How to gather certificates, apostilles and translations for a Portuguese visa
A guide for anyone applying for a Portuguese D7, D8 Digital Nomad, study, family or other long-stay visa. In the end you should have a set of documents the consulate can accept without your having to redo certificates, translations and apostilles in a rush. This is not legal advice: requirements depend on the country where you apply and on the particular consulate.
First check the list for your own consulate
Do not start with translations. First open the current document list on the website of the Portuguese consulate or visa centre in the country where you are applying: Warsaw, Ankara, Moscow, Kyiv and so on. Different consulates may have different requirements for the language of translation, apostilles, insurance, tenancy and certificates.
National visas usually require: an application form, passport, photos, insurance, a criminal record certificate, consent for AIMA (the migration agency) to check your Portuguese criminal record, proof of accommodation, money or income, plus documents for the particular visa type: a pension or passive income for the D7, remote work for the D8, enrolment for study, family ties for a family visa.
Recent cases show that one consulate may accept an electronic certificate without an apostille, while another turns a document down because it has no stamp. So go by the place where you apply, not by what applies ‘in Portugal in general’.
List the documents that need an apostille
An apostille certifies that a public document is genuine for use in another country. You need one if the document was issued in a country that is party to the Hague Apostille Convention. If the country is not party to the convention, consular legalisation is usually needed instead.
The documents most often apostilled are: criminal record certificates, birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, diplomas or school-leaving certificates, school records, powers of attorney, and sometimes medical certificates or other public documents. For a visa the most important are the criminal record certificate and the documents proving family ties, education or the grounds for the visa.
The usual order is: first the apostille on the original or a notarised copy, then a translation of the whole document together with the apostille. If you translate first and then apostille the translation, the document may be rejected.
Order your criminal record certificate in the right form
For a long-stay visa, adults usually need a criminal record certificate from their country of citizenship and from the countries where they have lived for more than a year. Children usually do not need one until 16, but it is best to check the age on your consulate's list.
Get the certificate in the form the consulate accepts. A recent example: in Warsaw a Polish certificate obtained online was not accepted for a D7 because it had no stamps. The applicant was given just a couple of hours to get a new one, translate it and bring it in, but did not manage it in time and had to ask for a new slot.
If you have lived in several countries, allow time in advance for each certificate. For example, you may be asked for certificates from Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine if you actually lived in those countries.
Check how recent your certificates are
A criminal record certificate almost always has a shelf life for applications: consulates often want a recently issued document. Check the exact period on your consulate's list.
With birth and marriage certificates it is more complicated. The fact of a birth or marriage does not ‘expire’, but some authorities require a recent extract or duplicate before they will apostille or accept the document. In one recent case a person was told outright that a certificate older than 6 months would not be accepted for an apostille. This may be the rule of a particular country or authority, so it is best to check in advance.
If a document is old, it is safer to order a fresh duplicate and have the apostille put on that, especially for marriage, children's births and a family visa.
Get the apostille: on the original or a notarised copy
An apostille is usually put on the original public document. But if the original has no official's signature, only a stamp, the authority may refuse and suggest apostilling a notarised copy instead. This has actually happened with educational documents.
If the original cannot be apostilled, people often make a notarised copy and have the apostille put on that. It is not always convenient and does not work for every document, but sometimes it is the only route that works.
For documents issued in Portugal, apostilles are issued by the Procuradoria-Geral da República, PGR (the Attorney General's Office) and authorised places, including some courts. Judging by recent cases in 2026, the picture is mixed: in some places people got an apostille by queuing on the day, while elsewhere the nearest online appointment was several months away.
If you are apostilling a Portuguese document, allow for the queue
In Portugal you can try to book through the PGR (Attorney General's Office) service or go to a place that accepts documents for apostilles, such as a court. But recent cases contradict each other: some people write that the court saw them by queuing on the day, others that you now have to book an online slot and the nearest date is a long way off.
If you are short of time, write to the PGR and explain the urgency. But ‘I really need it’ alone may not be enough: they may ask you to justify the emergency. It is best not to leave the apostille to the last few days before your visa appointment.
Get a certified translation
The translation must not be ‘from Google’ or simply an amateur one. You usually need a certified translation: through a sworn or certified translator, a notary, an advogado (lawyer), a solicitador (legal representative), a conservador (registrar) or the consulate — depending on the country and the authority you are submitting to.
