FBI Background Check for a Portugal Visa: How to Get It and Apostille It

Almost every Portuguese national visa asks for a criminal record certificate. For applicants who live in the United States that means the FBI Identity History Summary, often called an FBI background check. It is not hard, but the order of the steps and the timing catch many people out.

What Portugal asks for

Portugal asks for a criminal record certificate from the country where you live. For the US that is the federal FBI record, apostilled so it is accepted in Portugal. If you have lived outside the US during the last year, a police record from that country is also needed. Children under 16 do not need one.

Step 1: Request the record

You can apply online through the FBI or use an approved channeler, a private company authorised to send your fingerprints electronically. Directly with the FBI the fee is about $18 and the result usually takes a few business days. A channeler costs more but can return an electronic result in hours. Either way you will need a clean set of fingerprints, taken at a police station or a similar location, unless you submit them electronically.

Step 2: Apostille from the US Department of State

The record is a federal document, so the apostille must come from the US Department of State, not from a state office. You can send the original or an email copy. If you include a return envelope, check which carriers the Department accepts, because some, such as FedEx, are reported not to work and can delay your document.

Step 3: Watch the 90 days

This is where most people lose time. The FBI record must not be older than 90 days, counted from the date on the report to the day your application is submitted to the consulate by VFS. The apostille does not renew it. If your appointment is late, an early record expires and you have to start again.

The booking window matters too: applications through VFS can be submitted no earlier than 90 days before your intended arrival, and through a consulate no earlier than 6 months. Order the record only when your appointment date is secured.

Related documents

• Portuguese criminal record: the application also includes a form asking for the consultation of your Portuguese record.
• Marriage and birth certificates: needed only when family members apply or one spouse depends on the other. Once apostilled they are valid for 6 months.

Common mistakes

• Apostilling at state level instead of at the US Department of State.
• Ordering the record too early and letting it expire before submission.
• Poor fingerprints, which cause a rejection and a delay.
• Forgetting the police record of another country you lived in during the last year.

We can tell you exactly which documents your visa needs, in which order, and by which dates. Our guide on what slows down visa appointments helps you plan the rest.

Requirements and processing times change. We confirm the current rules for each file.