"From now on, whenever a request for the issuance of a national criminal record certificate is submitted, the European version will be generated simultaneously and automatically, at no cost," the Ministry of Justice said in information sent to Lusa.

The ministry, led by Rita Alarcão Júdice, adds that the issuance, "assured by the Directorate-General for the Administration of Justice (DGAJ), is limited to Portuguese citizens whose criminal record certificate contains negative content."

The European criminal record certificate "is a multilingual document" that, by eliminating the need for translation or apostille, facilitates the presentation of criminal records in European Union countries.

The Ministry of Justice warns, however, that the European model "must always be accompanied by the Portuguese criminal record certificate."

According to the website where it can be requested (registocriminal.justica.gov.pt), the application for a national certificate costs five euros.