Guide · International documents

Which documents may need translation for immigration, study and work?

There is no universal list: requirements depend on the procedure and receiving authority.

By Luís Valente · translator and law graduate · reviewed 3 September 2026

Civil status documents

Birth, marriage, divorce and other civil status records frequently appear in nationality, residence, family reunification, marriage and succession procedures.

Criminal record certificates

Criminal records are often requested for residence, nationality and employment. The receiving authority may also impose validity periods, apostille or other formalities.

Academic documents

Diplomas, transcripts, grade certificates, diploma supplements, enrolment letters and course descriptions may be required by universities, professional bodies or recognition authorities.

Legal update: Portugal 2025–2026

Law 61/2025, effective from 23 October 2025, changed family reunification, CPLP residence and the job-seeker visa framework. Family reunification is now generally subject to a two-year valid-residence-permit period, with a 15-month rule for certain spouses or partners with prior cohabitation and statutory exceptions for specified family members and residence categories. New manifestation-of-interest residence procedures have been abolished. Procedures already started before the repeal remain protected, while the deadline for the specific transitional category under Article 3(2)(b) of Decree-Law 37-A/2024 expired on 31 December 2025.

Organic Law 1/2026, effective from 19 May 2026, also changed Portuguese nationality rules. New naturalisation applications are generally subject to seven years of legal residence for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU citizens and ten years for other nationals; pending applications remain governed by the previous law.

Law 62/2026: new migration and asylum framework

Update of 11 September 2026: Portuguese Law 62/2026 of 10 September has been in force since 11 September 2026. It implements several EU Pact on Migration and Asylum regulations in Portugal, transposes Directives (EU) 2024/1346 and 2024/1233 and amends, among other statutes, Portuguese Laws 34/94, 23/2007 and 27/2008.

The changes include a screening procedure for third-country nationals covering identity checks, biometric data, health and security checks and vulnerability assessment. Except in duly justified exceptional circumstances, screening must be completed within seven days at the external border or three days within Portuguese territory. The law also regulates return at the border and changes border procedures for international protection.

International-protection applications and procedures under Law 27/2008 that were pending when the new law entered into force remain governed by the previous rules, without prejudice to the provision concerning the effect of a judicial appeal.

ETIAS has no exact start date yet: the European Commission still states that ETIAS is expected in the last quarter of 2026 and that the specific date will be announced later. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1970, adopted on 7 September and published in the Official Journal on 8 September, concerns technical rules for access to, amendment and deletion of data in the ETIAS Central System; it is not the announcement that ETIAS has started operating.

Document impact: these changes may affect the procedure and the evidence requested, but they do not by themselves mean that every document needs translation. Always confirm the exact list and formalities with the authority handling the application.

Documents for Portugal

For immigration procedures consult AIMA. For recognition of foreign degrees consult DGES. Registry requirements for foreign documents are explained by the IRN.

Documents from Portugal for use abroad

The destination authority should be the starting point: it may require a specific language, certification, apostille or local form of sworn translation.