Moving back to the United States
USD 299 for the US-side checklist, done with you.
Services and prices
Services and prices
Last reviewed .
Prices as of . Pilot prices. The written quote is final.
Choose the US paperwork you need. Each job shows a total for a standard case, with our fee and each government fee listed. Pay online for a standard case, or request a quote and see the full price before you pay anything.
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.
US Expat Desk is a private business. We are not affiliated with the US government, the State Department, or the FBI.
Read the document-specific service guide
Service desk
Visa and residency documents
Almost every visa, residence renewal, work permit, or marriage abroad asks for US documents with an apostille, and often a translation. We prepare the request, send it through our partners, and ship the finished documents to you by tracked courier.
| Service | Total for a standard case | Request |
|---|---|---|
| FBI background check | USD 97Our fee USD 79 + FBI USD 18 | Pay online Request a quote |
| FBI background check with apostilleOften required for visas and residence permits | USD 217Our fee USD 179 + FBI USD 18 + State Department apostille USD 20 | Pay online Request a quote |
| State police background check with apostilleFor countries that ask for state and federal checks | USD 149 plus state feesOur fee USD 149, plus state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Federal apostille, any documentPer document | USD 119Our fee USD 99 + State Department apostille USD 20 | Pay online Request a quote |
| Birth, marriage, or divorce certificate with apostille | USD 149 plus state feesOur fee USD 149, plus state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Court records, certified and apostilledSuch as a divorce decree or name change | USD 149 plus court and state feesOur fee USD 149, plus court and state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Degree and transcript apostilleFor teaching and work visas | USD 149 plus state feesOur fee USD 149, plus state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Professional license verification with apostilleFor nurses, teachers, engineers, and others | USD 149 plus licensing board and state feesOur fee USD 149, plus licensing board and state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Embassy legalizationFor countries that do not accept apostilles. First document. Each additional document in the same order is USD 99. | USD 269 plus embassy feesOur fee USD 249 + State Department authentication USD 20, plus embassy fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Certified translationAn optional add-on when your destination asks for a translation | Partner rate at cost | Request a quote |
Service desk
Passports and family
Passports for children need both parents' consent and an in-person appointment. So does an adult passport that is damaged, lost, or too old to renew by mail. We prepare every form and the appointment, so nothing is sent back. Our paid help with a birth abroad is paused while we confirm the rules, and the State Department's guide is linked below.
| Service | Total for a standard case | Request |
|---|---|---|
| Adult passport that needs an in-person applicationFor a passport that is damaged, lost, issued more than 15 years ago, or issued before age 16. Simple renewals go by mail through your embassy, and the State Department has proposed online renewal abroad. | USD 244Our fee USD 79 + State Department application USD 130 + Acceptance fee USD 35 | Pay online Request a quote |
| Child passportForms, both parents' consent, and appointment preparation | USD 284Our fee USD 149 + State Department application USD 100 + Acceptance fee USD 35 | Pay online Request a quote |
| New baby abroadConsular Report of Birth Abroad, first passport, and Social Security number. Paid help is paused while we confirm the rules. | Paused | Paused |
| US documents for marriage abroad, apostilled | USD 199 plus state feesOur fee USD 199, plus state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Children's US school and vaccine recordsPer child, for enrolling abroad | USD 99 plus school and state feesOur fee USD 99, plus school and state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
Service desk
Driving and travel
Getting a local license often starts with a US driving record, apostilled and often translated. We also handle license renewals where your state allows them by mail. International Driving Permit and Global Entry help are planned for membership, which is not yet available. Both are simple to order directly.
| Service | Total for a standard case | Request |
|---|---|---|
| US driving record with apostilleFor getting a local license. Add a certified translation if your destination needs one. | USD 129 plus state feesOur fee USD 129, plus state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Driver's license renewal from abroadWhere your state allows renewal by mail | USD 79 plus state feesOur fee USD 79, plus state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| International Driving PermitOrder it directly from AAA for USD 20 | With membership | Not yet available |
| Global Entry renewalRenew it directly with CBP | With membership | Not yet available |
Service desk
Benefits and civic
Some US duties and benefits follow you abroad. Voting from abroad and Selective Service registration are free through the official routes below. Help with jury summonses and Social Security forms is planned for membership, which is not yet available.
| Service | Total for a standard case | Request |
|---|---|---|
| Absentee voting every electionRegister and request your ballot through FVAP, free | Free | Free |
| Selective Service registration | Free | Free |
| Jury summons excusal letters | With membership | Not yet available |
| Social Security proof of life and payments to a foreign bank | With membership | Not yet available |
Service desk
Identity and accounts back home
Living abroad makes US identity theft easier to miss. We freeze your credit, set up an IRS identity protection PIN, and lock your Social Security online account. A US address and phone number are available through partners.
