Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What Portugal Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Country requirements change. This page is re-checked periodically, and nothing on it replaces confirming the position with the Portuguese body that will receive your document.

For Portugal the authentication answer is an apostille, when you need one. The point most specific to Portugal is that you may not. Many of the things Australians of Portuguese descent actually need, such as registering a marriage, claiming nationality through a parent or organising a wedding in Portugal, are lodged through the Portuguese consulate in Sydney, which takes Australian certificates in English. For documents going directly to a Portuguese office, Portugal has unusually flexible translation rules.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. Convention membership is a live fact. Confirm Portugal's status against the HCCH status table for the Apostille Convention on the day you start. At the time of writing Portugal is listed as a party, so an apostille is the expected route for documents within the Convention's scope.

Start by asking where the document is going

Through the Portuguese consulate in Sydney. The consulate's published requirements for registering an Australian marriage ask for certified copies of the marriage and birth certificates, and state that marriage certificates issued by countries other than Australia and New Zealand must carry a Portuguese consular authentication or an apostille. It also says documents in Portuguese or English do not need translation. In other words, for that procedure an Australian certificate goes in without an apostille.

For nationality through a Portuguese parent, the consulate asks for the original birth certificate, with an apostille or Portuguese consular authentication only if it was issued outside Australia. It states that the original is kept on file and not returned, so order a copy you can spare.

Directly to an office in Portugal. A registry office (conservatória), court, bank or Portuguese lawyer will generally expect:

1. Notarisation in Australia, if the document is a private one
2. A DFAT apostille
3. A translation, unless the office accepts English

Australian public documents such as registry-issued certificates may be able to go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT.

Translation: more options than most countries

Portugal's registry authority (IRN) says that, as a rule, foreign-language documents must be accompanied by a certified translation into Portuguese. It then gives two things worth knowing.

English may be accepted as it is. For civil registry, land registry and certain commercial registry acts, translation of a document in English, French or Spanish can be waived if the official handling the matter knows the language. IRN publishes a list of registry offices with staff who do. Contact the office first to confirm.

Several people can certify a translation. IRN lists, as a general rule, a Portuguese notary, a registrar, a lawyer or solicitor practising in Portugal, a recognised chamber of commerce, a suitable translator whose translation is then certified before one of those, the Portuguese consulate in the country where the document was issued, or that country's consulate in Portugal.

For an Australian document, that means the Portuguese consulate in Sydney is among the bodies IRN names. The consulate says it recognises the signatures of Portuguese–English translators, and that the documents can be sent by post. The practical route many people use is therefore a NAATI translation whose translator's signature the consulate recognises. Confirm with the receiving office that this suits them.

Marrying in Portugal

The Portuguese consulate in Sydney says the paperwork for a marriage in Portugal can be organised through it. Its document list includes birth certificates, identification, a certificate of matrimonial capacity, and a marriage declaration whose signature must be recognised by "a Justice of Peace or Notary".

Two things follow:

• This is one of the rare cases where a JP is named. Most overseas bodies do not accept a Justice of the Peace. For this consular form, the consulate says either will do. For anything else, do not assume a JP is enough.
• The certificate of matrimonial capacity comes from the Australian side. The Australian Embassy in Lisbon lists Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage among its notarial services. It also says it cannot issue one as proof of a de facto relationship for visa or residency purposes in Portugal.

The consulate says a marriage file is valid for six months from the decision authorising the marriage, and suggests organising it at least a month ahead.

Powers of attorney and property

The Portuguese consulate can prepare a power of attorney as a public instrument, with the signing done in person at the consulate. It notes that a party who does not speak Portuguese needs an interpreter present, and that if none of the parties speaks Portuguese, the power of attorney should be made before an Australian notary, apostilled by DFAT and translated into Portuguese.

Portuguese law may require a power of attorney for certain acts, such as dealing with property, to be in public form. Ask the Portuguese lawyer, notary or bank which form they need, and take legal advice in Portugal on validity.

Divorce

The consulate states that it cannot record a divorce. A foreign divorce must be reviewed and confirmed by a Portuguese court through a lawyer in Portugal before it is noted on the Portuguese birth record. It says lawyers generally ask for the divorce certificate apostilled by DFAT and translated by an official translator, with the signature recognised by the consulate.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Portuguese embassy need to legalise my Australian document? Not for a Convention-covered document. The consulate's role is its own services.

Can the Australian Embassy in Lisbon apostille a Portuguese document? No. Its site says it cannot attach an apostille to documents issued in Portugal.

How long does it take? It depends on DFAT, the translator, and the Portuguese office or consulate. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.