South Africans applying for Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa — commonly referred to as the D8 visa — may need an official South African Police Clearance Certificate as part of the application.

The current VFS Portugal South Africa checklist for the residency visa for remote work requires a criminal record certificate from the applicant’s country of nationality or from a country where the applicant has lived for more than one year. The checklist also states that the certificate must carry a Hague Apostille where applicable or otherwise be legalised.

If you still need your certificate, Certificate Assistance can help with a South African Police Clearance Certificate and with DIRCO Apostille or Authentication where required.

Does Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa Require a Police Clearance?

Yes, criminal-record documentation forms part of Portugal’s national visa requirements for adult applicants. The current South African VFS checklist for Portugal’s remote-work residency visa requires a criminal record certificate issued by the competent authority of the applicant’s country of nationality or the country where the applicant has lived for more than one year.

Applicants under 16 are exempt from the criminal-record requirement listed on the current checklist.

Which South African Police Clearance Do You Need?

For South African applicants, the relevant document is the official Police Clearance Certificate issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS).

A private background check, affidavit or ordinary letter from a police station is not the same as an official SAPS Police Clearance Certificate.

If you currently live outside South Africa, you can still arrange the South African process remotely. See our guide on getting a South African Police Clearance Certificate while living overseas.

Does the Police Clearance Need an Apostille for Portugal?

The current Portugal Digital Nomad Visa checklist used by VFS in South Africa states that the criminal record certificate must carry the Hague Apostille where applicable or otherwise be legalised.

South Africa and Portugal are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an eligible original South African public document intended for Portugal can generally follow the Apostille route.

For a South African Police Clearance Certificate, this normally means obtaining the original SAPS certificate first and then arranging the appropriate South African legalisation step.

Read our detailed guide on how to Apostille a South African Police Clearance Certificate.

How Recent Should the Police Clearance Be?

Timing matters. VFS Portugal’s South Africa visa information currently states that the criminal record certificate for national visa applications should be no older than three months.

This is separate from DIRCO’s own requirements for legalising a South African Police Clearance Certificate. You therefore need to plan the Police Clearance, Apostille and visa submission stages carefully so the document does not become too old before it reaches VFS or the Portuguese authorities.

Our South African Police Clearance validity guide explains why the age accepted by a receiving authority can differ from South African legalisation requirements.

What If You Live Outside South Africa?

If you are a South African citizen living in another country, Portugal’s checklist may require a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or from the country where you have lived for more than one year.

Depending on your circumstances, this could mean that your South African Police Clearance is not the only criminal-record document you need.

Check the current VFS or Portuguese consular checklist for the country where you are applying before ordering certificates from multiple jurisdictions.

What If You Have Lived in More Than One Country?

The Portugal checklist refers to the applicant’s country of nationality or a country of residence where the applicant has lived for more than one year. Your exact document requirements can therefore depend on your residence history and where you submit the visa application.

If you have recently moved between countries, ask VFS or the relevant Portuguese consular office which criminal-record certificates they expect before starting the legalisation process.

What Is Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa?

Portugal has national visa routes for people carrying out professional activity remotely for employers or clients outside Portugal. These are widely referred to as Digital Nomad or D8 visas.

The current South African VFS residency checklist distinguishes between subordinate remote work and independent professional activity. Applicants may need to provide an employment relationship, service contract or other evidence of the remote professional activity.

The checklist also requires evidence of average monthly income and proof of tax residence.

What Order Should You Prepare the Documents In?

A practical document sequence is:

Can You Apply With an Older Police Clearance?

Do not assume that an older Police Clearance will be accepted simply because it was valid when it was issued. VFS Portugal’s South Africa information currently refers to a three-month age requirement for criminal-record certificates used for national visa applications.

If your certificate is already older than the period stated on the checklist, confirm with VFS before submitting it. You may need a newly issued SAPS Police Clearance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Need a South African Police Clearance for Portugal?

Certificate Assistance helps clients in South Africa and abroad obtain South African Police Clearance Certificates and arrange DIRCO Apostille or Authentication where required.

If you are preparing a Portugal Digital Nomad Visa application, send us the current checklist you are working from and tell us where you currently live. We can assist with the South African document stages required for your application.

Certificate Assistance is a private document assistance service and is not affiliated with SAPS, DIRCO, VFS Global, AIMA or the Portuguese government.