| Service | Total for a standard case | Request |
|---|---|---|
| US identity protectionCredit freezes at all three bureaus, an IRS identity protection PIN, and a Social Security account lock | USD 49Our fee USD 49 | Pay online Request a quote |
| US address and phoneA USPS-registered mailbox partner and a US number you keep | Through partners | Request a quote |
| Bank and agency address updates | With membership | Not yet available |
Service desk
Tax, through licensed partners
We never prepare or sign tax returns. We publish a free US tax and FBAR deadline calendar, gather and organize your documents for your preparer, and refer you to a licensed expat tax professional, who prepares and signs your return and sets their own fee.
| Service | Total for a standard case | Request |
|---|---|---|
| US tax and FBAR deadline calendarApril 15, June 15, October 15, FBAR, and estimated payments | Free | Free |
| Tax season document prepWe gather and organize your documents for your preparer | USD 149Our fee USD 149 | Pay online Request a quote |
| Tax organizer and a matched licensed partner | With membership | Not yet available |
| IRS transcripts retrieved | With membership | Not yet available |
| ITIN for a foreign spouseThrough an IRS Certified Acceptance Agent partner | Partner fee | Request a quote |
| Your tax returnPrepared and signed by the licensed partner | Partner fee | Request a quote |
Service desk
Your US company abroad
Foreign banks and registries ask for proof your US company is in good standing. We get it apostilled. Company upkeep covers one year: we prepare your state annual report for you to sign and arrange a registered agent through a partner.
| Service | Total for a standard case | Request |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of good standing with apostille | USD 199 plus state feesOur fee USD 199, plus state fees set in your quote | Request a quote |
| Company upkeepOne year: your state annual report prepared for you to sign, and a registered agent through a partner | USD 249 per year plus state fees | Request a quote |
| IRS letter confirming your company's EIN | USD 49Our fee USD 49 | Pay online Request a quote |
Life moves
Plan a move between countries
Moving to Latin America
Handled by our sister service, Settle in Latin America.
Moving anywhere else
Start with the visa-ready documents your destination asks for.
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.
Pricing
How pricing works
One total, every fee shown
Each service shows a total for a standard case. Our fee covers our partners' steps and tracked delivery to you abroad. Government fees are added at cost with no markup and named with their agency.
The free official route, shown first
Every service desk links to the official way to do it yourself. We are a private service, not a government agency.
A refund if we can't help
If we can't take a case you paid for, we refund everything. If we can't submit it after work starts, we refund our fee. Government fees are refunded only when the agency refunds them.
No promised government dates
We commit to our own preparation time. Agencies set their own processing times.
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
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.
Ask to hear when it opensHow we're paid
We charge the preparation and coordination fee shown in each total. Government and partner fees pass through at cost. Translation costs extra at the partner's rate.
Who is responsible for the work?
US Expat Desk is responsible for every case it accepts. If an error of ours causes a return, we redo the work and refund our fee.
Limits
What we don't do
Questions
Common questions
Are you a government agency?
No. US Expat Desk is a private business, not affiliated with the US government, the State Department, or the FBI. Every service desk links to the free official route, and our fee is always shown separately from government fees.
How do I start?
For a standard case with a fixed total, such as an FBI background check with apostille, pay online from the services page. For anything else, send a request with the form on this site. We reply by email with a full quote, and you pay nothing until you accept it.
How do I pay?
By card, on a secure checkout run by Stripe, our payment processor. Stripe emails your receipt. Quotes include a payment link that opens a Stripe invoice for the quoted total, which you can also download as a PDF.
What if you can't take my case after I pay?
We confirm every paid case by email. If we can't take it, we refund everything you paid. If you live in the EU, the EEA, or the UK, please request a quote instead of paying, because we don't take cases from residents there yet.
What should I leave out of my request?
Leave out passport numbers, Social Security numbers, bank details, passwords, and images of documents. Once you accept a quote, we explain how to share what the case needs securely.
How long does it take?
Your quote states our own preparation time. Agencies such as the FBI and the State Department set their own processing times, so we never promise them.
Do you prepare tax returns?
No. We organize your documents for tax season and refer you to a licensed expat tax professional, who prepares and signs your return and sets their own fee. Our US tax and FBAR deadline calendar is free.
Can you tell me if my child qualifies for US citizenship?
No. That is a legal question for the consulate or an immigration lawyer. Our paid help with a birth abroad is paused while we confirm the rules, and our services page links to the State Department's guide.
What does membership cost?
Membership is not yet available. It is planned at USD 129 per household per year, or USD 14 per month, and opens once our first services are running smoothly.
Which countries do you serve?
Americans living anywhere outside the EU, the EEA, and the UK, and Americans in the US getting ready to move abroad, including to Spain or Portugal. We don't take cases yet from people who already live in the EU, the EEA, or the UK. Country profiles on this site cover 28 countries in more depth.
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.