Portugal criminal record certificate cost is normally €5 for each Portuguese Certificado do Registo Criminal. The official fee is the same for a standard online or in-person request. If you live abroad and choose postal delivery, the published total is €8.25 because €3.25 is added for postage. Several specific statutory purposes are free, and some immigration or nationality procedures do not require you to buy a Portuguese certificate yourself at all.
For most applicants, Portugal criminal record certificate cost is €5. Budget €8.25 only when requesting from abroad with postal delivery. Email delivery from abroad remains €5. The certificate is generally valid for 90 days from issue, and digital and printed versions have the same legal value because authenticity is checked through the certificate’s access code.
Standard official certificate fee
Certificate plus postal delivery abroad
Days of certificate-code validity
For limited officially exempt purposes
The controlling current information comes from Portugal’s Ministry of Justice and the Direção-Geral da Administração da Justiça (DGAJ). The official Justice service page for criminal record certificates states a €5 certificate price and a €3.25 charge for sending the document abroad. The Online Criminal Record portal separately confirms the €5 standard charge.
Portugal Criminal Record Certificate Cost by Request Method
The fee structure is unusually simple. Unlike many Portuguese administrative procedures, the ordinary price does not change merely because you request the document online rather than over a counter. What changes the total is principally whether a certificate requested from abroad needs postal delivery.
| Request route | Situation | Official cost | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Portugal or abroad | €5 | Electronic certificate; no postal surcharge |
| In person | Portugal | €5 | Standard certificate charge |
| Request from abroad | Email delivery | €5 | No delivery charge |
| Request from abroad | Postal delivery | €8.25 | €5 certificate + €3.25 postage |
This table reflects the Ministry of Justice’s current published tariff. It should not be confused with fees that may arise later because another country asks for an apostille, legalisation, translation, certified copy or other document treatment. Those are separate services and are not included in the €5 criminal-record fee.
There is also no lower legal status attached to the electronic version. Justice states that the paper and digital forms have the same legal value. The certificate contains an access code that allows its authenticity to be checked electronically. This matters because an employer or authority that accepts the Portuguese certificate does not automatically need an original piece of paper embossed or stamped at a counter.
When the Certificate Is Free
Portugal criminal record certificate cost falls to zero only for a narrow group of officially listed purposes. DGAJ currently identifies four free categories. These exemptions concern the purpose for which the certificate is requested; they are not a general exemption based on nationality, income or residence status.
Presidential candidacy
A certificate requested for candidacy for President of the Portuguese Republic is listed as free.
Equality of rights status
A certificate for estatuto de igualdade de direitos is exempt from the normal issuance charge.
Armed Forces service
Certificates for effective service in the Portuguese Armed Forces are among the published exemptions.
Military medals
The exemption also covers the grant of military or commemorative medals identified by DGAJ.
If your purpose is employment, professional licensing, volunteering, a private administrative requirement, personal use or another ordinary reason, do not assume that the certificate is free. The default remains €5 unless your stated purpose falls within an official exemption.
Who Can Request a Portuguese Criminal Record Certificate?
Any person of any nationality aged over 16 can request their own Portuguese criminal record certificate. A person aged over 18 can also request another person’s certificate when properly authorised, but third-party applications must be made in person and require the relevant written authorisation and identity documentation.
This is an important distinction for foreigners living in Portugal: the Portuguese criminal record system is not restricted to Portuguese citizens. The current DGAJ guidance expressly states that a person of any nationality over 16 may request their own record.
The online route has also become broader than some older English-language guidance suggests. The current Online Criminal Record FAQ explains that foreign citizens may authenticate through supported electronic identification routes. For third-country nationals or EU nationals without supported eIDAS authentication, this can include a Chave Móvel Digital associated with a passport, residence permit or residence card.
Practical caution: older web pages may say the online service is effectively restricted to Portuguese citizens. Check the live portal and current authentication instructions rather than relying on archived guidance, because the supported identification methods have evolved.
How to Obtain the Certificate
Online
Use the official Registo Criminal Online portal, authenticate through an accepted digital identity method, select the purpose of the certificate, complete the request and pay the fee. Current portal guidance lists ATM reference, credit card, MB WAY and PayPal among available payment methods in relevant online cases.
In person
You can request the certificate at participating criminal-identification service desks, courts and certain citizen service points. A valid identification document is required. DGAJ advises scheduling where applicable, and the Ministry of Justice provides a separate criminal record appointment service.
