If you’re applying for Italian citizenship by marriage, or an Italian consulate, school or employer has asked for your criminal record, you’ll usually need two checks: your FBI background check and a state check. Both need an apostille and an Italian translation. We take care of all of it: your fingerprints, both checks, the apostilles and the translation, whether you’re in Los Angeles or already living in Italy.
What the Italian Consulate Asks For
The Italian Consulate General in Los Angeles sets out its requirements for citizenship by marriage in detail (see the consulate’s citizenship by marriage page):
- Your FBI background check, with a federal apostille and an Italian translation. It’s valid for 6 months from the day it’s issued.
- A state check from your state of residence. For California, it has to be requested for immigration purposes, be valid internationally, and carry the signature of the DOJ representative who ran the search.
- Your state of birth and every country of citizenship as well.
- If you’ve changed your name, every record has to show all of your names.
- If a record shows an arrest, you also need the court’s sentence, apostilled and translated.
Students and people applying for Italian residency, study or work visas also come to us when their school, consulate or employer asks for a criminal record check.
The California Check for Italy
The California check Italy wants is not an ordinary Live Scan. It’s a Live Scan under the immigration code (AE709), and the DOJ letter then needs a wet signature before it can be apostilled. We walk you through it. See Live Scan for Immigration Purposes.
Don’t Get Caught at the Oath
After your citizenship decree, the consulate asks for new FBI and state checks, apostilled and translated, before the oath ceremony. Most people don’t see that coming, so plan for a second round.
How We Handle It
If you’re in Los Angeles, we take your fingerprints at our office or wherever suits you. For the FBI check, we submit electronically; the FBI sends the report straight to you, you forward it to us, and we get the federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State. For the California check, we run the immigration Live Scan and help you get the DOJ’s wet signature and the state apostille. We provide the Italian translation and get everything back to you ready to hand in.
If you already live in Italy, you don’t need to fly home for the FBI check. Get fingerprinted on FD-258 cards at your local police station and mail them to us. We submit them to the FBI in person, handle the apostille and translation, and ship the finished documents to you. See FBI Background Check Apostille Abroad.
For every step in detail, see our step-by-step guide to getting your FBI background check apostilled. For other U.S. documents going to Italy, see Apostille for Italy.
Common Questions
Do I need both an FBI check and a state check?
For citizenship by marriage through the Los Angeles consulate, yes: the FBI check plus a state check from your state of residence, and from your state of birth and every country of citizenship.
How recent do they need to be?
The consulate says criminal records are valid for 6 months from the day they’re issued.
Does the apostille need to be translated?
Not for Italy. The consulate says there’s no need to translate apostilles. The checks themselves need an Italian translation, which we provide.
I live in Italy. Can you help?
Yes, with the FBI check. Mail us your FD-258 fingerprint cards and we handle the rest.
What if I’ve changed my name?
Every record needs to show all of your names. Tell us at the start and we’ll make sure they do.
Ready to get started? Call or text (310) 526-0200, or message us on WhatsApp.
Ha bisogno di un controllo FBI con apostille per l’Italia? Chiami o scriva al (310) 526-0200.
