Three steps, all online
No appointments and no originals in the post. You can order from a PDF or a scan of your birth certificate.
Send the PDF, a scan or a clear photo of your birth certificate.
Every field is translated, including notes recorded on the birth certificate.
Within 2–4 business days, or 24 hours if urgent. Add a printed copy by post if you need one.
Your translation is compared line by line with your passport and other documents, so it has to be complete and exact.
What you receive
- Every field translated, including the notes recorded on the birth certificate.
- Every name, date and number on the birth certificate carried into the translation.
- The translator's NAATI stamp and certification statement, showing who translated it and their NAATI credential.
- Our letterhead with our address and telephone number, so the translation can be traced back to us.
Getting your birth certificate from Portugal
Certificates are issued by Portugal's civil registry, in paper or electronic form. Here is what to know if you are in Australia.
What each field on the birth certificate means
| On the birth certificate | What it is | In your translation |
|---|---|---|
| Nome próprio · Apelidos | Given name(s) and surnames | Given names · Surnames |
| Sexo | Sex | Sex |
| Data e hora do nascimento | Date of birth, with the exact time where known | Date of birth · Time of birth |
| Freguesia · Concelho | The parish (freguesia) and municipality (concelho) recorded as the place of birth | Parish · Municipality |
| Pais | Each parent's full name, age, marital status, place of birth and usual residence | Father · Mother |
| Avós | The grandparents' full names | Grandparents |
| Assento n.º · Conservatória | The entry number, the registry office (conservatória) and the date the entry was made | Entry No. · Registry office · Date of registration |
| Averbamentos | Annotations added to the entry later, such as a marriage, divorce or adoption | Annotations |
What Home Affairs asks of a translation
From the Department of Home Affairs' guidance on documents in languages other than English:
- Provide the original document together with the English translation.
- In Australia, use a translator accredited by NAATI.
- Include the translator's full name, address and telephone number, and qualifications and experience in the language, all in English.
Our certified translations carry the translator's NAATI stamp and certification statement, on our letterhead with our address and telephone number.
What to send us
- The official birth certificate as a PDF, or a clear colour scan where every line is readable.
- Every page in one file.
- If you have an online certificate, the access code (código de acesso), so the translation is made from the certificate itself.
Frequently asked questions
I have an online certificate (certidão online). Can you translate it?
Yes. Send us the access code with your order. Under Portugal's rules, the online certificate is the record that counts: anyone with the code can view it for six months, while a printout does not count as a certificate. If the authority you are applying to wants a paper certificate instead, Portugal also issues certificates on paper.
Which annotations appear on a birth certificate?
Portugal's Civil Registration Code lists the events added to a birth entry by annotation, including marriage and its dissolution, establishment of parentage, adoption and parental responsibility orders. A full copy transcribes every annotation, and each is translated.
How long does the translation take?
Standard delivery for a birth certificate is 2 to 4 business days. You can choose 1–2 business days, or urgent within 24 hours, at checkout.
Do I need an apostille on my Portuguese birth certificate?
Home Affairs' evidence guidance asks for the original document and an English translation and does not mention legalisation or an apostille. Portugal has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 4 February 1969, so if another authority asks for one, it is issued by Portugal's Attorney General (and, by delegation, the district prosecutors' offices in Porto, Coimbra and Évora). An apostille is translated as an extra page.
Can I get a printed copy?
Yes. The certified translation is always delivered as a PDF by email, and you can add a printed copy sent by post when you order.
Other Portuguese documents we translate
Another document? See Portuguese translation services.