By telephone
Justice also provides a telephone request route. It requires an active Chave Móvel Digital and the autenticação.gov application on a biometric-capable smartphone. This is useful when authentication is available but you prefer assisted processing rather than completing the portal alone.
From abroad
People resident abroad can use the specific application procedure published by DGAJ. Electronic delivery costs €5; postal delivery adds €3.25. The overseas application route should not be used merely because you are temporarily outside Portugal if you do not satisfy the conditions stated for that procedure.
How Fast Is It Issued?
Portugal criminal record certificate cost does not buy a faster or slower version of the document. The expected issuance time depends instead on the channel, identification and whether the system requires additional checks.
For an online application, DGAJ says the certificate is issued after payment when there are no technical impediments. If a problem involving identification or the information to be certified requires additional handling, issuance can take up to three working days.
At criminal-identification service counters, many applications can also be issued immediately. Court or citizen-service processing can vary according to the identification document used and whether central verification is required. Requests properly submitted from abroad have a longer administrative timeline; current DGAJ guidance states up to 10 working days after the necessary documents are received and payment is confirmed.
Do not order it too early.
The certificate’s access code is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. If an employer, licensing body or foreign authority requires a recently issued criminal record, obtaining it months before your submission can mean paying for another certificate later.
The 90-Day Validity Rule
The official online portal states that the certificate access code expires 90 days after issuance. During that validity period, the code can be used through the portal to obtain an electronically updated version of the certificate at the date and time of consultation.
This mechanism explains why the access code matters more than whether somebody prints the PDF. The certificate is electronically signed by the Criminal Identification Services, and a recipient can use the code to verify or retrieve the information while it remains valid.
The current portal also states that the Portuguese criminal record certificate is issued in a Portuguese/English bilingual version. That may remove the need for an English translation when the receiving authority accepts the bilingual Portuguese certificate. It does not mean every foreign authority must accept it without additional formalities.
Apostille, Translation and Foreign Use: What the €5 Does Not Cover
If you intend to use the certificate outside Portugal, first ask the receiving authority exactly what it requires. Portugal criminal record certificate cost of €5 covers issuance of the Portuguese certificate itself. It does not automatically cover an apostille, consular legalisation, certified translation, courier service or professional document handling.
Where a Hague Apostille is required for a Portuguese document, the competent Portuguese authority is the Procuradoria-Geral da República system. The criminal-record portal links applicants to the Public Prosecution Service apostille guidance. The correct formalisation route depends on the destination country and the authority receiving the document.
Within the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 can simplify certain public-document formalities in covered situations. The criminal-record portal also explains a specific multilingual standard-form procedure associated with a negative criminal record for use within the Regulation’s framework. Do not assume, however, that every employer or regulator in every EU country uses the same document package.
Immigration: You May Not Need to Buy the Portuguese Certificate
This is where a €5 answer can become misleading if the purpose is not identified. Foreign nationals applying for or renewing Portuguese residence commonly encounter “criminal record” requirements, but the process distinguishes a Portuguese criminal-record check from criminal records issued by other countries.
AIMA can access it
The Ministry of Justice states that foreign citizens requesting or renewing a residence permit do not need to obtain the Portuguese criminal record certificate at a service desk. They can authorise AIMA to access the Portuguese record directly.
A different document
AIMA residence procedures may still require a criminal record from the applicant’s country of nationality or the country where the person lived for more than one year before residing in Portugal, with the required authentication.
AIMA’s current FAQ expressly explains that Portuguese criminal-background information is checked through access to the Portuguese criminal-record information system, while the foreign certificate is a separate evidential requirement in relevant residence cases. See AIMA’s current regulatory FAQ.
Therefore, if your real question is “What criminal record do I need for my AIMA appointment?”, do not automatically buy the €5 Portuguese certificate. Check the exact AIMA procedure. You may instead need to authorise access to the Portuguese record and separately provide an authenticated foreign certificate.
Nationality Applications Are Another Important Exception
For Portuguese nationality procedures, the Ministry of Justice states that applicants do not need to obtain a Portuguese criminal record certificate simply to hand it to the Conservatória. The registry accesses the relevant Portuguese information directly.
That does not mean a nationality file can never involve foreign criminal-record evidence. It means the Portuguese certificate itself should not be purchased unnecessarily merely because you assume every nationality applicant must bring one.
