Certified Translation Services in Portugal

This guide explains which Portuguese translation services notaries and registries accept in 2026, what certified translations and apostilles cost, and how to choose a translator.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

The law on translations has not changed, but the offices that apostille Portuguese documents were reorganised in January 2025, the registries’ guidance on foreign documents was updated in August 2025, and several official fee tables and procedures were revised in 2026. The table lists only changes confirmed on official pages.

Change	Date	What it means for you
Apostille powers delegated to regional prosecutors (Despacho 1397/2025)	22 January 2025	Apostilles on Portuguese documents are issued by the Prosecutor General’s Office in Lisbon and by regional offices in Porto, Coimbra, Évora, Guimarães, the Azores and Madeira.
Registries (IRN) guidance on foreign documents updated	12 August 2025	Foreign-language documents need a certified Portuguese translation, but the translation can be waived for English, French or Spanish where the official reads the language; the IRN lists registries with language skills.
Portuguese Consulate General in London fee table	In force 1 October 2026	A certified copy and a signature recognition each cost 20 euros (17.18 pounds at the table’s rate).
IMT exchange platform manual, version 6	22 October 2026	A foreign driving licence needs an authenticated translation, by a Portuguese consulate or another EU state’s consulate, only if it is not in Portuguese, French, English or Spanish.
UK Legalisation Office fees	Current GOV.UK page (updated 19 October 2026)	Paper apostille 45 pounds per document plus postage, usually up to 25 working days; e-Apostille 35 pounds, up to 2 working days.

What “certified translation” means in Portugal

In Portugal, a certified translation (tradução certificada) is a translation whose accuracy has been formally confirmed by a public official, not one stamped by a translation company. The Notarial Code (Decree-Law 207/95, Article 44) sets the basic rule: a document written in a foreign language must be accompanied by the corresponding translation.

Term you may see	What it means	Accepted by Portuguese public offices?
Tradução certificada (certified translation)	A translation with a certificate of accuracy, typically the translator’s declaration before a notary	Yes, the standard form
Consular translation	Made or certified by the Portuguese consulate in the issuing country, or by that country’s consulate in Portugal	Yes, under the Notarial Code
“Sworn translation” from another country	Made by a translator licensed in another country, such as Spain or Brazil	Not automatically; ask the receiving office first
Simple or professional translation	A translation without official certification	Usually only for information, or where the office says so
Apostille	A certificate confirming the signature and seal on a public document	Not a translation; usually needed as well

The certificate of a translation’s accuracy is a separate notarial act. The registries’ fee regulation lists it as an exception to the general certificate fee, so ask the notary for the price in advance.

Who can produce a certified translation

Under Article 44 of the Notarial Code, four routes are open: a Portuguese notary, the Portuguese consulate in the country where the document was issued, that country’s consulate in Portugal, or a suitable translator who declares before a Portuguese notary, on oath or on their honour, that the translation is faithful. For most expats, the practical choice is between the last route, where a professional translator makes the translation and the declaration is formalised before a notary, and a consulate.

Route	How it works	Best for
Translator plus notary certification	A professional translator translates the document and declares before a notary that it is faithful; the notary certifies the declaration	Most documents for AIMA, registries, schools and courts
Portuguese notary	The notary translates and certifies the document directly, where the notary knows the language	Short documents in a common language
Portuguese consulate in the issuing country	For example, the Consulate General in London certifying a translation of a UK document	People preparing documents before they move
Issuing country’s consulate in Portugal	For example, a foreign embassy or consulate in Lisbon	Documents from countries with a consulate in Portugal

Many translation providers offer to arrange the notary step for you. Ask before you order who will certify the translation and how, and confirm with the office receiving it that this form is acceptable.

When you can skip the translation

You may not need a translation at all if your document is in English, French or Spanish and the official handling it reads that language, if it is an EU public document with a multilingual standard form, or if the procedure itself accepts English. Each office decides, so always check.

