Apostille

The apostille issuing/confirmation may be requested:

• In person
• By post

Prior thereto the enclosed form must be completed. If necessary, follow the instructions

The apostille issuing/confirmation may be requested at:

• Lisboa

  Public documents produced by entities located in any part of the national territory.

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  Procuradoria-Geral da República  Rua da Escola Politécnica, n.º 140 1269―269 Lisboa (for postal address) Apostilas' Services: Campus de Justiça, Av. D. João II, 1.08.01, Edifício E 1990―097 Lisboa Contacts: Email: correiopgr@pgr.pt Telephone: (351) 213 921 900/01 Fax: (351) 213 975 255 Business hours: 09:30h/13:00h 14:00h/16:30h Payment methods: 1. In cash 2. Postal order 3. Cheque payable to IGCP 4. Bank transfer:     IBAN PT50078101120000000686152     BIC: IGCPPTPL 5.  ATM

  How to arrive: By bus: routes 708, 731, 744, 759, 782 Train: Alcântara - Castanheira Do Ribatejo (Du), Sintra - Alverca (Du), Sintra - Oriente Underground: Rato Station  (red line)

   

• Porto

  As a rule, public documents issued by entities located in the area of the respective judicial district; public documents issued by entities from a different circumscription may also be apostilled, provided the relevant data necessary for the issuing of the apostille are available.

   

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  Procuradoria-Geral Distrital do Porto Palácio da Justiça Campo Mártires da Pátria 4049―099 Porto Contacts: Email: porto.tr@tribunais.org.pt Telephone: (351) 222 092 608/7/10 Fax: (351) 222 000 715 Business hours: 09:30h/12:30h 13:30h/16:00h Payment methods: 1. In cash 2. Cheque payable to IGCP 3. Bank transfer:     IBAN: PT50078101120000000686152     BIC: IGCPPTPL	How to arrive: Bus : STCP  routes 200, 201, 207, 208,300, 301, 302, 303,304, 305, 501, 507, 601, 602, 703, 801 Underground: Trindade Station  (lines A, B, C, D, E, F), S. Bento Station (line D) Train: S. Bento Station Tram: routes 18, 22 Express bus Renex

   

• Coimbra

  As a rule, public documents issued by entities located in the area of the respective judicial district; public documents issued by entities from a different circumscription may also be apostilled, provided the relevant data necessary for the issuing of the apostille are available.

   

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  Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Coimbra Palácio da Justiça Rua da Sofia 3004―501 Coimbra Contacts: Email: ad.coimbra.tr@tribunais.org.pt Telephone: (351) 239 096 759 Fax: (351) 239 824 310 Business hours: 09:30h/12:30h 13:30h/16:00h Payment methods: 1. Cheque payable to IGCP 2. Bank transfer:     IBAN: PT50078101120000000686152     BIC: IGCPPTPL	How to arrive: By bus: routes 42T, 4, 5, 36F, 6, 7, 11, 11 C, 24, 27, 28, 29, 103, 39, 2A, 2T, 2F, 5, 19, 19 T, 25, 25 T, 27, 28, 30, 30 T, 36, 10, 103, 7 T, 24 T

   

• Évora

  As a rule, public documents issued by entities located in the area of the respective judicial district; public documents issued by entities from a different circumscription may also be apostilled, provided the relevant data necessary for the issuing of the apostille are available

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  Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Évora Palácio Barahona Rua da República, n.º 141/143       7004―501 Évora Contacts: Email:  evora.administrativos.tr@tribunais.org.pt Telephone: (351) 266 758 800/9 Fax: (351) 266 701 529 Business hours: 09:30h/12:30h 13:30h/16:00h Payment methods: 1. Bank transfer:     IBAN: PT50078101120000000686152     BIC: IGCPPTPL	How to arrive: Bus: Trevo-Linha Azul

   

• Funchal

  As a rule, public documents issued by entities located in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

   

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  Procuradoria da Comarca da Madeira Palácio da Justiça R. Marquês do Funchal 9004 – 548 Funchal Contacts: Email:  funchal.ministeriopublico@tribunais.org.pt Telephone: (351) 291 213 449 Fax: (351) 291 233 015 Business hours: 09:30h/12:30h 13:30h/16:00h Payment methods: 1. In cash 2. Postal order 3. Cheque payable to IGCP	How to arrive: Bus: routes 13, 15B, 17, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28,  42, 49, 60 (city bus); 56, 103, 138 (intercity bus)

   

• Ponta Delgada

  As a rule, public documents issued by entities located in the Autonomous Region of Açores.

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  Procuradoria da Comarca dos Açores Palácio da Justiça Rua Conselheiro Luís Bettencourt 9500 – 058 Ponta Delgada Contacts: Email:  pdelgada.ministeriopublico@tribunais.org.pt Telephne: (351) 296 209 460 Fax: (351) 296 209 469 Business hours: 09:00h/12:30h 13:30h/16:00h Payment methods: 1. Bank transfer:     IBAN: PT50078101120000000686152     BIC: IGCPPTPL	How to arrive: Mini-Bus (lines A, B, C)

   

The apostille issuing/confirmation may be requested in person, by post or through a consular agent:

• By the concerned person (applicant)
• By any other bearer of the public document (person who produces the document)

• What is the apostille?

  It is a certification of authenticity of public documents: a formality by which a competent authority of the Portuguese State recognises and certifies the signature and the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp

• What is the purpose?

  The apostille is intended to certify the authenticity of public documents in the contracting/acceding countries of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (concluded at The Hague on 5 October 1961 under the auspices of the Hague Conference on Private International Law), thus ensuring full acceptance of the concerned documents in the contracting/acceding countries. 

• To which documents does it apply?

  1. The apostille applies to public documents executed in the territory of a State Party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, concluded at The Hague on 5 October 1961, and which are to be produced in the territory of another Contracting State to the said Convention.

  Are deemed to be public documents the documents listed in article 1(a), (b), (c), (d) of the Convention. This definition applies to documents executed by the following public services:

  • Town councils
  • Notaries
  • Civil registry offices
  • Public schools
  • Parish councils
  • Ministries
  • ​Courts 

  2. The apostile may also certify documents executed by private schools, provided the following formalities are complied with:

  • Documents executed by private pre-school, primary and secondary teaching establishments must be first certified by the Direção-Geral dos Estabelecimentos Escolares (Praça de Alvalade, n.º 12, Lisboa; Telefone: 21 8433900; http://www.dgeste.mec.pt/);
  • Documents executed by private higher education establishments must be first certified by the Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior (Av. Duque D’Ávila, n.º 137, Lisboa; Telefone: 21 3126000; http://www.dges.mctes.pt/DGES/pt).

  3. Recognizing/certifying/authenticating documents drawn up by lawyers and solicitors (cases in which a copy of the corresponding professional licence must be enclosed thereto),or executed by parish councils, by commerce and industry chambers and by the Portuguese postal service may also be apostilled (article 1 of Decree-Law No. 28/2000 of 13 March 2000); articles 5, 6 of Decree-Law No. 237/2001 of 30 August 2001; article 38 of Decree-Law No. 76-A/2006 of 29 March 2006).

• Which documents are not covered?

  The apostille does not apply (article 1 of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents):

  • to documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents;
  • to administrative documents dealing directly with comercial or customs operations.
• Which countries accept apostilled documents?
  • The countries that have ratified the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents concluded at The Hague on 5 October 1961 under the auspices of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, or the countries that have acceded thereto
  • The list of these countries is available at the Hague Conference website.

Handbook (pdf) 

The ABCs of Apostilles (pdf)