For Americans living abroad

Get your US paperwork done from abroad.

Last reviewed October 24, 2026.

We prepare FBI background checks, apostilles, passport applications that need an in-person visit, and other US documents for Americans living abroad. A person checks every case, you sign, and the government decides.

Who we serveUS citizens and their families living outside the United States, and Americans in the US getting ready to move abroad. We don't take cases yet from people who live in the EU, the EEA, or the UK.

Request a quote See services and prices

Your choicePay online for a standard case, or get a quote first.

US Expat Desk is a private business. We are not affiliated with the US government, the State Department, or the FBI.

Often required for visas

FBI background check with apostille

Apply directly to the FBI. Use the official apostille route.

USD 217 total for a standard case

Our fee USD 179 + FBI USD 18 + State Department apostille USD 20. Our fee covers our partners' steps and tracked delivery to you abroad.

How long: About 7 weeks of agency time by the published figures: the FBI about 10 days after your fingerprint card arrives, then the State Department within 5 weeks. Add mail and courier time. Not a promise.

We prepare your FBI request and fingerprint instructions
Customers abroad apply directly to the FBI
The State Department adds the apostille
Optional translation at the partner's rate
Tracked courier delivery to you abroad

Pay USD 217 online Request a quote for this

Services

Choose the paperwork you need

Visa and residency documents

FBI background checks, apostilles, and translations for visas, residence permits, and work abroad.

Do it yourself. FBI Identity History Summary

From USD 97See prices

Passports and family

Child passports, passport applications that need an in-person visit, and US documents for family events abroad.

Do it yourself. Renew a US passport

From USD 244See prices

Driving and travel

US driving records with apostilles and license renewals from abroad.

Do it yourself. AAA International Driving Permit

From USD 79 plus state feesSee prices

Benefits and civic

Voting from abroad, Selective Service, jury summonses, and Social Security forms.

Social Security provides this service free of charge. You can apply or update your information yourself at ssa.gov or at a US embassy's Federal Benefits Unit.

Do it yourself. Vote from abroad

Free official routeSee prices

Identity and accounts back home

Credit freezes, IRS and Social Security protection, and keeping a US address and phone number.

Do it yourself. Credit freezes

From USD 49See prices

Tax, through licensed partners

A free deadline calendar, tax-season document prep, and licensed expat tax professionals.

Do it yourself. IRS guidance for citizens abroad

From USD 149See prices

Your US company abroad

Good standing, apostilles, and annual filings for freelancers and founders with a US LLC.

Do it yourself. IRS employer identification numbers

From USD 49See prices

See every service and price

Check our fee for each job, the free official route, and what is included.

All services

Check the source before ordering

A direct FBI check costs USD 18 and the federal apostille costs USD 20. Read the fee sources checked October 24, 2026.

FBI check and apostille Published processing times Every document dataset

How it works

How a request works

Pay online or ask for a quote
Pay online for a standard case, or send a request. Tell us the service, the country you live in now, and when you need it.
We confirm your case
We confirm we can take it and what it covers. A quote lists our fee and every government and partner fee, and you pay nothing until you accept. If we can't take a case you paid for, we refund everything.
We prepare the paperwork
We prepare the forms, checklists, and your destination's requirements. A person checks every case.
Partners handle the physical steps
Couriers, notaries, and translators handle the agreed physical steps. Only eligible customers located in the US use an FBI-approved channeler. Customers abroad apply directly to the FBI.
You sign and submit
You sign what needs your signature. The agency sets its own processing time and makes the decision.

Prices

See what each job costs

Free

Plan it yourself

USD 0

Every planning calculator on this site
28 country profiles and seven sourced document datasets
My Desk, a moving planner that stays in your browser
A do-it-yourself route for every service we offer

Services

Pay per job

From USD 49 total per job, with every government fee shown

One total, every fee shown
The free official route, shown first
A refund if we can't help
No promised government dates

Not yet available

Membership

USD 129 per household per year, or USD 14 per month

Expiration reminders for each family member's US documents
Up to 12 help requests a year, answered by a person
Small filings done for you, such as Social Security proof of life and address updates
A tax-season organizer and a matched licensed tax partner
International Driving Permit and Global Entry renewal help
20 percent off every service

Membership is not yet available, and nothing in this list is offered today. It opens once our first services are running smoothly. Ask in your request if you want to hear when it starts. How pricing works

Limits

What we don't do

Plan it yourself with free tools

Use every planning calculator, 28 country profiles, and sourced document references for free, with no account. My Desk keeps a moving plan in your browser.

Free planning tools 28 country profiles My Desk

Get a quote

Request a quote for your US paperwork

Tell us the service, your country, and your timing. We reply within one business day with a quote or a question. The quote lists every fee, and you pay nothing until you accept it. Standard cases can also be paid online from the services page.

Request a quote