Apostille and Document Legalization in Portugal
Foreign documents used in Portugal often need an apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or consular legalization (for non-Hague countries). This applies to birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic qualifications, criminal records, and more.
Check if your country is in the Hague Convention
Most Western countries are. If yes: you need an apostille. If no: you need consular legalization (longer process). Check the HCCH website for the full list.
Get the apostille in your home country
Apostilles are issued by a designated authority in the country that issued the document. For the UK: FCDO. For the US: Secretary of State (for state documents) or the US Department of State (for federal). For EU countries: varies by country.
Get a certified translation
After apostille, the document must be translated into Portuguese by a certified translator. In Portugal, use a tradutor certificado registered with the Camara Municipal or university language departments.
Use in Portugal
The apostilled + translated document is now valid for use with Portuguese authorities (AIMA, Conservatoria, Financas, schools, etc).
Watch out
- ●Some documents have expiry dates for official use — birth certificates are typically valid indefinitely, but criminal records are only valid for 3-6 months
- ●The apostille must be on the ORIGINAL document, not a copy
- ●Portugal also accepts EU multilingual standard forms for certain documents (birth, marriage, death) — these don't need translation
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