For a visa it is often fine to have the translation done in the country where the consulate is. But check the language of the translation: some accept Portuguese, others English or the language of the country where you apply. The safest option for Portugal is Portuguese, but it is not always required.
If you will later need the document in Portugal — for example for AIMA (the migration agency), the IRN (registry and notary service), a school or a university — it is usually more convenient to have a Portuguese translation. Some institutions accept translations only from their own list of trusted translators.
Check the translation before you apply
Check first names, surnames, dates, document numbers, places of birth, transliteration and signatures. Look especially carefully at your children's and spouse's documents: a mistake in a first name or surname can hold up your application.
The translation must make clear which is the first name and which is the surname. In one case the Portuguese apelido was translated as ‘nickname’ rather than ‘surname’; because of this the person had to explain separately how the first name and surname were structured in the passport.
If a document has an apostille, both the document itself and the text of the apostille are translated. If there are annexes to a diploma, a transcript or an insert with grades, translate those too if they are needed for the visa grounds or for study.
Prepare the documents for your visa grounds
Besides certificates and apostilles, the consulate looks at the grounds for the visa. For the D7 that is passive income and money in the bank; for the D8 Digital Nomad, an employment contract, a contract with clients or business documents and proof of remote income; for a study visa, enrolment; for a family visa, documents proving family ties.
Foreign contracts, letters from employers, tax confirmations and bank documents often need translating. Private documents do not always need an apostille: for example, a contract with an employer is usually not apostilled as a public document, but a translation may be requested. If a document was issued by a public authority, check the apostille question separately.
For the later stages in Portugal, for example for AIMA (the migration agency), you will usually need proof of accommodation and income, your passport with the visa, a NIF (tax number), insurance or a número de utente (health service number).
Put together a separate section on accommodation
For a visa you usually have to prove where you will live in Portugal: a tenancy agreement, an invitation, proof of accommodation or another document from the consulate's list. If you are renting, it is best if the agreement is registered with the Autoridade Tributária, AT (the tax authority), and if you have proof of payment, if you already have it.
People often get into trouble over accommodation: the landlord promises to register the agreement or send documents but does not do so in time. In one case, after a D7 refusal, a couple had to appeal and spend a long time getting their documents accepted.
If a document from the owner was drawn up abroad, it may need notarising, an apostille and a translation. Do not leave this to the last 10 days.
Make scans, but bring the originals to the appointment
Even if the application starts online or through a visa centre, keep the originals with you: passport, certificates, apostilles, translations, contracts, insurance, proof of income and accommodation. The consulate or visa centre may ask to see the original and keep a copy.
Make colour, legible scans, one file per document if the portal requires it. Give the files clear names: passport, criminal_record, birth_certificate, marriage_certificate, rental_contract, bank_statement.
Do not count on ‘I’ll bring it later’ always working. Sometimes you are given a short deadline, sometimes you are sent away to ask for a new slot.
Leave time to redo things
The most common things that have to be redone: the wrong type of criminal record certificate, no stamp, no apostille, the apostille in the wrong place, a translation by the wrong translator, a document that is too old, or a missing certificate from a country where you used to live.
According to recent stories, an apostille in Portugal could take 15 minutes by queuing on the day, 3–5 days for a single document, several weeks through an agency, or months of waiting for an online slot. Abroad the timing depends on the country: one person wrote about 30 working days for an apostille on a school certificate because the ministry was waiting for a reply from the school.
A practical margin: start on certificates, apostilles and translations 1–2 months before you apply, and even earlier if several countries, children, a marriage, diplomas or documents from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus or Kazakhstan are involved.
