Do we need to hand in REGISTO CRIMINAL to renew Titulo ???

Background criminal checks are a standard requirement when renewing a título de residência in Portugal.

The Standard Process:  Consent for AIMA

When applying to renew a residence permit, you normally sign a consent form (requerimento autorizando a consulta do registo criminal).   This authorization gives AIMA permission to check your Portuguese criminal record directly through their internal government database.Because of this, most applicants do not need to manually request or submit a physical Portuguese Registo Criminal from IRN service office.

Some lawyers recommend requesting a physical document anyway, or AIMA may ask for one directly, under specific circumstances:

1. System Glitches / Fast-Tracking: Internal database checks between government departments can sometimes stall or hit technical errors. Providing the physical certificate upfront prevents delay in case AIMA cannot auto-query your record.

1. Recent Legal Issues or Name Discrepancies: If there are minor name spelling differences across your documents or any past administrative/legal query, having the formal document on hand resolves ambiguities immediately.

You can request it online, only if you have a digital key (chave móvel digital). Otherwise, you have to go to a Citizen shop, at an IRN desk.

https://registocriminal.justica.gov.pt/