Situation	Translation needed?	Source
Registry act (civil, property, commercial or vehicle registry) with a document in English, French or Spanish	May be waived if the official reads the language	IRN, foreign documents (updated 12 August 2025)
EU public documents on birth, marriage, divorce, parentage, adoption, nationality, residence and similar matters	Not required if accompanied by the EU multilingual standard form; the registry decides whether the form is sufficient	IRN, foreign documents
Driving licence exchange with a UK licence	No; translation only if the licence is not in Portuguese, French, English or Spanish	IMT manual version 6 (22 October 2026)
School qualification equivalence	Yes, an official Portuguese translation, made after the apostille	Directorate-General for Education (DGE)
Vehicle import from the UK	Customs may ask for official translations of all documents	GOV.UK guide to importing a vehicle

The IRN lists registries that work in particular languages: for example, a Lisbon land registry office handles English and Spanish, and a Porto vehicle registry handles English, French and Spanish. If you are registering a property purchase, a company or a car, using one of those offices can avoid a translation entirely. Our guide on how to buy property in Portugal as a foreigner explains the registry steps in a purchase, and the guide on how to exchange a UK driving licence in Portugal covers the licence process.

Apostille and legalisation: the step before translation

A public document from the UK normally needs an apostille from the UK Legalisation Office before it is used in Portugal, and the apostille should be added before the translation, so that the apostille is translated too. The DGE says this explicitly for school certificates, and the visa portal asks for criminal record certificates with the Hague apostille or legalisation.

Documents coming into Portugal from the UK

UK service	Fee	Time
Standard paper apostille	45 pounds per document, plus courier or postage	Usually up to 25 working days, plus postage
e-Apostille	35 pounds per document	Up to 2 working days
Restricted Urgent service	100 pounds, registered businesses only, pre-approved by email	Same day

GOV.UK’s Living in Portugal guidance adds that a degree certificate, diploma or school report can be certified by the UK Legalisation Office, and that a local notary can then authenticate the translation.

Portuguese documents going abroad

Point	Detail
Who issues apostilles	The Prosecutor General’s Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República), with delegated offices in Porto, Coimbra, Évora, Guimarães, the Azores and Madeira
Fee	One tenth of the court unit of account: 10.20 euros; free for those who prove economic hardship
How to apply	Online through the e-APP platform for electronic documents; in person in Lisbon only by appointment through e-APP
Documents covered	Public acts from ministries, courts, registries, notaries, public schools and municipal and parish councils
Not covered	Documents made by diplomatic or consular agents, and administrative documents tied directly to commercial or customs operations
Private school certificates	Need prior authentication by the relevant directorate-general first

What it costs in 2026

Official charges are small and fixed; the main cost is the translator’s fee, which is set privately and quoted per document or per page. The table shows the official fees confirmed for 2026.

Item	Cost	Source
UK paper apostille	45 pounds per document, plus postage	GOV.UK
UK e-Apostille	35 pounds per document	GOV.UK
Portuguese apostille	10.20 euros	Prosecutor General’s Office
Certified copy at the Portuguese Consulate General in London	20 euros (17.18 pounds)	Consular fee table, from 1 October 2026
Signature recognition at the Portuguese Consulate General in London	20 euros (17.18 pounds)	Consular fee table, from 1 October 2026
Conferral of photocopies at Portuguese registry and notary services	Free	IRN fee regulation
Uncertified copy at registry services	0.50 euros per page	IRN fee regulation
Certificate of translation accuracy by a notary	Not set by the general certificate fee; ask for a quote	IRN fee regulation
Translator’s fee	Set by the translator; varies with language, length, layout and urgency	Private

Private translation prices vary widely, so ask at least two providers for a written quote that includes the notary certification, the binding of the set, any courier costs and the delivery time. Some providers price short certificates per document and longer contracts, court papers or company records per page or per word, so compare like with like.

