Now I am living in Portugal. In May 2023 when I was coming from Romania to the Austria Vienna border police kept my fingerprints. I work in Portugal and applied for a Resident Card but didn’t get it because of the Austria fingerprints. Would you help me?
Lawyer Answers
Ascendance International Consulting (A-I-C)
Jan 10, 2026
Jan 10, 2026
The situation you describe involves three separate legal regimes: (1) the Schengen‑area fingerprinting rules that Austria applies at its external borders, (2) the Portuguese immigration system that decides whether you can be issued a residence card, and (3) the EU data‑protection framework that governs how biometric data may be stored and shared.
The Austrian fingerprinting itself is not illegal, but the data it generated can affect Portuguese immigration decisions. By obtaining the Austrian record, clarifying the exact reason for the Portuguese refusal, and, if necessary, exercising your right to rectification and appeal, you can usually have the matter resolved and eventually obtain the residence card you need. If you encounter resistance or unclear legal language, or help to expedite the process and ensure your data‑protection rights are respected you can ask.
Sincerly,
A-i-c
The Austrian fingerprinting itself is not illegal, but the data it generated can affect Portuguese immigration decisions. By obtaining the Austrian record, clarifying the exact reason for the Portuguese refusal, and, if necessary, exercising your right to rectification and appeal, you can usually have the matter resolved and eventually obtain the residence card you need. If you encounter resistance or unclear legal language, or help to expedite the process and ensure your data‑protection rights are respected you can ask.
Sincerly,
A-i-c
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