Indian documents for Portugal, such as birth, marriage, degree and police clearance certificates, are first verified by the issuing state or the relevant authority and then apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs. Portugal accepts the MEA apostille without embassy legalisation. Documents going from Portugal to India are notarised if needed and apostilled by the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica. A certified translation into Portuguese, or into English for India, is usually the last step.
- Document route
- Notary, then apostille from the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica
- Time difference
- India is 4h30 (summer) to 5h30 (winter) ahead
- Treaty
- Hague Apostille Convention 1961
- Indian authority
- Ministry of External Affairs
Apostille & Attestation from Portugal: how it works
For Indian documents we collect originals from you or your family in India, arrange state-level verification (home department for personal documents, education department or university for degrees, and the regional police for clearances where required), and submit them to the MEA through its authorised agencies. Turnaround depends on the state; personal documents may take one to three weeks, educational documents longer. Copies are scanned before dispatch so nothing is lost. We then courier them to Portugal with tracking.
In Portugal the apostilled documents usually go to a certified translator (tradutor) and sometimes to a notary for certification of the translation. For the reverse direction, a Portuguese birth, marriage or company certificate is apostilled by the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica and then translated into English if issued only in Portuguese. Indian banks, passport offices and registrars accept these once translated. Errors in names between documents are the commonest cause of rejection, so we check spellings before apostille.
What clients in Portugal should know
- AIMA files for residence and family reunification commonly require apostilled police clearance certificates issued within the last few months.
- Portuguese nationality applications by Goan descent rely on old Goan civil registry records, which may need retrieval and certified copies from Goa before apostille.
- Not every Indian document can be apostilled; commercial documents may first need chamber of commerce attestation.
Step by step from Portugal
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Portugal, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Portugal
Notary, then apostille from the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Portugal where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Portugal. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Apostille & Attestation, or see all services for clients in Portugal and the Inheritance & Documents practice area.
Questions from clients in Portugal
Does the Embassy of India in Lisbon apostille Indian documents?
No. Apostilles for Indian documents are issued only by the Ministry of External Affairs in India. The embassy attests some documents for local use but cannot apostille.
Do I need to be in India for apostille of my degree?
No. A relative or our team can submit it with your authorisation, subject to the university and state verification rules.
Does Portugal require translation of an English apostille?
Portuguese authorities usually ask for a certified Portuguese translation of the document and sometimes of the apostille text.