Question
Looking for recommendations on how to get my USA FBI background check, Federal Apostille, and translation in a short amount of time to Madrid (i.e. faster than by mailing in a copy of my fingerprints to the US). Has anyone ever used a service? Would appreciate any insight or recommendations! TIA!
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“There is someplace in Madrid that can take your electronic fingerprints and send them in – can’t remember the name – about 300 euros.”
“You will need to do the fingerprints step to get the FBI check. Once you get the FBI check, I highly recommend using an expediting company, it can make a difference. Usually turnaround is around 14 days. Sworn translation can be done in one day.”
“Using DHL will cut transit time to two days.”
“Do you still have a trusted relative or friend in the USA? If you do, you don’t need to pay anyone to expedite anything. I had to do this a couple of years ago… I got my fingerprints taken in Madrid, mailed it out regular mail through Correos, got an email from the FBI they received my fingerprints like 3 days later, and had a digital background check in a couple of days emailed to me.
I then had someone in the USA print out my background check and mail it to get the federal apostille. The apostille is what takes the longest and from my knowledge, third party agencies can’t do anything different to make the process go faster.
Mine took about 4 weeks to get processed and once it got sent back, I had them scan it, and then sent the scan to be translated. I just submitted the translated copy but I did have the original mailed to me from the USA but I was never asked for.”
“It’s best to do this in the United States. I got my results in 24 hours and then used Monument Visa to get it apostilled and sent to my address in Madrid.”
“Monument Visa can fast track the apostille in two weeks.”
Conclusion
When it comes to obtaining a federal apostille for your FBI background check while in Spain, several viable routes are available—each with its own pros and cons.
Using a Madrid-based fingerprinting service can initiate the process locally for a fee, while expediting companies such as Monument Visa are recommended to speed up the apostille stage.
Trusted contacts in the U.S. can be a big help, especially when coordinating mailing logistics or translation services.
Most users report the apostille process itself as the main bottleneck, typically taking up to four weeks, though expedited services may shorten this to two weeks.
