Apostilles

It is a certification of the authenticity of public acts, when a competent authority of the Portuguese State recognizes and attests to the signature and the capacity in which the signatory of the public act acted.

It is intended to prove, in contracting/adherent countries to the Convention Relating to the Suppression of the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Acts, the authenticity of Portuguese public acts, ensuring their full acceptance in these countries, being presented in the territory of another Contracting State of the same Convention, thus giving them formal probative value.

Acts issued by ministries, courts, registry offices and notary offices, public educational establishments, municipal councils and parish councils are legalized by means of an apostille.

The apostille can also be applied to documents issued by private pre-school, basic and secondary education establishments, documents issued by private higher education establishments.

Notarial acts carried out by lawyers and solicitors can also be apostilled.

The apostille costs one tenth of the unit of account (UC): €10.20 (free for those who prove their economic insufficiency, through a document issued by the competent administrative authority or declaration).