FBI Background Check and Apostille for Portugal (Criminal Record Certificate)
Moving to Portugal on a D7, digital nomad or other residency visa? Portugal asks for a criminal record certificate. For Americans, that means your FBI background check with a federal apostille.
Anshin Mobile Notary & LiveScan handles it for you: fingerprints, the FBI request and the federal apostille. Clients come to our Los Angeles or Beverly Hills office, book mobile service, or send their documents from abroad.
For every step in detail, see our step-by-step guide to getting your FBI background check apostilled.
What Portugal Requires
The VFS Global checklist for Portuguese residency visas applied for in the U.S. asks for:
- A criminal record certificate issued by the FBI.
- Applicants 16 and older.
- A federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State.
- A separate form authorizing Portugal to check its own criminal records.
If you’ve lived more than a year in another country, you may also need a certificate from there. Check the checklist for your visa.
How recent does it need to be? That depends on the visa. The general residency checklist doesn’t say, so check with your consulate or VFS center before you start. The checklist for the D8 remote-work visa is clear, though: the FBI certificate has to be issued less than 90 days before you submit your application. That’s tight, so time it to your appointment.
Translation: a Portuguese translation isn’t usually required. If yours asks for one, we provide it.
How We Handle It
If You’re in Los Angeles
- Fingerprints and FBI submission. At our Los Angeles or Beverly Hills office, or we come to you. We take your fingerprints and submit them to the FBI electronically.
- Your FBI record. The FBI sends the record to you. Forward it to us.
- Federal apostille. We submit your FBI record to the U.S. Department of State and collect the apostille.
- Ready for your appointment.
If You’re Living Abroad
Get fingerprinted on FD-258 cards at your local police station and send them to us. We submit them to the FBI in person, handle the federal apostille, and ship everything to you. See FBI Background Check Apostille Abroad.
How long it takes: about three weeks if we fingerprint you here in Los Angeles, and longer if you’re applying from abroad. We walk through both timelines in How Long Does an FBI Background Check Apostille Take?
Related Guides
- Portugal D7 Visa: who qualifies and how to apply
- Apostille for Portugal: birth, marriage, diploma and business documents
- FBI Background Check
Frequently Asked Questions About FBI Background Check and Apostille for Portugal
What background check do I need for a Portugal D7 or residency visa?
Your FBI Identity History Summary with a federal apostille. The visa checklist calls it a criminal record certificate.
Can a California apostille be used?
No. The FBI record is a federal document, so the apostille must come from the U.S. Department of State.
Who needs one?
Every applicant 16 or older.
How recent must it be?
The checklist doesn’t say. Confirm with your consulate or VFS center.
Do I need a Portuguese translation?
Usually not. If yours asks for one, we provide it.
I’ve lived in other countries. What else do I need?
If you’ve lived more than a year in another country, you may also need a certificate from there. Check the checklist for your visa.
I live abroad. Can you still help?
Yes. Get fingerprinted locally and send us your cards. See FBI Background Check Apostille Abroad.
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