FBI Apostille for the Philippines
visa & residency, in San Jose
The Philippines requires an apostilled FBI background check for residency, the 13A spouse visa, SRRV retirement, work, and dual-citizenship filings. Since it joined the Hague Convention in 2019, a federal apostille is what’s accepted — not a state one. We fingerprint you, pull the report through an FBI-approved channeler partner, and add the federal seal at one San Jose office. English is official there, so no translation is needed.
Moving to, marrying in, or retiring to the Philippines? Get the whole FBI apostille for the Philippines handled in person at one San Jose office.
From fingerprint to federal seal for the Philippines
What an FBI apostille for the Philippines is
For a Philippine visa or residency filing, the Bureau of Immigration asks for a federal criminal record check — your FBI Identity History Summary — with an apostille attached. A state background check is not accepted.
An FBI background check apostille is the certificate that makes the federal report valid in the Philippines. Because the report is a federal document, it requires a federal apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State — a California state apostille won’t be accepted.
The Philippines joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2019, so the apostille is accepted directly — no embassy legalization, and no translation, since English is an official language. We get the FBI report and apostille it, the same way we handle every FBI apostille in San Jose.
Transparent the Philippines apostille pricing
Three clear options
This is the federal apostille for your FBI background check — not a California state apostille. Any required translation and government fees are quoted separately.
Standard
- You bring or mail in your FBI report
- Submitted for the federal apostille
- Federal apostille seal applied
- Tracked return to you
Expedited
- You already have your FBI report
- Priority federal submission
- Fast-tracked federal apostille seal
- Tracked return shipping included
Bundle
- Walk-in fingerprinting in San Jose
- FBI result via Channeler, often in hours
- Routed straight to expedited apostille
- Tracked return shipping included
From walk-in to Philippines-ready
Four steps
Bring or skip your FBI report
Have your FBI Identity History Summary? Bring it. If not, the expedited package starts here with walk-in Live Scan fingerprinting.
FBI Channeler submission
We submit prints through an FBI-approved channeler partner, so your FBI background check often returns within hours.
Federal apostille
We submit your FBI report for the federal apostille seal the Philippines accepts — no embassy step since 2019.
Picked up or shipped
Collect it in San Jose or we ship it tracked, ready for the Philippine consulate or Bureau of Immigration. No translation needed.
One federal seal
No embassy, no translation
Since the Philippines joined the Hague Convention, a federal apostille is what authorities accept. Bringing a marriage or birth certificate too? Those get a state-level apostille, which our apostille services handle. Keep these in mind:
The Bay Area’s one-stop FBI apostille office
Most FBI apostille San Jose services are mail-only and never touch the report itself. We handle the whole chain in-house — with help from our partner TruPoint Legal for clients who need extended legal-document support.
One Stop, One Receipt
We apostille FBI reports in-house: walk-in fingerprinting plus federal authentication under one roof, no mailing to a stranger.
Best Standard Price
$200 standard is well below market — competitors charge $295 to $475 for the same federal apostille.
For Bay Area Fil-Am Families
From SRRV retirement to 13A spouse visas, we handle the FBI apostille our local Filipino community needs most.
Walk-In, Not Mail-In
Real San Jose office at 434 Blossom Hill Rd, close to Milpitas, Union City, and Fremont.
Philippines apostille questions
answered straight
Does the Philippines require an apostilled FBI background check?
Do I need an FBI apostille for the SRRV retirement visa?
Do I need a Tagalog translation of my FBI background check?
How recent must my FBI report be for the Philippines?
Do I need a state apostille or a federal apostille for my FBI check?
Can you do the whole thing in San Jose?
How long does an FBI apostille for the Philippines take, and what does it cost?
Can you apostille my marriage or birth certificate for the Philippines too?
Get your Philippines apostille
started this week
Bring your FBI report or start fresh with the expedited package. From $200 standard (about 6 weeks); $350 expedited (12-15 business days, no fingerprinting); $450 bundle with fingerprinting. San Jose office, no translation needed.