PORTUGAL · CERTIFIED TRANSLATION
Certified Translation of Portugal Documents for USCIS
Portuguese civil documents are issued as "certidões" (certificates) drawn from "assentos" (register entries) held by the Conservatória do Registo Civil, part of the IRN under the Ministry of Justice. A modern certidão is usually a "cópia integral" that reproduces the entire entry plus every marginal annotation ("averbamento") — marriages, divorces, name changes, and death are all recorded against the original birth record, so one Portuguese certificate often carries a person's whole civil history. Portugal also issues multilingual "modelo internacional" certificates, but USCIS still expects a full English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3); the multilingual form aids the reviewer but is not itself an English translation. Because Portuguese citizens typically carry two to four surnames (commonly the mother's line before the father's), we preserve exact name order and spelling across every document so USCIS can match identities cleanly.
Updated July 11, 2026 · Reviewed by Victor Luján, Founder — certified translations since 2018
DOCUMENTS FROM PORTUGAL
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GOOD TO KNOW
Issuing Authority & Authentication
Civil records in Portugal are issued by the Conservatória do Registo Civil (Civil Registry Office), under the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado — IRN (Institute of Registries and Notary Affairs), Ministério da Justiça · official language(s): Portuguese, Mirandese (co-official in the Miranda do Douro area). Portugal has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 1969, so a single apostille issued by the Procuradoria-Geral da República (Attorney General's Office) authenticates a Portuguese public document for USCIS. No U.S. embassy or consular legalization is required — apostille plus a certified English translation is the full path.
Every document above is translated by a native specialist, reviewed by a second linguist, and delivered with a signed Certificate of Accuracy that USCIS accepts under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) — or we fix it free and cover your resubmission fee.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Portugal use apostilles for USCIS documents, or do I need embassy legalization?
Portugal has been a Hague Apostille party since 1969, so an apostille from the Procuradoria-Geral da República is all the authentication USCIS needs — there is no U.S. embassy or consular legalization step. You then add a certified English translation.
My Portuguese certificate is already the multilingual 'modelo internacional' form. Is that enough for USCIS?
No. The CIEC multilingual (modelo internacional) certificate helps a reader, but USCIS still expects a full English translation accompanied by a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). We translate the document as issued so nothing is left in Portuguese.
Why does my Portuguese birth certificate mention my marriage or divorce?
Portuguese civil records annotate life events as 'averbamentos' against the original entry, so a full-copy (cópia integral) birth certificate can carry later marriage, divorce, or name-change notes. We translate every annotation so the reviewer sees your complete civil history exactly as recorded.
How are Portuguese names handled in the translation?
Portuguese citizens commonly carry two to four surnames, typically the mother's line before the father's. We preserve the exact order and spelling across all your documents so USCIS can confidently match them to one person.