Criminal Record Certificate for Portugal Visa | What You Need | Visas.pt

A criminal record certificate (registo criminal in Portuguese) is an official document from your country of citizenship confirming whether you have any criminal convictions. It is a mandatory document for all Portugal long-stay visa applications including the D7, D8, D2, Golden Visa, and D3.

The certificate must:

• Be issued within 3 months of your visa application date (some consulates specify 6 months — check your specific consulate)
• Be apostilled by the competent authority in your country
• Include a certified Portuguese translation if not issued in Portuguese or English

Where to get it by country:

• United Kingdom: ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) certificate via the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)
• United States: FBI Identity History Summary (or state-level certificate, depending on consulate requirement)
• Canada: RCMP Criminal Record Check
• Australia: Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Police Check
• South Africa: South African Police Service (SAPS) clearance certificate

Processing times vary significantly by country — the FBI check in the US can take 3–4 months if done by post (faster via approved channellers). We advise clients to initiate the criminal record process as early as possible in their visa preparation.