In Boston and need your FBI background check apostilled for a visa, move abroad, citizenship application, or any other international purpose? You do not need to travel to Washington DC or Los Angeles. Email MR Fingerprints your FBI Identity History Summary as a PDF and we handle everything from there — State Department submission, apostille processing, and delivery to your Boston address in approximately 2 weeks.
We serve clients in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Worcester, Springfield, and throughout Massachusetts and New England. One email is all it takes to get started.
Total time: approximately 2–3 weeks from the day you email us
The US Department of State Office of Authentications — the only authority in the country that can apostille an FBI background check — is in the DC area. But you do not need to show up there yourself.
MR Fingerprints works with a DC-based partner who submits documents in person at the State Department walk-in counter every business day. This in-person submission method produces apostilles in 7–10 business days — compared to 6–8 weeks for mail-in submissions. You stay in Boston. We handle DC. Your apostille ships to you.
Your FBI background check is a FEDERAL document issued by the FBI. Only the US Department of State in Washington DC can apostille it. A Massachusetts Secretary of State apostille on an FBI document is INVALID. Every foreign consulate will reject it. MR Fingerprints coordinates only the correct federal apostille.
| Step | What You Do | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Email us your FBI PDF
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Forward your FBI Identity History Summary to [email protected] — from anywhere in Massachusetts. No trip to Washington DC, no trip to Los Angeles. One email is all it takes. We confirm receipt and begin processing the same day.
📧 From Boston, Cambridge, Worcester, or anywhere in MA
|
| 2 |
We prepare your DS-4194 form
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We complete the State Department's Request for Authentication Services form with the correct destination country, the correct $20 fee, and all required details. This is where most DIY submissions fail — a missing destination country in Section 4 or the wrong fee causes the entire package to be returned unprocessed, resetting your timeline by weeks. We have processed thousands of these. Errors do not happen.
✏️ Same day we receive your PDF
|
| 3 |
Our DC partner submits in person
|
Our Washington DC partner submits your document at the US Department of State Office of Authentications walk-in counter — the fastest non-emergency submission method available anywhere in the country. The walk-in counter is only open Monday through Thursday, 7:30–9:00am. Our partner is there every business day so you don't have to be.
🏛 In-person DC submission — next business day
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| 4 |
State Dept. processes in 7–10 days
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The US Department of State authenticates the FBI Section Chief's signature on your document and attaches the apostille certificate. Processing takes 7–10 business days from the day of in-person submission — compared to 6–8 weeks for standard mail-in. The apostilled document is released to our DC partner once complete.
⚡ 7–10 business days (in-person)
📬 vs. 6–8 weeks mail-in
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| 5 |
We ship to your Boston address
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Your apostilled FBI document ships via FedEx or UPS directly to your address in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Quincy, Worcester, Springfield, or anywhere in Massachusetts and New England. If your destination country requires a certified translation — Portugal, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, or others — we include that in the same shipment as one complete, submission-ready package.
📦 FedEx/UPS to your Massachusetts address — 2–3 business days
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💡 Boston Timeline
FBI PDF emailed to us → same-day processing
DS-4194 prepared and DC submission: next business day
State Dept. apostille processing: 7–10 business days
FedEx/UPS delivery to Boston: 2–3 business days
TOTAL: approximately 2–3 weeks from the day you email us your PDF
Standard mail-in (DIY): 8–10 weeks — if the DS-4194 is filled out correctly
New England has a significant Portuguese-American and Italian-American community — citizenship by descent applications are one of the most common reasons Boston-area clients contact us. If you are working with an attorney on an Italian or Portuguese citizenship application, MR Fingerprints coordinates the FBI document, apostille, and certified translation as a complete package.
If you have not yet received your FBI results, MR Fingerprints handles that step too. As an FBI-approved channeler, we submit fingerprints electronically directly to the FBI DOJ in Sacramento — significantly faster than the standard government mail-in process.
How to get fingerprinted in Boston:
Contact MR Fingerprints first — we will provide the FD-258 fingerprint cards and detailed instructions, and advise on the best fingerprinting location near you. Once your cards are complete, mail them to us and we handle FBI submission and apostille from there. Standard FBI processing: 5–7 business days. Expedited: 48 hours.
Many countries require a certified translation of your FBI document in addition to the apostille. If your destination country is on this list, MR Fingerprints coordinates the translation as part of the same process — delivered with your apostilled document as one complete package:
UK, Australia, Singapore, and Ireland — no translation required.
Expedited service range from 7–10 business days
No. Email us your FBI PDF and our DC partner handles the State Department submission on your behalf. The only thing you send us is an email. Your apostilled document ships back directly to your Boston address.
Approximately 2–3 weeks total from the day you email us your FBI PDF. That covers our same-day DS-4194 preparation, our DC partner’s next-day in-person submission, 7–10 business days for State Dept. processing, and 2–3 days for FedEx/UPS delivery to Boston.
Yes. As an FBI-approved channeler we handle fingerprinting and FBI submission for Boston-area clients. Contact us and we will advise on the best fingerprinting location near you in Greater Boston and walk you through the process. Standard results: 5–7 business days. Expedited: 48 hours.
Absolutely. We work with immigration attorneys and law firms regularly. Your attorney can contact us directly or loop us into the process at any stage — we are experienced working within attorney-managed application timelines and can communicate directly with your legal team if needed.
Yes. Italy requires the physical original hard copy of the FBI Identity History Summary with the FBI Section Chief’s original wet signature and raised seal — not a PDF printout. MR Fingerprints requests and handles the hard copy as standard for all Italy submissions, alongside the federal apostille and certified Italian translation. Let us know when you contact us that your application is for Italy and we will ensure the correct format from the start.
Our customers share their experience.
We work with law firms, schools, agencies, and healthcare providers to deliver fast, accurate fingerprinting for their clients and staff.
Email us your FBI Identity History Summary PDF today and we begin processing the same day. Apostille delivered to your Boston address in approximately 2–3 weeks.