What it costs, according to community conversations
| urgent translation of a certificate | 1,400 złoty, about €330, for an urgent translation of a Polish certificate and delivery by courier | source |
| apostille in one country | €40 for the apostille + €25 for postage | source |
| contract translation | about €130 for translating an employment contract in Portugal | source |
| notarised declaration | about €30 for a notary to certify the property owner's sworn declaration | source |
| apostille on a doctor's certificate | €10 for the apostille, 3–5 days | source |
| documents for school | about €100 or more for translations and apostilles in one case | source |
What to bring
- Passport and a copy of the photo page
- National visa application form
- Photos meeting the consulate's requirements
- Insurance for the visa
- Criminal record certificate from your country of citizenship
- Criminal record certificates from countries where you have lived for more than a year
- Apostille or legalisation of the certificates, if required
- Certified translations of the certificates together with the apostille
- Consent for AIMA (the migration agency) to check your Portuguese criminal record
- Birth certificate with an apostille and translation, if needed for children, family or proof of identity
- Marriage certificate with an apostille and translation, if you are applying as a family
- Divorce certificate or spouse's death certificate, if applicable
- Diploma, school-leaving certificate, transcript of grades — if needed for study, work or status
- Apostille and translation of the diploma or school-leaving certificate, if the consulate or educational institution requires it
- Documents on income or work for your visa type
- Bank statements
- Documents on accommodation in Portugal
- NIF (tax number), if you already have one
- Copies and colour scans of all documents
Where people most often trip up
- An electronic criminal record certificate without a stamp may be rejected
- You may need criminal record certificates from several countries
- The apostille is usually put on before translation, not after
- An apostille may be refused on an original without a signature
- You may be asked to replace an old marriage or birth certificate with a recent duplicate
- The translation must be certified, not an ordinary one
- The language of translation depends on the consulate where you apply
- Some institutions have a list of trusted translators
- An online appointment for an apostille in Portugal may be well after the date you need
- Queuing on the day for an apostille does not work everywhere or every time
- A landlord may hold up your accommodation documents
- Mistakes in translating your first name and surname can cause problems
- Do not leave the apostille and translation to the last few days before your appointment
How it went for people
Applying for a DN visa in Seville
This person booked a DN appointment in Seville on 5 April, applied on 15 April, was approved on 9 July and had the visas put in their passports on 15 July, without an AIMA appointment. The main applicant included criminal record certificates from Russia and Spain with apostilles, bank statements, a contract, proof of remote work and salary, invoices and statements of work for 3 months, tax documents, accommodation bookings for 90+31 days and a year's insurance. It was not possible to prove Spanish tax residence because they had worked as an autónomo for less than 183 days, so they attached a Russian tax residence certificate, documents on taxes paid in Spain and an explanation in the cover letter. The accompanying family member submitted criminal record certificates, a Georgian marriage certificate more than a year old, a sponsorship letter, bookings, insurance and copies of the main applicant's documents; everything was accepted without problems.
Maternity capital remotely through a power of attorney and an apostille
This person arranged Russian maternity capital remotely, without going in person. A power of attorney for a relative was drawn up at a Portuguese notary, apostilled, the original was sent to Russia, and a notarised translation was done there. They also prepared a Portuguese birth certificate with an apostille, a consular translation and a note of Russian citizenship, as well as an application form. The relative submitted the documents to the Social Fund of Russia in the morning, and by the afternoon the certificate had been approved and uploaded to Gosuslugi, the Russian government services portal.
Deregistering from military service records remotely
This person deregistered from military service records through a relative, on their own, without a lawyer. To do this they drew up a power of attorney expressly authorising the relative to represent them at military registration offices and deal with deregistration, sent it to Russia and had it translated into Russian. The relative checked the procedure at the particular office, after which they gathered the documents on the list they were given and paid a fine for not reporting the move abroad. In the end the military registration office issued confirmation of deregistration.
Documents for a D8 in Warsaw
This person applied for a D8 in Warsaw on 30 January, paying about €90; checking the documents took about 30 minutes. The file included statements, contracts and invoices for the last 3 months, a separate statement showing savings, certificates of tax residence and of no criminal record with translations, a room tenancy agreement, NIF, insurance, a cover letter and copies of documents. The visa was approved on 4 March and put in the passport on 12 March. Along with the visa came an AIMA appointment for 20 October.
Digital nomad visa through the consulate in Budapest
This person applied for a digital nomad visa in Budapest on 3 November and was approved on 17 November. They needed a Hungarian criminal record certificate and a tax residence certificate no more than 3 months old, a contract, proof of remote work, salary documents and bank statements for 3 months, savings for a year, plane tickets and a hotel booking for 3 weeks. The Hungarian residence permit had to be valid for at least another 7 months on the date of application, so it had to be renewed in advance. The original AIMA appointment for 26 November 2026 was moved, on request, to 17 March 2026.
A D7 refusal and appeal
A couple applied for the D7 in Moscow in mid-April, having translated and apostilled their documents in advance, including criminal record certificates from Georgia. At the end of July they were refused because the landlord had not submitted the promised documents for the tenancy. They were about 2 weeks late with the appeal, but the embassy still accepted the documents; after that the couple wrote to ask about the status twice a week. A positive answer came on 28 September, the visas were put in their passports on 3 October, and the whole process took just over six months.
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