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How can an old criminal record affect my retirement in Portugal?

I’m thinking of retiring to Portugal on a D7 visa in about 7- 10 years when I’m over 60. However, in my late teens and early 20s, I had numerous convictions resulting in a criminal record. None were custodial sentences for serious offenses, but I’m wondering if these would come up in a search and count against me despite having a clean record for 40 years.


Answers
  • September 10, 2024

    All residence visas/permits for Portugal are subject to the analysis of the applicant's criminal antecedents. 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.

  • Lamares, Capela & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados
    September 10, 2024

    Considering that those crimes were committed around 40 years ago, you won't have any problems with your immigration process to Portugal. Only crimes for which you were convicted less than 5 or 10 years ago (depending on the nature of the crime) and which are punishable in Portugal by a prison sentence of more than one year are relevant.