FBI Background Check in Luxembourg: Mobile Fingerprinting, Apostille and What to Know
Moving to Luxembourg often comes with a request for a criminal record from home. For Americans, that means an FBI Identity History Summary. Here is how the process works from Luxembourg, where mobile fingerprinting fits in, and what Luxembourg's own guidance says about apostilles and translation.
Luxembourg is one of the most international places in Europe to live and work, and moving here often comes with a paperwork request: a residence, employment, professional, or family application asks for a criminal record from your home country. For Americans, that usually means an FBI Identity History Summary, often called an FBI background check.
This guide explains how the process works from Luxembourg, where fingerprinting fits in, and which follow-up steps may be asked of you.
The Short Answer
- The FBI check starts with fingerprints. Prints are taken on a current fingerprint card, then submitted to the FBI
- Mobile fingerprinting is offered by appointment in Luxembourg. A professional can meet you at your home, workplace, or another agreed location, so you may not need to travel. Coverage and times vary by location
- Embassies do not fingerprint. The U.S. State Department states that U.S. embassies and consulates abroad do not provide fingerprinting services
- The paperwork does not end at the FBI. Depending on the receiving authority, you may also need an apostille, and a translation if the document is not in an accepted language
Step 1: Decide Which Check You Actually Need
Before anything is booked, confirm three things with the authority or organisation asking for the record:
- Which country's record they want. An American applicant typically needs the FBI Identity History Summary. A Canadian applicant needs an RCMP check. A UK applicant may need an ACRO Police Certificate. Other nationalities have their own national systems
- Whether it must be apostilled or legalised. Some requests accept a plain copy, others do not
- Whether it must be translated. This depends on the language of the document and the office asking for it
Asking these questions first prevents the most common problem we see: a document that is correct in itself, but not in the form the receiving office wanted.
Step 2: Get Your Fingerprints Taken in Luxembourg
You have several realistic routes:
| Option | Where | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile fingerprinting | By appointment, at your home, workplace, or another agreed location | Busy schedules, families applying together, anyone who prefers not to travel | Coverage and times vary by location; confirm availability, the card, and the submission route before booking |
| Embassy or consulate | Not available | Not applicable | The State Department states that U.S. embassies and consulates abroad do not provide fingerprinting services |
| Local police | Local station | Occasional cases where a station agrees to help | Policies on foreign fingerprint requests are not standardised; call ahead |
| Other private providers | Varies | Applicants comparing providers | Confirm experience with the specific card your system requires |
| Self-taken prints | At home | Applicants comfortable following the FBI's guidance | Poor-quality impressions can lead to rejection |
Why many Luxembourg applicants choose mobile fingerprinting
- Less travel and fewer lost hours. Many people in Luxembourg commute across the border or work long office hours, so an appointment at your home or workplace can save time, where we cover your location
- Couples and families can be done in one visit at one address
- Flexible timing around work and school runs
- A professional takes the prints, which reduces the risk of a rejected set
Which Fingerprint Card Applies?
There are two separate questions here: which card the FBI accepts, and which card your particular submission route or receiving organisation asks for.
What the FBI says. For an Identity History Summary request you send to the FBI yourself, the FBI's Identity History Summary Checks page tells applicants to use a standard fingerprint form and names the FD-1164, which it accepts on standard white paper stock. That page does not mention the FD-258, the standard applicant card many providers refer to, so don't assume the two are interchangeable for every route. Our FD-258 guide explains the difference.
What your route may require. A third-party submission service, an employer, a licensing body, or another receiving organisation may specify its own card or format. If a different organisation is asking for the record, follow its instructions first.
Whichever card is used, the FBI's general rules apply:
- It must be current. The FBI says a card from a previous request cannot be reused
- It must show rolled and plain impressions of all ten fingers, clear and complete
- It is submitted together with your request, so the card and the request must match
Before any prints are taken, we ask which route you plan to use and confirm the card it needs. Card requirements can change, so check the FBI's page for the current instructions.
Step 3: Submit to the FBI
Once the prints are taken, the card goes to the FBI together with your request. From abroad this is normally done by mail: either complete the applicant information form and mail it with the card and payment, or start your request online at the FBI's eDO site and mail the card with your confirmation email printout.
Electronic fingerprint submission is offered at participating U.S. Post Offices, so it does not apply in Luxembourg. The FBI also lists approved third-party providers (channelers), but says they can only process requests for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents located in the U.S. or its territories, and not employment or licensing requests, so don't assume that route is open to you from Luxembourg. If you are unsure who can send the card on your behalf, ask us before you post anything.
