Fingerprinting, FBI Background Checks and Apostille in Dublin, Ireland
Moving to Dublin or already living here? Here is how fingerprints, FBI background checks, Irish apostilles and certified translation fit together, which Irish authorities are involved, and how Printwise Global handles the whole chain from fingerprints to a delivered document.
Whether you are already living in Dublin or about to move here, Printwise Global can take you from fingerprints to a verified, apostilled, and delivered document without you chasing five different offices.
Dublin is one of Europe's busiest hubs for people arriving from abroad. Professionals move for work, families apply for residency, students enrol, and employers hire across borders, while many people already living here need documents for their next step. Almost every one of those cases needs the same group of documents: fingerprints, a background check, an apostille or attestation, and sometimes a certified translation.
This guide explains each step in plain language, which authorities are involved in Ireland, and how Printwise handles the whole chain end to end.
Moving to Dublin: Documents From Your Home Country
People arriving in Ireland are often asked for documents issued in their home country, such as police certificates, birth and marriage certificates, degrees, and employment letters. Which ones you need depends on your application, so check with the Irish authority or your employer first, then we help you prepare them.
- Fingerprints and background checks for FBI, RCMP, ACRO, or SAPS records
- Apostille or attestation. Countries in the Hague Convention use a single apostille; others need a longer legalisation chain
- Certified translation where a document is not in English
- Tracked delivery to you or the receiving party
Documents can come from any country in the world. Tell us where yours were issued and we will confirm the route.
Already Living in Dublin
Settled residents often need documents going the other way: a job or visa application in another country, a relative's residency, a professional licence, or a background check for an overseas employer.
- Get fingerprinted in Dublin at an office appointment or a mobile appointment, with no travel abroad
- Request your background check (FBI, RCMP, ACRO, SAPS) without leaving Ireland
- Have Irish documents apostilled for use abroad through the Department of Foreign Affairs, with us checking the order of steps
- Certified translation and tracked delivery to the destination country
What to Prepare Before You Contact Us
Having these ready helps us confirm your route quickly:
- Valid photo ID, such as your passport
- The country and authority the documents are for, for example an employer, immigration office, university, or licensing body
- Your original documents, or clear copies if you are only asking for advice first
- Any reference numbers or forms the requesting authority gave you
- Countries you have lived in, if a background check is needed
Fingerprinting in Dublin: Office or Mobile Appointment
Fingerprinting is the first step for most background checks, and poor-quality prints are one of the most common reasons an application is delayed. Printwise takes fingerprints to the standard the receiving agency expects, so the card or file doesn't have to be redone. You can choose how you want to be fingerprinted:
| Appointment | How it works |
|---|---|
| Office appointment | An appointment at a time that suits you |
| Mobile appointment | For families, teams, or anyone who can't travel, we can arrange fingerprinting at a location convenient to you, where available |
Bring valid photo ID, such as your passport, and any reference number from the requesting agency or employer. If you aren't sure what format you need (ink card or digital), message us before booking and we will confirm. For more on the appointment itself, see how to prepare for an ink fingerprinting appointment in Dublin.
FBI Background Check From Ireland
An FBI Identity History Summary, often called an FBI background check, is a record of any arrests and criminal history held by the FBI. If you have lived, worked, or studied in the United States, many immigration, residency, visa, and licensing authorities around the world will ask for one. You don't need to be in the United States to get it. From Ireland, the process is:
- Get your fingerprints taken at an office or mobile appointment in Dublin
- We prepare and submit the request with the correct identification and forms
- Receive your FBI check as a result you can use, with an apostille added if the destination country requires it
- Secure delivery to you or directly to the receiving party
Apostille in Ireland: What It Is and Who Issues It
Ireland has been part of the Hague Apostille Convention since 1999. An apostille is a single stamp that confirms a public document is genuine, so it can be accepted in any other member country without further embassy steps.
In Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs is the competent authority. Its Authentication and Apostille Section works from offices in Dublin and Cork and applies physical stamps to paper documents. The current fee is €40 per stamp, and you can apply in person, by post, or by drop-off. Typical Irish documents that get an apostille:
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates from the General Register Office
- Irish university degrees and transcripts, after the right certification
- Garda police certificates
- Company documents and powers of attorney, usually notarised first
A note on Irish police certificates: these are issued by the Garda superintendent for the district where you live or lived, are not the same as Garda vetting, and may take around three weeks. Check the Garda guidance for the current process. Our apostille service covers Irish and foreign documents.
Documents for Countries Outside the Hague Convention
Not every country accepts an apostille. The United Arab Emirates is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so documents going there follow a longer chain called legalisation or attestation. For an Irish document going to a non-member country, the usual route is:
- Authentication by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland
- Legalisation by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in Ireland
- Further attestation in the destination country, where required (for the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Requirements differ by country and by document, which is why many people in Dublin ask us to confirm the exact chain first. Saudi Arabia, by comparison, joined the Convention in December 2022 and now accepts apostilles; our guide to apostille vs attestation for the UAE and Saudi Arabia explains the difference.
Certified Translation and Secure Delivery
Many authorities will not accept a document in a language they cannot read. If your Irish birth certificate, degree, or police certificate is going to a country that requires its own language, you will need a certified translation, and in some cases the translation itself must be notarised or apostilled.
Printwise arranges certified translation as part of the same job, so your documents and their translations stay matched. When everything is ready, we ship by tracked international delivery to you, your lawyer, your employer, or the receiving authority.
Why People in Dublin Ask for These Documents
- Work visas and relocation: employers and immigration authorities often ask for a background check and apostilled certificates
- Residency and citizenship: applications usually need police checks from every country you have lived in
- Study abroad: universities may require verified degrees, transcripts, and a background check
- Marriage and family: civil registries ask for apostilled birth and marriage certificates
- Professional licensing: teaching, healthcare, and finance regulators regularly ask for fingerprints and clearance letters
- Hiring international staff: Dublin employers bringing people in need to verify documents from several countries
How Printwise Handles It End to End
One team, one process, from Dublin to the destination country:
- Tell us where the document is going. We confirm the exact route for that country
- Fingerprinting at an office or mobile appointment
- Background check (FBI, RCMP, ACRO, SAPS) or Irish document collection
- Apostille or legalisation, handled for you
- Certified translation if needed
- Secure international delivery
We work across 22 countries, so it doesn't matter where you live. If you need a document from another country verified, we handle that as well.
Frequently asked questions
Printwise offers fingerprinting in Dublin by office appointment, and by mobile appointment where available.
Yes. You can be fingerprinted in Dublin and the request is handled for you, with no travel needed.
Ireland is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, and the Department of Foreign Affairs issues Irish apostilles.
No. The UAE is not a Convention member, so documents need the full attestation chain.
Yes, certified translation is part of our service.
Yes. We handle documents from any country in the world, and we confirm the right route for each one.
Yes. You can be fingerprinted in Dublin, your background check is requested for you, and we arrange apostille, translation, and delivery to wherever the documents are needed.
Not always. You can choose an office appointment or a mobile appointment.
Times depend on the authority and the documents. We give you a clear timeline after reviewing your case.
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.
