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Portuguese Document Apostille in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

Checked September 2026. This page was written for this country and its details were checked against the authority’s own sources that month. Consular rules still change without notice, so confirm anything that will cost you a journey or a fee with the office that covers you. How we check our data.
Data last verified: September 2026

Portugal and the United States are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so U.S. public documents need an apostille from the Secretary of State of the issuing state. But there is a Portuguese requirement that catches almost everyone: birth certificates must be originals bearing a raised seal, the selo branco, not a plain printed copy.

Quick facts

Fee$3–$25 per U.S. document
Key requirementRaised seal on originals
ApostilleNeeded for documents from outside the U.S.
Consular legalisationAvailable where required

The distinction the consulates draw is precise: a U.S. certificate with a raised seal is accepted as it stands, while a certificate issued outside the United States must be apostilled. Knowing which rule applies to each document in a family file saves both money and weeks.

Fees breakdown

ItemCostIssued by
Apostille on a U.S. state document$3–$25 per documentSecretary of State of that state
Apostille on a U.S. federal document$20 per documentU.S. Department of State
Apostille on a Portuguese documentCharged in PortugalPublic prosecution service
Consular legalisationConsular tariffPublished in the fee table
Certified translationPer pageWhere the receiving office requires it

The consular fee table lists legalisation alongside everything else, in euros and dollars, which makes it easy to budget a whole file in advance.

How to prepare a document for Portugal

  1. Order the certificate in its original form with the raised seal, not a plain copy.
  2. Apostille it if it was issued outside the United States.
  3. Notarise private documents before the apostille, since the apostille certifies the notary.
  4. Check whether the receiving office wants a translation and where it must be made.
  5. Keep the originals: Portuguese files ask for them and they are not always returned quickly.

Required documents

What the consulates do

They issue citizen cards and passports, register births, marriages and deaths, process nationality files, issue tax numbers, execute powers of attorney, legalise documents and provide proof-of-life certificates for pensions.

Additional notes

Ask for the long form

A certificate that omits the parents’ details cannot establish descent, and descent is what most Portuguese files turn on.

Portuguese documents

Certificates from Portugal can be requested online, and many services there accept a permanent access code instead of a paper certificate.

Order two copies

Where a file covers several generations, duplicates save months if something goes astray.

Never apostille a photocopy

The certificate attaches to the sealed original or a certified copy from the record keeper.

📌 Other procedures for Portugal

👶Civil Records→🤝Citizenship Recovery→📔Passport Renewal→⚖️Notary & Power of Attorney→🌐Visa Application→
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