Translating documents for Portugal is part of many procedures, from a Schengen visa or a national visa to residence steps in Portugal or a citizenship application. As a rule, Portuguese authorities want documents in foreign languages accompanied by a certified Portuguese translation. For official documents, they also look for an apostille or a consular legalisation.
This guide maps out the whole picture. It covers which documents are translated for which application, plus what matters most for national visas such as the D7 or the D8. It also explains which approvals make a translation made in Türkiye acceptable, and in which order the apostilles are done. Finally, it touches briefly on the difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese.
Where translating documents for Portugal comes in
Applications for Portugal go to the visa centres authorised by the Portuguese mission in Türkiye, to universities in Portugal or to public offices in Portugal. The document lists differ, but the rules on translations and approvals are largely shared.
Schengen visas
Short-stay visas for tourism, business or family visits usually ask for bank statements, an employer letter, the SGK social security record and the civil registry record. The current list for each application is published on Portugal's official visa portal. Check it before you apply to see which documents need a Portuguese translation.
National visas: D7, D8, study and work
People who want to stay in Portugal longer apply for a national visa. The D7 visa is for people with a regular passive income, such as a pension, rental income or investment income. The D8 visa is for people who will work remotely from Portugal. Study and work visas add documents such as an acceptance letter or an employment contract.
Most of these visas ask for a criminal record certificate. According to the D7 checklists used by the visa centres, it must come from the country of nationality or from any country where the applicant has lived for more than a year, with an apostille or legalisation. Proof of income, bank statements and housing documents are also central to the file.
Residence steps in Portugal
People who move to Portugal on a national visa complete their residence permit steps with AIMA, Portugal's migration agency. Civil documents, criminal records and proof of income may be requested again at this stage. Preparing your documents before you leave Türkiye saves you from going back to Turkish offices later for an apostille.
Universities and degree recognition
Applying to a university in Portugal, or having a degree recognised there, involves translations of the diploma and transcript. These procedures usually expect an apostille on the original and a certified translation. Our transcript translation guide explains how course titles, credits and grades are handled.
Citizenship, marriage and civil status
Citizenship applications in Portugal often ask for a birth certificate, the civil registry record and a criminal record certificate. Registering a marriage or another civil status event may need birth, marriage or single status certificates as well. These procedures are handled by offices in Portugal, and they set their own translation requirements.
Which translations are accepted in Portugal?
According to AIMA, documents written in a foreign language should, as a rule, come with a certified translation into Portuguese. In Portugal, that certification can be given by notaries, registry offices (conservatórias), lawyers and solicitadores, among others. AIMA also notes that in some cases no translation is required for documents in English, French or Spanish.
A sworn translation made in Türkiye can be used once the translator's signature is approved. In Türkiye that approval comes from a notary confirming the sworn translator's signature, followed by an apostille on the translation. Portuguese offices expect translations made abroad to be certified. Languvi prepares this translation with notary approval and an apostille. If a translation certified in Portugal is needed, Languvi prepares that too through its authorised translators; just write to us through the contact form.
In which order is the apostille done?
Türkiye and Portugal are both parties to the Apostille Convention. Official documents issued in Türkiye are therefore used in Portugal with an apostille. AIMA also points out something easy to miss: an apostille does not extend a document's validity.
- 1
Apostille on the original: the district governor's office, the governor's office or the court apostilles the original.
- 2
Sworn Portuguese translation: a sworn translator translates the document, including its apostille.
- 3
Notary approval: a notary approves the sworn translator's signature.
- 4
Apostille on the translation: the notarised translation is apostilled as well.
Which documents are translated?
Application | Documents often requested | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
Schengen visa | Bank statements, employer letter, SGK record | The current list on the official portal |
D7 visa | Proof of income, criminal record, housing document | Evidence of regular passive income |
D8 visa | Employment contract, proof of income, criminal record | Evidence of remote work |
Residence (AIMA) | Civil documents, criminal record | Recent documents |
Degree recognition | Diploma, transcript | An apostille with a certified translation |
European and Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese is written with different spelling and vocabulary choices in Portugal than in Brazil. Translations for applications in Portugal are prepared in European Portuguese, while those for Brazil are prepared in Brazilian Portuguese. Just state in your order where the document will be used.
Checks before you apply
Applications for Portugal are most often delayed by an expired document or a missing approval. Run through these points while you prepare:
Get time-limited documents, such as criminal records, close to the application date; the apostille does not extend them.
If the translation needs an apostille, add it to your order; Languvi prepares the notary approval and the apostille with the translation.
Keep the spelling of your name identical to your passport, so every translation uses it.
Make sure your income documents clearly show a regular income.
Keep the originals together with their apostilled translations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do translations for Portugal need an apostille?
Official documents need an apostille on the original. For a translation made in Türkiye to be accepted in Portugal, the notarised translation is usually apostilled as well. Languvi prepares the notary approval and the apostille together with the translation.
Which documents are translated for a D7 or D8 visa?
Proof of income, bank statements, the criminal record certificate and housing documents are translated most often. A D8 application adds an employment contract or other evidence of remote work. Check the current list on Portugal's official visa portal.
Which country should the criminal record come from?
According to the visa centres' D7 checklists, it comes from your country of nationality and from any country where you have lived for more than a year. A criminal record from Türkiye is apostilled, then translated into Portuguese. Make sure it is still valid on the day you apply.
Does an apostille extend a document's validity?
No. AIMA states that an apostille does not extend a document's validity. If a document expires, a new one has to be issued and apostilled again.
Do you translate into Brazilian Portuguese too?
Yes. If your document will be used in Brazil, the translation is prepared in Brazilian Portuguese. Just state in your order which country it is for.
Can documents from Portugal be translated into Turkish too?
Yes. Documents issued in Portugal or Brazil can be translated into Turkish for use in Türkiye. A notary approval can be added to these translations when it is needed.
Conclusion: Two things decide how to go about translating documents for Portugal: the order of the approvals and how recent the documents are. The original is apostilled, the sworn Portuguese translation is notarised, and the translation is apostilled too. On Languvi you upload your document, then choose a sworn Portuguese translation, notary approval or an apostille on one platform. See our page on Portuguese translation with apostille for Portugal, or upload your document now on the order page.