How a Florida fdle background check is used in Portugal
Portuguese nationality forms ask for criminal-record certificates from your country of birth, your country of nationality and every country where you lived after turning 16. Residence visas and permits from AIMA ask for criminal records too. For a U.S. citizen, the country-level record is usually expected to be an FBI check, which is a federal document apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, not by us. Ask whether a Florida record is also wanted. If it is, request the FDLE check notarized at issuance, because a portal printout can't be apostilled.
Translation for Portugal
Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a separate notary and apostilled in Florida, but for Portugal you often need no translation at all. Civil registries can waive it for English, French or Spanish documents when the official knows the language (book ahead), and IRN nationality forms and DGES do the same. When Portugal does require one, the IRN expects it certified in Portugal by a notary, registry officer, lawyer, solicitador or recognized chamber of commerce, or by a Portuguese consulate in the issuing country.
What your FDLE criminal history check must look like
Order the certified, notarized criminal history from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement — the version FDLE notarizes at issuance. An online instant check or a printout without FDLE's notarial certificate cannot be apostilled. The notarized FDLE result is a Florida document, so it receives a Florida apostille; an FBI identity history summary is a federal document that goes to the U.S. Department of State instead and is not something we handle. If the receiving office asks for a "state police certificate", the notarized FDLE check is what they mean.
Step by step: FDLE background check apostille for Portugal
- Order online — pick "FDLE background check" and "Portugal" on the order form; $220 per document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more.
- Send a photo — reply to the confirmation email with a picture of the document. We check the certification before anything ships, so a defect is caught before it costs you a round trip.
- Drop it at FedEx — after approval, FedEx emails you a prepaid QR code; show it at any FedEx Office or Ship Center, no printer or label needed.
- Filed in person in Tallahassee — we walk the document into the Florida Department of State and ship the apostilled original back by FedEx within 5–7 business days of receipt — to your U.S. address, or to Portugal with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for Portugal. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.