Portugal to Canada Spousal Sponsorship

Last updated: January, 2026

Sponsoring your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner from Portugal? While the forms are standard, knowing which Portuguese civil documents to request can save you significant time and money on translations.

From 2016 to 2025, we supported 145 clients from Portugal through the Canadian immigration process. If you’d like a full overview of spouse sponsorship Canada, you can just book a consultation with our Canadian immigration advisers. Also, you can check our Immigration Consultant Fees.

Country-Specific Documents

Travel History (IMM 5562): We strongly recommend completing this form for the principal applicant and all family members aged 18+.

Required Civil Documents

Portuguese Civil Registry Offices (Conservatória do Registo Civil) issue documents in various formats.

Pro Tip: Always request your Birth (Certidão de Nascimento) and Marriage (Certidão de Casamento) certificates in the “Multilingual Format” (Modelo Internacional).

Why? These specific versions include English/French labels, meaning you do NOT need to pay for certified translations.

Police Certificates (PCC)

Requirement: Applicants aged 16+ must provide a Certificate of Criminal Record (Certificado do Registo Criminal).
Issuing Authority: This is issued by the Ministry of Justice (Direção-Geral da Administração da Justiça).
Process: You can often apply for this online via the Portal do Registo Criminal using your Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão) or Digital Mobile Key (Chave Móvel Digital).

Purpose: Ensure you select “immigration” or “visa” as the purpose.

Translation Requirements

By requesting Multilingual Formats and applying for your Criminal Record online, you can make your Portuguese sponsorship application faster and cheaper.

If any document is not in English or French, include: