FDLE Background Check Apostille for Working Abroad: What to Know Before Ordering

Why does a foreign employer ask for a background check?

Many employers and labor authorities abroad request a background check as part of the hiring file or the work-permit process. Exactly which documents they require, with what maximum age, and in what form of authentication depends entirely on the destination country's rules and each employer's own policy. Integramerica does not determine employment or immigration eligibility; our role is to coordinate the authentication of the document you already know you need, once the foreign authority has confirmed it to you.

Certified FDLE: the starting point if your history is in Florida

FDLE, through its Division of Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), is Florida's central repository for criminal history information. It offers two types of results: a non-certified search, for informational use only, and a certified search, which is the only one eligible for apostille. It's important to remember that an FDLE background check reflects arrests and dispositions on record specifically with the state of Florida, and does not necessarily include records from other states where you may have lived before.

How a Florida FDLE background check gets apostilled

A certified FDLE check is apostilled by the Florida Department of State (Division of Corporations), the same state authority that apostilles other documents issued or certified in Florida. For the process to go smoothly, the document submitted must be the original certified document issued by FDLE: a photocopy or a printout of a non-certified search result is not apostille-eligible, no matter how recent it is.

If the employer asks for the FBI check instead

Some foreign employers specifically request the FBI Identity History Summary, commonly called the "FBI background check," which is a federal, nationwide document. Its apostille is handled by the U.S. Department of State, not Florida, regardless of what state the requester lives or resides in. This distinction — identifying who issued the document, not where the person lives — is the same one that determines the apostille route for any U.S. document, as we explain in detail in our guide on state vs. federal apostille and in FDLE vs. FBI Background Check: Which One Do You Need Apostilled?.

Plan with margin: employment start date and processing times

Per FDLE's own site, processing a certified search generally takes about 6 to 7 business days, though that timeframe can change and should be confirmed directly on FDLE's site before committing to a deadline. Apostille times, in turn, vary depending on the state office's workload at any given time; it isn't wise to assume a fixed timeframe. If your start date abroad is already set, the safest approach is to start the entire process — ordering the check, the apostille, and translation if needed — weeks in advance, rather than waiting until you have the final written offer.

What about certified translation?

The apostille is attached to the document in its original language; it does not translate it. If the foreign employer or labor authority requires a certified translation of the check, that translation is typically ordered separately. Confirm with the recipient whether the translation must also be apostilled or submitted together with the certified original, since requirements vary by country and institution.

Common mistakes when preparing this check to work abroad

• Ordering FDLE's non-certified search, thinking it will work for apostille.
• Sending the FBI check to Florida for apostille, or the FDLE check to the federal Department of State.
• Assuming the FDLE check automatically covers other states where you lived before.
• Submitting a photocopy or a printed PDF instead of the original certified document.
• Waiting until your travel date is confirmed to start the check and apostille process.
• Not confirming in writing with the employer which of the two checks it actually requires.

We can help you confirm which background check you need based on what your foreign employer or labor authority requires, and coordinate the request, the apostille, and certified translation if applicable.