I was accused of trespassing on private property in 2018, but I was acquitted after trial. I am currently living in Portugal and plan to apply for a temporary residency permit. Will this past case affect my application process?
Answers
All residence visas / permits for Portugal are subject to the analysis of the criminal antecedents of the applicant. The permit shall be denied if the applicant has been convicted of a crime that, under Portuguese law, would be subject to a punishment with a prison sentence of more than one year, even if this has not been served or its execution has been suspended. A concrete answer would always depend on the content of the applicant's criminal record certificate and the analysis of an expungement proceeding of such charges.
If you've been acquitted, there's no problem; it won't create any obstacles to your application for a temporary stay visa.
However, despite being in Portugal, applying for a temporary stay visa must be made in your country of nationality or where you have been legally resident for more than one year.