A Portuguese criminal record certificate (Certificado do Registo Criminal) is an official document issued through the Portuguese Ministry of Justice. It is commonly requested for immigration, employment, citizenship, licensing and other procedures outside Portugal.
You can request it yourself through the official channels below. Portugal Papers can also obtain the certificate for you and, when required, arrange apostille, certified translation and delivery in one request.
Prefer us to handle the process?
Start with your email only. We will confirm the details, request the certificate and organize any apostille, translation or delivery you need.
A private Portugal Papers service, handled by our document team in Lisbon.
What Is a Certificado do Registo Criminal
A Portuguese criminal record certificate is an official document issued by the General Directorate of Justice Administration (Direção-Geral da Administração da Justiça, DGAJ). It contains information about any criminal convictions for persons aged 16 and over.
Information Included in the Certificate
| Record Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Portuguese court convictions | All criminal convictions issued by Portuguese courts |
| Security measures | Court-ordered security measures in Portugal |
| Foreign court decisions | Criminal decisions from foreign courts transmitted to Portugal under international agreements |
Important to Understand
The certificate only reflects convictions registered in the Portuguese system. It does not contain information about convictions in other countries unless that data was officially transmitted to Portugal.
When this certificate is commonly requested
The receiving authority decides whether a Portuguese certificate is required and how recent it must be.
- Visa, residence and immigration applications
- Citizenship or naturalization procedures
- Employment, regulated professions and background checks
- Adoption, volunteering or work with vulnerable people
- Licensing, compliance and certain corporate procedures
Do not order it only because you once visited Portugal. Check whether the authority asks for certificates from countries of nationality, residence or stay, and what period triggers the requirement.
Choose the official request route that fits your situation
The government fee is €5. Registered international mail costs €8.25 in total. The correct route depends mainly on your digital authentication and where you live.
- Online portal: use Cartão de Cidadão, an eligible Chave Móvel Digital or supported eIDAS authentication. Online issuance may take up to 3 business days.
- Foreign-resident form: if you live abroad without Portuguese digital authentication, use the dedicated form for residents abroad. It must not be used by residents in Portugal.
- By phone: available with an active Chave Móvel Digital and the autenticação.gov app. Call +351 210 489 010 on business days, 09:00-18:00 Lisbon time.
- Through a representative in Portugal: third-party requests are made in person with written authorization and the required identity documents.
Have this information ready
- Valid identity document
- Full name, date and place of birth, nationality and parents' names
- Purpose for which the certificate will be used
- Payment method accepted by the selected route
- Written authorization and signed identity-document copy if another person applies for you
Using the certificate abroad
Good to know
Apostille is not automatic. The receiving authority decides whether it accepts the Portuguese certificate as issued or requires apostille, another legalization route, translation or a paper version.
If you already have a valid Portuguese criminal record and need it apostilled, use the dedicated Apostille for Portuguese Criminal Record service.
For another EU Member State, an eligible Portuguese citizen with a negative certificate may be able to use Annex XI instead of apostille and a separate translation.
The full decision — electronic or paper, apostille, legalization outside the Hague framework, translation — is set out in the guide to using a Portuguese criminal record abroad.
Using the certificate in another EU country
For Portuguese citizens whose certificate has no convictions, the online portal can issue the European Standard Certificate under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191. It is multilingual, must accompany the Portuguese certificate and has the same 90-day validity. Within the EU, it is designed to remove the need for apostille and help avoid translation.
This route is not available for every applicant or every certificate. The receiving authority still decides which document it needs and what legal effect it gives it.
Validity and document freshness
The Portuguese certificate and its access code are valid for 90 days from issue. A receiving authority may still ask for a more recent certificate within that period, so order it close to your submission date.
When a certified translation is needed
Translation is not automatic. Check which languages the receiving authority accepts. If it requires a certified translation, Portugal Papers can arrange it. For eligible use within the EU, the European Standard Certificate may reduce or remove the translation step.