If you are calculating the wider cost of naturalisation rather than the €5 certificate fee, PortugalPath’s current guide to Portuguese citizenship by residence costs separates the nationality application fee from document, legalisation and optional professional expenses.
What Information Does the Certificate Show?
The Portuguese criminal record is not simply a generic “police clearance” database. Justice explains that it can contain criminal convictions handed down by Portuguese courts, Portuguese judicial decisions imposing security measures, and certain foreign criminal decisions communicated to Portugal under international arrangements concerning Portuguese citizens or foreigners resident in Portugal.
The purpose selected when requesting the certificate is legally meaningful. Portuguese criminal-record legislation regulates certificate content according to the purpose for which the information is requested. This is one reason the application asks you to identify what the certificate will be used for and, in relevant cases, whether the activity involves regular contact with minors.
A certificate requested for one purpose should therefore not automatically be treated as interchangeable with every possible future request. If an employer, regulator or institution has specified the intended purpose, enter that purpose accurately rather than choosing a convenient generic option.
A Practical Cost Checklist Before You Pay
- Confirm that the document requested is specifically the Portuguese Certificado do Registo Criminal, not a criminal record from your nationality or previous country of residence.
- Confirm whether the receiving body needs you to provide the certificate at all. AIMA and Portuguese registry authorities can obtain Portuguese criminal-record information directly in important procedures.
- Use €5 as the standard issuance budget.
- If you live abroad and need postal delivery, use the official €8.25 total rather than adding an invented courier estimate.
- Check whether your stated purpose is one of DGAJ’s limited zero-fee categories.
- Order close enough to submission that the 90-day validity period will not expire prematurely.
- For foreign use, verify apostille, legalisation and translation requirements separately before spending money.
- Use the official portal or Justice/DGAJ service pages rather than paying an intermediary merely to obtain the standard certificate unless you genuinely need assistance.
Working out which criminal record your Portugal procedure actually requires?
The €5 Portuguese certificate, an AIMA authorisation to consult the Portuguese record, and a criminal record issued abroad are different things. PortugalPath can help you organise the practical document questions around a visa or residence process, while eligibility and final decisions remain with the competent authorities.
Common Cost Mistakes
Paying for an unnecessary AIMA document
The Portuguese record can generally be accessed by AIMA with your authorisation. The foreign criminal record required for the immigration file is a separate issue.
Adding apostille costs automatically
Apostille is not part of the normal €5 issuance fee and is unnecessary for many domestic uses. Verify the destination authority’s requirements first.
Ordering months too early
The certificate code lasts 90 days. Ordering well before the recipient is ready can create a second €5 purchase.
The Bottom Line
For a normal request, Portugal criminal record certificate cost is currently €5. That applies to the standard online and in-person certificate and to electronic delivery for a qualifying request made from abroad. Postal delivery abroad raises the published total to €8.25.
The more important question is whether you actually need to order it. For Portuguese residence-permit procedures, foreign applicants can authorise AIMA to consult their Portuguese criminal record. For Portuguese nationality procedures, the registry accesses the Portuguese record itself. In both situations, separate foreign criminal-record requirements may still apply.
When you do need the Portuguese certificate, check the intended purpose, use an official application channel, account for its 90-day validity and investigate apostille or translation only if the receiving authority requires them. That keeps a simple €5 government document from becoming an unnecessarily expensive or mistimed part of your application.
Sources and Verification
- Ministry of Justice — Request and consult a criminal record certificate. Verified the €5 standard fee, €3.25 overseas postage, available request channels, equal legal value of digital and paper certificates, AIMA direct-access rule and nationality-procedure exception. Accessed 10 September 2026.
- DGAJ — Criminal records for natural persons. Verified eligibility, free-purpose categories and current issuance guidance. Accessed 10 September 2026.
- Online Criminal Record Portal — FAQ. Verified foreign-user authentication options, payment methods, bilingual Portuguese/English issuance, electronic signature, access-code verification and 90-day validity. Accessed 10 September 2026.
- AIMA — Foreigners Law regulatory FAQ. Verified the distinction between foreign criminal-record evidence and AIMA access to Portuguese criminal-record information. Accessed 10 September 2026.
- Procuradoria-Geral da República / Ministério Público — Apostille guidance. Used for the competent-authority distinction when a Portuguese certificate requires Hague Apostille formalisation for foreign use. Accessed 10 September 2026.