Documents expats most often need translated

The documents most often translated for life in Portugal are criminal record certificates, birth and marriage certificates, proof of income, school and university qualifications, and company or property documents.

Document	Typically needed for	Apostille?	Translation?
Criminal record certificate	Residence visas (D7, D8 and others)	Yes, or legalisation	Ask the consulate; often required
Birth and marriage certificates	Family reunification, nationality, civil registration	Yes for UK documents	Certified translation unless waived by the registry
Bank statements, pension and income letters	Visa and residence applications	Not usually	Ask the consulate or AIMA
School reports and diplomas	School equivalence	Yes	Yes, an official Portuguese translation after the apostille
Degree certificates	Recognition of degrees, professional registration	Yes	Usually
Powers of attorney signed abroad	Property purchases, company formation	Yes	Yes if not in Portuguese
Company documents	Opening a branch or subsidiary	Yes	Usually
Vehicle documents	Car import	No	Customs may ask for official translations

For residence visas, the visa portal lists the criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, or any country where you have lived for more than a year, with the apostille or legalisation; applicants under 16 are exempt. The consulate may ask for further documents at its discretion. Our guides to the Portugal D7 visa and how to get residency in Portugal list the full document sets, and the guide to international schools in Portugal explains the school equivalence process.

Step by step: getting a UK document ready for Portugal

For most UK documents, the order is: obtain the document, apostille it in the UK, have it translated with the apostille, have the translation certified, then submit it.

1. Ask the receiving office what it needs. Confirm whether it wants an apostille, a translation, or both, and whether it will accept English.
2. Obtain a recent original. Some offices want recent issues of certificates such as criminal records. Order the document from the UK issuing authority.
3. Apply for the apostille. Use the UK Legalisation Office: 35 pounds for an e-Apostille, or 45 pounds for a paper apostille plus postage.
4. Choose your translation route. A translator in Portugal with notary certification, a Portuguese notary, or the Portuguese consulate in the UK.
5. Have the whole document translated, including the apostille, stamps, signatures and handwritten notes.
6. Have the translation certified. The translator’s declaration is made before a notary, or the consulate certifies the translation.
7. Keep the set together. If the original or copy, the translation and the certificate are bound together, do not separate them.
8. Submit and keep copies. Some Portuguese portals accept PDF uploads; keep the paper originals for any appointment, as the IMT, for example, asks for some originals at the counter.

If you are preparing documents for a whole family move, our checklist for moving to Portugal from the UK shows which documents to order before you leave, and the complete guide to moving to Portugal puts them in the order of the visa, residence and tax steps.

How to choose a translation service

Choose a provider who can show how the translation will be certified, who has handled the same document for the same Portuguese office, and who gives a written all-in quote. Accuracy matters most with names, dates and figures, because a single mismatch with your passport can delay an application.

Question to ask	Why it matters
How will the translation be certified, and by whom?	A translation without notary or consular certification may be refused
Have you prepared this document for this office before (AIMA, IRN, DGE, a court)?	Offices differ in what they accept
Will you translate the apostille, stamps and handwritten notes?	Partial translations are a common reason for rejection
What exactly does the quote include?	Notary fees, binding, extra certified sets and courier costs can be extra
How long will it take, and is there an urgent option?	Visa appointments and AIMA deadlines are fixed
How will names and dates be written?	They must match your passport exactly
Can you deliver both paper and PDF?	Some portals want uploads; some offices want originals

Red flags include a provider who offers a “sworn” translation without explaining who certifies it, a price that does not mention the certification step, refusal to give a written quote, and anyone who offers to “adjust” figures or dates. If your translation is part of a wider legal matter, such as a property purchase, a company formation or a nationality application, a lawyer can coordinate the documents; our guides on how to find an immigration lawyer in Portugal and how to start a business in Portugal as a foreigner explain when that helps. The FCDO also publishes a list of translators and interpreters in Portugal through its find a professional service abroad tool. Local providers are listed on the Portugal country hub.

Frequently asked questions