Portugal Papers can complete the whole document path
You do not need to manage separate providers. We can request the certificate, verify the result, arrange apostille or certified translation when required, and deliver the final documents digitally or in paper form.
- Certificate request from Portugal
- Apostille through the competent Portuguese authority
- Certified translation into the required language
- European postal or worldwide courier delivery
How much does the official certificate cost?
The official fee for a Portuguese criminal record certificate is €5. Any Portugal Papers service fee, courier cost, apostille, translation or other document work is separate.
Can you request it online?
Yes. The Portuguese Criminal Record Online service supports Portuguese digital identification and additional eligible electronic identity routes, including supported eIDAS access. People who live outside Portugal also have a separate Residents Abroad application route.
Your place of residence and identity method determine the filing route. When the online route is not practical, an authorised representative in Portugal is another established option.
If you live outside Portugal
Portugal has a dedicated criminal record application for people who live abroad. It is not the route for residents in Portugal.
DGAJ states that requests from abroad can take up to 10 working days after the required documents are received and payment is confirmed. If you want us to handle the Portuguese side, see our service for getting a Portuguese criminal record from abroad.
Can someone request it for you?
Yes. Representation is available in the applicable request routes. The required authorisation and identification documents are set by the applicant profile and filing route; a notarised power of attorney is not a universal requirement.
If you want Portugal Papers to handle the request, we confirm the exact authorisation and identification documents before filing.
How long is the certificate valid?
A Portuguese criminal record certificate is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. For time-sensitive procedures, match the issue date to the receiving authority's document window.
What language is the certificate in?
The current Portuguese criminal record certificate is issued in Portuguese and English. For destinations that require another language or supporting form, add certified translation or the relevant international-use document.
Do you need an apostille?
The destination determines the route. For international use, prepare the certificate for the country and authority receiving it.
For Hague Convention destinations that require formal authentication, apostille is the standard route. Inside the European Union, eligible Portuguese citizens with a negative criminal record can use the multilingual Annex XI route instead of apostille or translation.
Send us the destination and requirement. We confirm the practical route and prepare the document accordingly.
apostille a Portuguese criminal recordAnnex XI for use in the EU
Who issues the Portuguese apostille?
Portuguese apostilles are handled through the Ministério Público / Procuradoria-Geral da República system, not by IRN or ePortugal. The current official apostille fee is €10.20.
Electronic public documents can use the official electronic-apostille route. In practice, Portugal Papers uses both electronic and paper apostille routes and chooses the format that works best for the document and destination.
Using the certificate in another EU country
An eligible Portuguese citizen with a negative criminal record can obtain the European Standard Certificate known as Annex XI for use with the Portuguese criminal record in another EU Member State.
The form is multilingual, accompanies the Portuguese certificate and has the same validity period. In an eligible case, it is designed to remove the need for apostille and help avoid a separate translation inside the EU.
Check the certificate by access code
A Portuguese criminal record certificate includes an access code that can be used on the official portal while the certificate remains valid. If you already have a certificate, checking the code can save you from ordering a duplicate document.
Is this the same as a Portugal police clearance certificate?
Usually, yes. Foreign authorities often use terms such as police clearance certificate, police certificate or PCC. The Portuguese document they normally mean is the Certificado do Registo Criminal, the Portuguese Criminal Record Certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need a Portuguese Criminal Record Certificate?
Portugal Papers can handle the Portuguese-side request remotely from the client's perspective and coordinate apostille, translation and delivery when required.
Related Guides
Portuguese Citizenship Guide
Complete guide to obtaining Portuguese citizenship in 2026.
Birth Certificate Guide
How to get a Portuguese birth certificate when living outside Portugal.
Apostille in Portugal
Everything about apostilling Portuguese documents for international use.
Article prepared by the Portugal Papers team. Last updated: January 2026.