Moving to Portugal as a US Citizen: The Complete FBI Fingerprinting & Document Checklist (2025)
Portugal has become one of the most popular destinations in the world for Americans relocating abroad — and for good reason. Mild climate, affordable cost of living, excellent healthcare, a welcoming culture, and access to the entire European Union make it a compelling choice for retirees, remote workers, families, and investors alike.
But before you can make the move official, there is one document that trips up more American applicants than any other: the FBI background check. Not because it’s complicated — but because most people underestimate how long it takes, don’t realize a translation into Portuguese is required, and don’t know that the US Embassy in Lisbon cannot help them get it.
This guide covers everything you need to know — the complete FBI fingerprinting and documentation checklist for every major Portugal visa type, step-by-step instructions, a realistic timeline, and the most common mistakes to avoid.
Why Portugal Requires an FBI Background Check
Portugal requires all non-EU nationals applying for long-stay visas or residency permits to submit a criminal background check from their country of origin. For US citizens, that means the FBI Identity History Summary — the federally issued background check that covers your complete US criminal history across all 50 states.
Portugal specifically requires the FBI check — not a state-level background check — because it needs to see your full nationwide record. A California DOJ check, a New York state criminal record, or a local police clearance covers only one state and will not be accepted.
The FBI background check is required for virtually every long-stay visa and residency category, including:
- D7 Passive Income Visa (Retirement Visa)
- D8 Digital Nomad Visa
- Golden Visa (investment route)
- D2 Entrepreneur Visa
- D3 Highly Qualified Activity Visa
- D6 Family Reunification / Partner Visa
- AIMA residency permit appointments and renewals
- Portuguese citizenship and naturalization (now requiring 10 years under Law No. 61/2025)
- Marriage in Portugal as a foreign national
- International adoption through Portuguese channels
| ⚠️ The Embassy Misconception — Read This First
The US Embassy in Lisbon and US Consulates in Portugal CANNOT take your fingerprints for FBI background check purposes. This is the most common mistake Americans make when starting the process in Portugal. You must use an FBI-approved channeler to collect and submit your fingerprints to the FBI. MR Fingerprints is an FBI-approved channeler. We offer a worldwide mail-in kit program that ships directly to your address in Portugal, as well as in-person Live Scan fingerprinting at our downtown Los Angeles location. |
The Three Documents You Need — Not Just One
Most Americans think ‘FBI background check’ and assume that’s one document. For Portugal, it’s actually a package of three — and submitting an incomplete package is the most common reason AIMA and Portuguese consulate applications are rejected.
Document 1 — The FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI background check itself. This is fingerprint-based, federally issued, and covers your complete US criminal history. If you have no criminal record, the FBI issues a ‘no record’ result, which is equally valid. The document is issued in English.
Important: The document must be dated within 90 days of your visa or AIMA application submission. This 90-day validity window is strictly enforced by Portuguese authorities — a document dated one day outside the window will be rejected.
Document 2 — US Department of State Federal Apostille
Portugal is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, which means it requires foreign official documents to be authenticated with an apostille before they can be used. Your FBI background check must be apostilled by the US Department of State — not by any state government. This is a critical distinction: the FBI is a federal agency, and its documents require a federal apostille. State apostilles are invalid for FBI documents and will cause your application to be rejected.
MR Fingerprints coordinates the federal apostille process on your behalf, or provides clear step-by-step guidance if you prefer to handle this step directly.
Document 3 — Certified Portuguese Translation
This is the step that surprises most applicants. Portugal requires all foreign official documents submitted to AIMA or the Portuguese consulate — including the FBI background check — to be translated into Portuguese by a certified translator. Not a bilingual friend. Not Google Translate. Not an uncertified translation agency. A certified (sworn) translation by an accredited translator.
MR Fingerprints provides certified Portuguese translation of your FBI Identity History Summary by accredited translators, meeting AIMA and consulate standards. The translation is delivered alongside your apostilled document as a complete, submission-ready package.
| ✅ What MR Fingerprints Handles For You
Step 1 — FBI-approved fingerprinting: Live Scan in-person (Los Angeles) or FD-258 mail-in kit shipped to Portugal Step 2 — FBI Identity History Summary submission and processing Step 3 — US Department of State federal apostille coordination Step 4 — Certified Portuguese translation by accredited translators One provider. One process. Complete submission-ready package delivered to you. |
The Complete Document Checklist by Visa Type
Below is the FBI fingerprinting and document checklist for each major Portugal visa and residency category. Note that additional documents are required for each visa beyond what is listed here — consult your Portuguese consulate or immigration attorney for the full application checklist. These are the FBI-related documentation requirements specifically.
