Tools · US applicants
When should you request your FBI check and apostille?
Pick your appointment date and how you will order each step. You get a request window that keeps the record inside the consulate's validity period.
Processing times are planning estimates, not guarantees, and change often. The record must normally be issued within about 90 days of your application — confirm with your post. Verified 2026-10-12. Sources: FBI, US State Department, Portuguese consular portal.
Free download
The pre-consulate audit checklist, free
Two pages, the 20 checks that get files handed back at the counter: the thresholds and the margin posts read as comfortable, what expires before your appointment, the housing paperwork, the order of the folder and your own post's extra rules.
One email address, no account needed. We store it only to send rule changes, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Next: track every step in your move roadmap · Portugal visa guide for US citizens.