How a Florida fdle background check is used in Philippines
This is occasional for the Philippines. It comes up when a foreign spouse or retiree applies for a Philippine visa and the Bureau of Immigration or the Philippine Retirement Authority asks for a police clearance from the applicant's home country. First ask which record they accept: a federal FBI record, which we don't handle, or a Florida state record from FDLE. If FDLE's record is accepted, request the version notarized when FDLE issues it. A printout from the online search can't be apostilled, and you'd pay for the search twice.
Translation for Philippines
English is an official language of the Philippines and Florida documents are issued in English, so Florida documents generally don't need a translation there. If a Florida document is in another language (for example, a notarized statement written in Spanish), our standard applies: a translator's certification, notarized by a different notary, with its own Florida apostille.
What your FDLE criminal history check must look like
Order the certified, notarized criminal history from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement — the version FDLE notarizes at issuance. An online instant check or a printout without FDLE's notarial certificate cannot be apostilled. The notarized FDLE result is a Florida document, so it receives a Florida apostille; an FBI identity history summary is a federal document that goes to the U.S. Department of State instead and is not something we handle. If the receiving office asks for a "state police certificate", the notarized FDLE check is what they mean.
Step by step: FDLE background check apostille for the Philippines
- Order online — pick "FDLE background check" and "Philippines" on the order form; $220 per document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more.
- Send a photo — reply to the confirmation email with a picture of the document. We check the certification before anything ships, so a defect is caught before it costs you a round trip.
- Drop it at FedEx — after approval, FedEx emails you a prepaid QR code; show it at any FedEx Office or Ship Center, no printer or label needed.
- Filed in person in Tallahassee — we walk the document into the Florida Department of State and ship the apostilled original back by FedEx within 5–7 business days of receipt — to your U.S. address, or to the Philippines with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for the Philippines. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.