I recently received my FBI background check and I'm preparing my apostille application, but I am a bit unsure so I would appreciate some advice.

1. The background check document mailed to me by the FBI feels very... unofficial? It's flimsy printer paper, there's no written signature (it's printed), etc. Is this appropriate to submit? It just feels wrong because almost every other document we've collected has felt much more "official" (higher quality paper, higher quality seals, etc)
2. The document the FBI sent me has both the main background check page as well as an almost-blank cover page that has nothing more than a semi-transparent seal printed on it, my address, and what appears to be a serial number. Do I have to include this page in my submission?
3. The US state department website points me to form DS-4194 to fill out, but before that it notes two options under "prepare your document" - Apostille and Authentications. I'm pretty sure I want to Apostille here, but I'm not clear on how to indicate this on the form.
4. On the state department's website that outlines how to prepare your document for an apostille certificate it says, "If the country where you are using the document requires it to be translated from English, get a professional translator and have it notarized". I was under the impression that I needed to get the FBI background check apostilled first, and then have it translated to Slovakian. Can somebody please help clarify the order of operations for me here?

Thank you for your help!

Is it possible to apply in a third country (ie not your home country or Slovakia)? For context, I requested an appointment back in February for the NY office, and as of now still do not have an appointment. We will be living in Italy for 3 months next year but not legal residents. Is it possible to apply in Rome? If not we are going to fly up to Bratislava for a long weekend, but wondered if there was a workaround.

Good Day everyone! I’m looking for assistance for my child’s Slovak passport. For context, my daughter was born a few weeks ago in the United Arab Emirates. Her mother is a Slovak Citizen, I am not. We intended for my daughter to attain her Slovak citizenship.

The Slovak embassy in the United Arab Emirates does not send post very often to Bratislava. As I understand it, my daughter requires a few documents before she can have her passport and return back to the UAE where we live.

She requires a Slovak Birth Certificate ( At this time, we have a UAE Birth Certificate which has been super legalised, translated and stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here and the Slovak Embassy in the UAE)

After which we need to apply for a certificate of Slovak Citizenship, followed by which she will receive her passport.

We opted for her to have her Slovak citizenship instead of mine as my citizens and I are not permitted dual citizenships and we expect that she will be closer to Slovakia anyway.

We spoke to the people at City Hall / Town Hall last November while we were there last to come up with the best strategy to tackle her passport expeditiously so that we may return home. The consensus at that time was that doing it in-person in Slovakia was probably quicker than handling it through the Embassy. Roughly 1 month compared to 5. Therefore we budgeted around a month and half for her to have her documentation done in Slovakia.

We needed to make things fast because the UAE imposes a penalty of around €17 a day for each day over 90 days that a child does not have its UAE residence card. To obtain said residence card a passport is required.

However, a few days ago my in-laws were in their town in Slovakia (Prievidza) and it seems there is a possibility that the process goes longer anyway.

I’m hoping to hear some insights from those of you who may know what the actual realistic timeline is. Or perhaps, if you’ve gone through the process yourself?

We intend to reach Slovakia on the 1st of November, but if we can’t be back in the Emirates by Christmas, we may as well do it here and pay the fine so we don’t miss the first Christmas together as a family.