Legalization of documents and Hague Apostille in Portugal

The Apostille consists of the certification of the authenticity of public acts issued within the territory of a State, which are to be presented in another State.

In Portugal, the following public documents may be apostilled:

• Ministries, Municipal Councils, and Parish Councils;

• Notary Offices and Civil Registry Offices (encompassing all types of certificates);

• Public educational institutions;

• Courts.

Accordingly, all documents issued by the aforementioned entities, if apostilled, will be recognized as authentic in countries that are parties to the Hague Convention.

If the country in which the documents issued in Portugal are to have effect is not a party to the Hague Convention, a process of consular legalization will be necessary, whereby the document and the relevant signatures will be verified with the Consulate of the destination country in Portugal. This process is notably more time-consuming than the apostille.

The issuance of an apostille in Portugal carries a fee of €10.20 per document. Free issuance is available to individuals who demonstrate economic hardship, by means of an administrative document or a declaration from a public social assistance institution.

The main competent authority is the Attorney General’s Office (Lisbon), which delegates part of its competence to:

• The Regional Attorneys General (Porto, Coimbra, and Évora);

• Public Prosecutors at the Court of Appeal of Guimarães;

• The Districts of the Azores and Madeira.

For this purpose, a prior appointment is required, and the original document must be presented by the interested party to the Attorney General’s Office: https://www.ministeriopublico.pt/pagina/procuradoria-geral-da-republica

Lawyers may represent interested parties in applying for document legalization.

For more information about the Convention, please visit the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH):https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/full-text/?cid=41