Background Checks and Apostilles in Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit
One bay, two states: Jalisco and Nayarit
From the Zona Romántica to Punta de Mita, the bay mixes year-round residents with owners who spend the winter here. The first thing we check is which state your document will be filed in, because Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco and the Riviera Nayarit is not, and each state has its own civil registry and peritos. From there we handle fingerprints, the check, the apostille and the translation.
What we do in Puerto Vallarta
We cover Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías, Punta de Mita and Sayulita. Fingerprinting by appointment at a place confirmed when you book; courier delivery.
Services for Puerto Vallarta
The work happens in the U.S. or Canada; the result reaches you here, ready for the Mexican office.
Fingerprinting for the FBI and RCMP
We record your prints on the format each authority requires: the FBI’s FD-258 card or the C-216C form of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Every impression is checked for legibility before it is sent, because a rejected card means starting the application again.
FBI Background Check (Identity History Summary)
We take care of the whole FBI background check (Identity History Summary): fingerprinting, the request itself, the apostille from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and a Spanish translation by a perito traductor when your Mexican procedure calls for one.
RCMP Criminal Record Check (Canada)
For Canadians and anyone who has lived in Canada: we take your prints on the C-216C form and handle the RCMP certified criminal record check and the Global Affairs Canada apostille, so the certificate can be used in Mexico or any other Hague Convention country.
Apostilles for U.S. and Canadian Documents
We apostille birth, marriage and death certificates, divorce decrees, diplomas and transcripts, powers of attorney and other documents issued in any of the 50 states or in Canada. Each country apostilles only its own documents: a U.S. certificate cannot be apostilled in Mexico, so the work is done with the authority where it was issued.
Certified Translation by a Perito Traductor
Many Mexican authorities, such as the Registro Civil, notaries and the courts, only accept foreign documents translated by a perito traductor authorized by the state judiciary. We translate the document and, as is usually required, its apostille too.
Your paperwork from Puerto Vallarta
Four steps, without leaving Mexico.
Document Review
Send us a photo or summary of the document and the office’s requirements in Jalisco and Nayarit (Banderas Bay). We confirm the route before you pay.
Biometric Capture
Fingerprinting by appointment; we confirm the place when you book. Courier delivery to Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit.
Overseas Apostille
We file with the FBI, the RCMP, the state Secretary of State, the Department of State in Washington or the Canadian authority.
Official Certified Translation & Courier
We arrange the translation with a perito the office accepts and send everything to you by DHL Express.
Routes for U.S. and Canadian documents
Each country has its own authorities, fingerprint formats and apostille rules.
The U.S. route from Puerto Vallarta
We take your fingerprints on the FD-258 card. If you are a U.S. citizen or green card holder, they go to the FBI electronically and the report arrives in 24 to 48 hours; if not, they travel on paper cards by post and it takes several weeks. Then the Department of State in Washington adds the federal apostille.
What to have ready
With these, we can review your case faster:
- Valid passport: a clear photo of the page with your details.
- The office’s list: exactly what the INM, Registro Civil, SEP, notary or employer asked for.
- Matching names: your name should match across your passport, certificates and Mexican documents.
- Certified copies: an apostille needs the certified copy with the issuing office’s signature and seal.
- Privacy: please leave your Social Security number, passwords and anything unnecessary out of your first message.
Timelines and costs for Puerto Vallarta
You get the timeline and the total cost in writing before you pay.
Timelines
Electronic FBI (U.S. citizens and green card holders only): 24–48 hours or 4 working days; paper FBI: several weeks, with dates confirmed per case. Federal apostille: 10–12 business days. State apostilles: 5–7 business days on average. RCMP: 1–2 weeks. Ontario apostille: 4–6 business days; Global Affairs Canada: 20–25 business days. Translation: confirmed with the quote.
Costs
Written quote before work starts; official fees, translation and delivery around the bay are itemised separately.
Frequently asked questions in Puerto Vallarta
What people dealing with offices in Jalisco and Nayarit (Banderas Bay) ask us.
I live in Bucerías but my procedure is in Puerto Vallarta. Which state applies?
Bucerías is in Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco. What matters is where the receiving authority is: if it is a Vallarta office, Jalisco’s requirements apply, including whichever perito that office accepts.
My FBI report has a Florida state apostille. Is that OK?
No. The FBI report is a federal document and only the Department of State in Washington, D.C. can apostille it; a state apostille on a notarized copy is the wrong one and is usually rejected. Also check its date: many offices only accept checks from the last 3 to 6 months.
I need an FBI check for a visa to another country while living in Vallarta. How long does it all take?
If you are a U.S. citizen or green card holder, the electronic check comes back in 24–48 hours or 4 working days, and the federal apostille adds 10–12 business days. With another nationality the card goes on paper and it takes several weeks; we confirm dates with you.
Nearby cities
If you live between two cities or your case is handled by another office:
About us
Fingerprint in Mexico is a private document-handling service and part of Tu Apostilla. We are not a government office and do not speak for the FBI, the RCMP, the U.S. Department of State, Global Affairs Canada or any Mexican authority: certificates and apostilles are always issued by the competent authorities. Orders are placed on fbibackgroundcheck.co.uk, the company’s main website.
Free case review for Puerto Vallarta
We reply with the steps, the timeline and the cost for your case in Jalisco and Nayarit (Banderas Bay).