Step 4: Authentication, Apostille and Translation
This is the stage people most often underestimate.
- FBI authentication. According to the State Department, the FBI authenticates fingerprint search results with an FBI watermark and an official's signature
- Apostille. If the document is needed officially abroad, you can send the FBI record to the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications to obtain an apostille, where required. Luxembourg's official guidance says that where a document's authenticity is in doubt, the immigration authority may ask for it to be authenticated or notarised with a Hague apostille. Secondary guides to settling in Luxembourg, such as LuxToday, list a recent criminal record with an apostille among typical documents, so it is wise to plan for one unless the requesting office tells you otherwise
- Translation. According to Luxembourg's official guidance, documents that are not in German, French, or English must be accompanied by a sworn translation. An FBI record is issued in English, which is on that list, but the requirement can vary by office and purpose, so confirm before you pay for a translation
Order of operations matters. An apostille is attached to the document in its final form, so confirm the receiving authority's requirements before paying for extra steps. Our guide to apostille vs attestation vs legalisation explains the differences, and our FBI apostille timeline and cost guide walks through the full sequence.
Not an American? The Process Differs
- RCMP (Canada). Submissions commonly use the C-216/C-216C fingerprint form. For applicants outside Canada, paper fingerprints must be submitted through an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company in Canada, and applicants should not mail fingerprints or applications directly to CCRTIS. Our RCMP guide includes a side-by-side FBI vs RCMP comparison
- ACRO (United Kingdom). A standard ACRO Police Certificate does not require fingerprints. See our ACRO Police Certificate guide
- Other countries. Printwise Global also supports checks such as the South African SAPS police clearance. Contact us to confirm what applies to your nationality
Common Mistakes to Avoid
What Does It Cost?
Printwise Global aims to keep mobile fingerprinting in Luxembourg affordable, with competitive, transparent pricing. You get a clear quote before you commit, with our service fee shown separately from government and third-party costs, so you know exactly what you are paying for. The total depends on which steps your application needs:
| Cost | What to know |
|---|---|
| Fingerprinting | Our mobile service fee can vary with the location and the number of people at the same address. Couples and families applying together often find one visit the most economical way to do it |
| Government fees | The FBI and the U.S. Department of State set their own fees for the Identity History Summary and the apostille. These can change, so check the official sites for current amounts |
| Delivery and translation | Courier costs and any sworn translation are separate |
How Printwise Global Helps
Printwise Global helps people in Luxembourg work out which check applies, offers professional mobile fingerprinting by appointment where we cover your location, and guides you through submission, apostille, and translation steps where they apply.
Frequently asked questions
In many cases, yes. Printwise Global offers mobile fingerprinting by appointment at your home, workplace, or another agreed location in Luxembourg. Coverage and appointment times vary by location, so check availability for your address when you book.
According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. embassies and consulates abroad do not provide fingerprinting services. A mobile fingerprinting provider can take your prints instead.
Printwise Global aims to keep it affordable, with competitive, transparent pricing. The final cost depends on your location, the number of people, and the steps you need, and we provide a clear quote that separates our fee from government and third-party costs.
It depends on the receiving authority and purpose. Luxembourg's official guidance allows the immigration authority to request authentication or a Hague apostille where a document's authenticity is in doubt, and some guides list an apostille as a typical requirement. Confirm with the office requesting the document before ordering one.
The FBI authenticates the results. The U.S. Department of State issues the apostille where one is required.
Luxembourg's official guidance asks for a sworn translation when a document is not in German, French, or English. An FBI record is in English, but check with the office requesting it, since requirements can vary.
It depends on your application, and requirements are not identical for every route. The official page for third-country workers refers to an extract from the criminal records or a sworn declaration established in the applicant's country of residence, while other requests may ask for a record from your home country. Confirm with the authority handling your case.
No. A standard ACRO Police Certificate does not require fingerprints.
A rejected set generally means fresh prints must be taken. The FBI recommends using a fingerprinting technician if prints are repeatedly rejected, so confirm the card and format before your appointment.
The Printwise Team
Identity Verification Specialists
Printwise Global is an international identity-verification company providing certified fingerprinting, FBI and RCMP background checks, apostille, and certified translation. Our specialists manage cross-border document requirements end to end for clients across the USA, Canada, the UK, India, and beyond.
