Portugal
Apostille in Portugal
At a glance
Who issues apostilles in Portugal, and what does it cost?
| Uses apostilles? | Uses apostilles1 |
|---|---|
| Member since | 1 |
| How it joined | Ratified (signed and confirmed), 1 |
| Who issues apostilles | Prosecutor General's Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República), Apostille Service in Lisbon, public documents produced by entities located anywhere in Portugal2 Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Porto (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital do Porto), as a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is available2 Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Coimbra (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Coimbra), as a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is available2 Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Évora (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Évora), as a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is available2 Madeira County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca da Madeira), Funchal, as a rule public documents issued by entities in the Autonomous Region of Madeira2 Azores County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca dos Açores), Ponta Delgada, as a rule public documents issued by entities in the Autonomous Region of the Azores2 |
| Fee | €10.20 (per apostille issued or verified (one tenth of an account unit))2checked 18 October 2026 No fee, according to the office (people who prove financial hardship with a document from the competent administrative authority or a statement from a public social welfare institution)2checked 18 October 2026 |
| Processing time | As a rule apostilles are issued or verified at once, in order of arrival, with no booking; exceptions are requests for 5 or more apostilles, requests entered after 4 p.m. and cases where the signature facsimile is not available2checked 18 October 2026 |
| Documents covered | 4 kinds of document listed by the office |
| What the receiving side decides | Whether it accepts the document: for example how recent it must be and whether it needs a translation. |
| Last checked |
Step by step
How to get an apostille in Portugal
Find the office that covers the entity that issued your document: Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Évora, Funchal or Ponta Delgada.2
If the document comes from a private school, first have it certified by the Directorate-General for School Establishments (pre-school to secondary) or the Directorate-General for Higher Education (higher education).2
Apply in person at the office; in Lisbon the 2023 notice says in-person service needs an appointment.3
To apply by post, fill in the request form from the Public Prosecution Service website and send it to the Prosecutor General's Office in Lisbon with the original document, a copy of your ID and proof of payment.3
Pay 10.20 euros per apostille; the Lisbon office accepts cash, postal order, a cheque payable to IGCP, bank transfer or ATM payment, and other offices accept fewer methods.2
The Prosecutor General's Office returns documents sent by post by ordinary mail.3
Documents
Common documents
As listed by the office:
- Documents issued by ministries, courts, registry offices and notaries2
- Documents issued by public schools, town councils and parish councils2
- Documents of private schools, after the required prior certification2
- Documents drawn up by lawyers and solicitors, with a copy of the professional licence attached, and documents of chambers of commerce and industry and of the Portuguese postal service2
More about these documents: academic transcript, court judgment, certified copy of a document.
Contacts
Who to contact in Portugal
- Apostille officeProsecutor General's Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República), Apostille Service in Lisbon2Public documents produced by entities located anywhere in Portugalcorreiopgr@pgr.pt
- Apostille officeRegional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Porto (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital do Porto)2As a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is availableporto.tr@tribunais.org.pt
- Apostille officeRegional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Coimbra (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Coimbra)2As a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is availablead.coimbra.tr@tribunais.org.pt
- Apostille officeRegional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Évora (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Évora)2As a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is availableevora.administrativos.tr@tribunais.org.pt
- Apostille officeMadeira County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca da Madeira), Funchal2As a rule public documents issued by entities in the Autonomous Region of Madeirafunchal.ministeriopublico@tribunais.org.pt
- Apostille officeAzores County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca dos Açores), Ponta Delgada2As a rule public documents issued by entities in the Autonomous Region of the Azorespdelgada.ministeriopublico@tribunais.org.pt
- The office that will receive your documentAsk it before you start what it needs: an apostille, a translation, or a document issued recently.
Common situations
Using a document from or in Portugal
A document issued in Portugal
The apostille comes from Portugal, from the office named above. It works in any other country where the Convention applies with Portugal.
Check where it can be usedA document for use in Portugal
Get the apostille in the country that issued the document, not in Portugal. Portugal accepts it if that country is also a member and the Convention applies between the two.
Check your countryGood to know
Good to know
Note: Rule
The apostille does not apply to documents drawn up by diplomatic or consular agents or to administrative documents that deal directly with commercial or customs operations.2
Before the apostille
Private documents
A private document, such as a power of attorney or a contract, is first signed in front of a notary public, and the apostille then goes on the notary’s certificate. A copy of a public document from another country is first certified by a notary public, then apostilled.
An apostille only confirms the signature, the role of the person who signed and any seal or stamp on the document. It does not confirm what the document says. The office that receives the document decides what it accepts.
Questions
Questions about apostilles in Portugal
Does Portugal accept apostilles?
Yes. Portugal has been a member of the Apostille Convention since 4 February 1969, so it issues and accepts apostilles for documents exchanged with other member countries.
Who issues apostilles in Portugal?
Prosecutor General's Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República), Apostille Service in Lisbon (public documents produced by entities located anywhere in Portugal), Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Porto (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital do Porto) (as a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is available), Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Coimbra (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Coimbra) (as a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is available), Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Évora (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Évora) (as a rule public documents issued by entities in its judicial district; documents from other areas may also be apostilled if the needed data is available), Madeira County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca da Madeira), Funchal (as a rule public documents issued by entities in the Autonomous Region of Madeira) and Azores County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca dos Açores), Ponta Delgada (as a rule public documents issued by entities in the Autonomous Region of the Azores).
How much does an apostille cost in Portugal?
€10.20 (per apostille issued or verified (one tenth of an account unit)). No fee, according to the office (people who prove financial hardship with a document from the competent administrative authority or a statement from a public social welfare institution). Fees can change, so check the office’s own page before you apply.
How long does an apostille take in Portugal?
The office says: As a rule apostilles are issued or verified at once, in order of arrival, with no booking; exceptions are requests for 5 or more apostilles, requests entered after 4 p.m. and cases where the signature facsimile is not available.
Do I need to notarise a private document first?
Yes. A private document, such as a power of attorney or a contract, is first signed in front of a notary public. The apostille is then added to the notary’s certificate, not to the private document itself.
Is an apostille valid in countries that are not Convention members?
No. An apostille only works in other member countries. Countries outside the Convention use a different process, usually called legalisation. The office that receives your document decides what it accepts.
Sources and verification
Sources
- HCCH status table: Apostille Convention (1961)
- Apostille | Public Prosecution Service of Portugal
- Serviço de Apostilas - atendimento Lisboa
- Status
- Last verified: (18 October 2026)
- How it was checked
- Checked by our team against the sources above
- Next review
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