| ? D7 Passive Income Visa (Retirement Visa) |
| ☐ FBI Identity History Summary — issued within 90 days of application |
| ☐ US Department of State federal apostille on the FBI document |
| ☐ Certified Portuguese translation of the apostilled FBI document |
| ☐ Note: Submit to the Portuguese consulate serving your US state of residence |
| ☐ Note: All applicants aged 16+ must provide individual FBI documentation |
| ? D8 Digital Nomad Visa |
| ☐ FBI Identity History Summary — issued within 90 days of application |
| ☐ US Department of State federal apostille on the FBI document |
| ☐ Certified Portuguese translation of the apostilled FBI document |
| ☐ Note: Minimum income ~€2,800/month required; FBI documentation requirements same as D7 |
| ☐ Note: If already in Portugal on a tourist visa, transition to D8 requires AIMA appointment |
| ? Golden Visa (Investment Route) |
| ☐ FBI Identity History Summary — issued within 90 days of AIMA submission |
| ☐ US Department of State federal apostille on the FBI document |
| ☐ Certified Portuguese translation of the apostilled FBI document |
| ☐ Note: If you have lived in other countries for 1+ year, background checks from those countries may also be required |
| ☐ Note: Golden Visa citizenship timeline is now 10 years under Law No. 61/2025 |
| ☐ Note: Real estate investment route closed — qualifying fund investments and other routes remain open |
| ? AIMA Residency Appointment (After Arriving in Portugal) |
| ☐ FBI Identity History Summary — dated within 90 days of your AIMA appointment date |
| ☐ US Department of State federal apostille on the FBI document |
| ☐ Certified Portuguese translation of the apostilled FBI document |
| ☐ Note: You must attend your AIMA appointment within 120 days of arriving in Portugal on your long-stay visa |
| ☐ Note: AIMA enforces zero-defect applications since April 2025 — missing or improperly apostilled documents are rejected outright |
| ☐ Note: Book your AIMA appointment as early as possible — wait times are significant |
| ? Portuguese Citizenship / Naturalization |
| ☐ FBI Identity History Summary — current, issued within 90 days of citizenship application |
| ☐ US Department of State federal apostille on the FBI document |
| ☐ Certified Portuguese translation of the apostilled FBI document |
| ☐ Note: Under Law No. 61/2025, US citizens now need 10 years of legal residency (previously 5) |
| ☐ Note: The 10-year count starts from date of first residence permit — not visa application |
| ☐ Note: Some consulates also require background checks from other countries where you have lived |
Step-by-Step: How to Get Your FBI Background Check from Portugal
- Order your mail-in fingerprint kit from MR Fingerprints. We ship FD-258 standard ink fingerprint cards directly to your address in Portugal. International delivery typically takes 7–14 business days via tracked shipping. Alternatively, if you are visiting Los Angeles, book an in-person Live Scan appointment for near-zero print rejection rates.
- Complete your fingerprints in Portugal. Use our detailed instructions to complete your ink prints at home, or visit a local esquadra de polícia (police station) — many will assist with foreign fingerprint card completion. Legible, complete prints are critical. Smudged or incomplete prints are the most common reason for FBI rejection and will reset your entire timeline.
- Mail your completed fingerprint cards back to MR Fingerprints. Use a trackable courier — DHL, FedEx, or CTT International with tracking. Keep your tracking number and allow 7–14 business days for delivery.
- We submit your prints to the FBI. As an FBI-approved channeler, we submit your fingerprints electronically to the FBI. Standard processing takes 6–8 weeks from submission. Expedited options are available for urgent timelines.
- We coordinate your US Department of State apostille. Once your FBI results are received, we handle the apostille process on your behalf. Standard apostille processing takes 6–8 weeks. Expedited options can reduce this to 1–2 weeks.
- We provide your certified Portuguese translation. Our accredited translators produce the certified Portuguese translation required by AIMA and Portuguese consulates. Translation is delivered alongside your apostilled document.
- Receive your complete submission-ready package. Apostilled original plus certified Portuguese translation — delivered directly to your address in Portugal, ready to submit with your visa or AIMA application.
Timing tip: Start this process at least 5–6 months before your planned application or AIMA appointment date. The 90-day validity window starts the moment the FBI issues your document — not when you begin the process. At standard speed, the full timeline is 14–22 weeks.
