An apostille is a certificate that authenticates the signature and seal on a public document so it is accepted in another country party to the 1961 Hague Convention. In Portugal it is issued by the Attorney General’s Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República) and the Regional Attorney General’s Offices. We handle the whole process for you, including the certified translation when one is needed.
Apostille the document, the translation or both?
It depends on the destination country and on the authority that will receive the document. Sometimes the original must be apostilled, sometimes the certified translation, and sometimes both. We confirm the correct sequence before we start, to avoid rejections and repeat costs.
Documents used within the European Union
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 removes the apostille requirement for several public documents (birth, marriage, residence, criminal record and others) presented in another Member State, and provides multilingual standard forms that can replace a translation. We check whether your case qualifies.
Countries that do not accept apostilles
If the destination country is not party to the Hague Convention, the document must go through consular legalization instead. See our consulate and embassy legalization service.
Documents we apostille most often
- Civil registry certificates
- Criminal record certificates
- Diplomas and academic certificates
- Powers of attorney and notarial deeds
- Company registry extracts and corporate documents
- Certified translations
- Court documents
- Official medical statements
Frequently asked questions
Who issues apostilles in Portugal?
The Attorney General’s Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República) and the Regional Attorney General’s Offices. The autonomous regions have their own services. We submit your document to the competent authority.
Is an apostille valid in every country?
No. It is only recognised by countries that have joined the 1961 Hague Convention. Other countries require consular legalization. Tell us the destination country and we will tell you which procedure applies.
Can a photocopy be apostilled?
As a rule, apostilles are placed on original public documents or certified copies. We review your document and recommend the right approach.
Available languages
- Arabic
- Bengali
- Bulgarian
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Greek
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Indonesian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Nepali
- Norwegian
- Persian (Farsi)
- Polish
- Romanian
- Russian
- Serbian
- Slovak
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Tagalog (Filipino)
- Thai
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
- Urdu
- Vietnamese