Apostille Documents for a Portugal Visa
D7 (passive income and retirement) and D8 (digital nomad) applications need key U.S. documents apostilled. Here is the checklist and the 90-day clock to plan around.
Both the Portuguese D7 visa (for passive income and retirees) and the D8 visa (for digital nomads) require several U.S. documents authenticated with an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention. The FBI background check is the document nearly every applicant needs, and it sits inside a 90-day clock you have to plan around. For most documents you keep your original: you upload a scan, we produce a notarized true copy (copia fiel certificada), and the apostille is issued on that. Below is the checklist by visa type, the 90-day freshness window, and how the Portuguese translation fits in.
What to Apostille, by Visa Type
The D7 and D8 are Portugal's two main long-stay residency routes. Their document sets overlap heavily, but requirements differ between consulates and VFS Global centers, so use this as the typical starting point and confirm with the channel handling your application.
D7 Passive Income Visa
For retirees and applicants living on stable passive income such as pensions, Social Security, rental income, or dividends.
D8 Digital Nomad Visa
For remote workers and freelancers earning from companies or clients outside Portugal.
Requirements differ between Portuguese consulate jurisdictions and the VFS Global centers that process many U.S. applications. Document lists, translation rules, and which items need an apostille can vary, so always verify against the current checklist for your specific consulate or VFS center before you order.
The 90-Day Window: Order, Apostille, Upload Same Day
Portugal commonly requires the FBI background check to have been issued within 90 days of your application submission, and the apostille has to fit inside that same window. The clock starts the day the FBI issues the report, not the day you apostille it.
So the moment your FBI report arrives, upload the PDF to us and we start the federal apostille immediately. Federal apostilles cannot be expedited, so the safest plan is to order the FBI report, then apostille the day it lands, then translate. Leaving the apostille to the last week is the most common reason applicants fall outside the 90-day window and have to re-order the report. Treat 90 days as the commonly required guideline and confirm the exact period with the channel handling your application.
Last verified: June 2026
Portuguese Translation Comes After the Apostille
Documents in English generally need a certified Portuguese translation, and the order of operations matters: apostille first, then translate. Translating after the apostille means the apostille itself is included in the translation.
If you translate before apostilling, the translator has to redo the work to cover the apostille, costing time you may not have inside the 90-day window. We offer certified translation so your apostille and translation can move as one coordinated order.
See our certified translation serviceHow It Works With Us
Three steps, your originals stay with you, and your turnaround starts the moment you upload instead of after a package arrives.
Upload your FBI PDF and document scans
Submit the FBI background check PDF exactly as the agency issued it, plus clear scans of any SSA benefit letter, marriage, and birth certificates. A phone photo works if every line is legible and no edges are cut off.
We handle the federal and state apostilles
Federal documents like the FBI report and an SSA letter are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State on the federal path. State-issued documents like marriage and birth certificates are processed as notarized true copies and apostilled by the relevant Secretary of State. You never mail us an original.
We ship the finished apostilles to you, including to Portugal
We ship the completed, apostilled packet to you with tracking, whether you are still in the United States or already in Portugal. From there your documents are ready for certified translation and submission.
We ship internationally with tracking, so if you have already relocated we can send the finished apostilles to your address in Portugal. International delivery times and any customs handling depend on the destination.
Never mail your original documents
We process apostilles from a notarized true copy of your uploaded scan. Your birth certificate, diploma, or FBI report never leaves your hands, so it can never be lost in the mail.
How true copy processing worksFrequently Asked Questions
For most D7 applications the core apostilled documents are the FBI background check and proof of passive income. For retirees, that proof is often an apostilled SSA benefit letter (a federal document). Applicants applying with family typically also apostille marriage and birth certificates. Requirements vary between consulates and VFS centers, so confirm your specific checklist before ordering.
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Get Your Portugal Visa Documents Apostilled
Upload your FBI PDF, SSA letter, and family documents and we handle the federal and state apostilles, then ship the finished packet to you. Not sure what your application requires? Start with a free review.
We are an independent service provider and are not affiliated with any government authority, including the U.S. Department of State, any state Secretary of State office, VFS Global, or the Government of Portugal and its consulates. Visa document requirements, consulate and VFS checklists, and document freshness windows are set by Portuguese authorities and vary by channel; they change over time. Always confirm the current requirements for your specific consulate or VFS center. We verify your documents during the free review before you pay.