Preparing for your fingerprint appointment
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For the appointment you need a valid identity document; a national identity card or a passport will do. If the authority has already sent you a form, or you hold a completed card, bring it along. The appointment takes about 60 minutes, after which you take two finished cards with you.
Which identity document do I need to bring?
A national identity card or a passport — either one is enough, and it must be valid. We check the details on the card against it, because the authority in your destination country verifies name and date of birth against an official document.
Should I bring my own card?
If you have one, absolutely. Some applicants are sent a form by the requesting body, sometimes already completed with the ORI number and the reason. We then take the impressions directly on that original or on a copy.
If you do not have a form, we print the one supplied by the FBI. There is nothing you need to obtain in advance.
How long does the appointment take?
About 60 minutes for both cards. That covers entering your details, taking impressions of all ten fingers, and checking the finished cards.
What do you fill in, and what do I need to bring myself?
We complete the personal details and the “Reason Fingerprinted” entry. We do not fill in the ORI number — that is the identifier of the agency forwarding or processing your card, and you receive it from the body requesting the background check.
Bring the authority’s letter if you have one. It normally states both the correct form and the ORI number.
How many cards do I get, and what do I do with them?
You receive two finished cards, both included in the price. The second is a spare in case of a query. If the authority asks for three or four cards — that happens too — each further card costs EUR 120 including VAT.
You submit them yourself: we do not post the cards. Which route applies — sending them in directly or using an approved provider — is set by the authority requesting the background check.
What does the appointment cost and how do I pay?
A planned appointment with up to two months’ lead time costs EUR 349 including VAT; an appointment within 14 days costs EUR 399. Both cards are included.
Payment is made on site on the day — in cash, by debit card or by credit card. Fees charged by the authority in your destination country are not included; you pay those there directly.
Do I have to travel to Bochum?
Yes. The impressions can only be taken on site. Places that competently complete fingerprint cards for foreign authorities are rare in Germany — our clients come from all over the country.
The impressions are taken by a forensic fingerprint examiner who learned the discipline in state service and practised it for over twenty years as an expert for the authorities.
Where does the appointment take place?
At our office at Agnesstraße 40, 44791 Bochum, Germany. Appointments are by arrangement only — through the contact form or by phone on 0234 / 9507537.
In brief
Is a national identity card enough, or do I need a passport?
Either one is enough. A national identity card and a passport are equally suitable as long as the document is valid.
Do I have to attend in person?
Yes. Fingerprints can only be taken on site; there is no postal or digital route for this step.
Can several people be seen at one appointment?
Please mention it when you enquire so we can allow the time. Reckon on about 60 minutes per person.