Realistic Timeline: Standard vs. Expedited
| Step | Standard Timeline | Expedited Timeline |
| Order mail-in fingerprint kit | Day 1 | Day 1 |
| Kit arrives in Portugal | Days 7–14 | Days 3–5 (DHL express) |
| Complete & return fingerprint cards | Days 14–28 | Days 6–10 |
| FBI processes your prints | Weeks 8–14 | Weeks 4–7 (expedited) |
| US Dept. of State apostille | Weeks 14–22 | Weeks 5–8 (expedited) |
| Certified Portuguese translation | Weeks 14–22 + 3–5 days | Weeks 5–8 + 1–2 days |
| Complete document package ready | 14–22 weeks total | 5–8 weeks total |
| ? The 90-Day Window — The Most Misunderstood Part of This Process
Portugal requires your FBI background check to be dated within 90 days of your application submission. The clock starts the moment the FBI issues your document — not when you order your kit. At standard speed, the complete process takes 14–22 weeks. That means if you start today, you may have only days or weeks of validity remaining by the time your document arrives. Always work backward from your target application date and start fingerprinting at least 5–6 months in advance. If your timeline is tight, expedited FBI processing and apostille options can bring the total down to 5–8 weeks. |
The 5 Most Common Mistakes Americans Make
1. Going to the US Embassy first
The US Embassy in Lisbon cannot fingerprint you for FBI background check purposes. Every week, Americans in Portugal lose weeks of their timeline by contacting the Embassy first. Go directly to an FBI-approved channeler like MR Fingerprints.
2. Getting a state apostille instead of a federal apostille
Portugal requires a federal apostille from the US Department of State. FBI documents are federal — a state Secretary of State apostille is invalid and will cause your application to be rejected. This is the most expensive mistake in this process.
3. Forgetting the Portuguese translation
The apostilled FBI document alone is not sufficient for Portugal. A certified Portuguese translation is required at every stage — visa application, AIMA appointment, and citizenship. The translation must be done by an accredited certified translator. MR Fingerprints handles this as part of our complete service package.
4. Starting too late
The 90-day validity window and the 14–22 week standard processing timeline are in direct conflict if you don’t start early enough. Most applicants who miss their AIMA appointment window or have their visa application expire do so because they started fingerprinting too late. Start 5–6 months before your target date — minimum.
5. Not accounting for AIMA wait times
Even after your FBI documentation is perfect and your visa is approved, you must attend an AIMA appointment within 120 days of arriving in Portugal. AIMA appointment slots are heavily backlogged — many applicants wait months. Book your appointment through AIMA’s online portal the moment you arrive in Portugal. If your FBI documentation was issued more than 90 days before your AIMA appointment, you may need a fresh background check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Portugal accept a digital copy of the FBI background check?
Yes — Portugal accepts the digital PDF version of the FBI Identity History Summary. However, it must still be apostilled before submission. The apostille can be obtained on the digital document through the US Department of State’s e-apostille system in certain cases. MR Fingerprints can advise you on the best format for your specific application.
Do both spouses need separate FBI background checks?
Yes. Each adult applicant aged 16 and over must provide their own individual FBI Identity History Summary, apostille, and certified Portuguese translation. If you and your spouse are applying together, both of you need the complete three-document package. MR Fingerprints offers kits for multiple applicants — order one per adult when you place your order.
What if I have a criminal record?
Having a criminal record does not automatically disqualify you from a Portuguese visa or residency application. Portugal evaluates the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and whether it would carry a prison sentence of more than one year under Portuguese law. Minor or old offenses often do not cause issues. Serious crimes are more likely to lead to a refusal. If you have any record, consult with a Portuguese immigration attorney before applying — they can advise whether your specific situation poses a risk.
Do I need a new FBI background check for each step — visa, AIMA, and citizenship?
Potentially yes. The 90-day validity window means that if your visa, AIMA appointment, and citizenship application occur more than 90 days apart — which they almost certainly will over a 10-year residency — you will need fresh FBI documentation at each milestone. Most applicants go through the full process at least twice: once for their visa application and once for their AIMA appointment. Plan for this in advance.
Can MR Fingerprints handle the entire process from Portugal?
Yes. MR Fingerprints ships our mail-in fingerprint kit directly to your address anywhere in Portugal — Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, Madeira, the Azores, or anywhere else. You complete your prints, mail them back to us, and we handle FBI submission, apostille coordination, and certified Portuguese translation. You receive your complete submission-ready package at your door. Contact us to get started.
Ready to Start Your Portugal Move?
Getting your FBI documentation right is one of the most important and most time-sensitive steps in your move to Portugal. The good news: with the right provider handling fingerprinting, apostille, and certified translation under one roof, the process is completely manageable — even from Lisbon, Porto, or the Algarve.
MR Fingerprints serves US citizens relocating to Portugal from anywhere in the world. We ship to your address, handle your FBI submission, coordinate your apostille, and deliver your certified Portuguese translation — start to finish.
? Downtown Los Angeles
? 213-761-5883
? Book your appointment today
