registering US-born children of a Japanese parent, needs an apostilled birth certificate. We apostille vital records from all 50 states, with the same expedited handling and return shipping included.
An FBI background check is a federal document and can only be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. A state apostille on an FBI check gets rejected. Birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates are state documents, apostilled by the state that issued them. We handle both and route your order correctly.
For an FBI background check, Japanese authorities often want it dated within 3 months, and that window starts the day it is issued, not the day you apostille it. Vital records like birth and marriage certificates usually do not expire, but many authorities still want a recent certified copy. Either way, our 7 to 10 business day turnaround protects your window.