Immigration, emigration, study and work documents
Foreign documents for immigration to Portugal and Portuguese documents for emigration, relocation, study, work or other procedures abroad.
Immigration to Portugal and emigration abroad
The service covers both foreign documents submitted in Portugal and Portuguese documents required when moving, emigrating, studying or working abroad.
Frequently translated documents
- Birth certificates
- Marriage and divorce certificates
- Criminal record certificates
- Diplomas and academic certificates
- Transcripts and grade reports
- University enrolment or attendance declarations
- Professional certificates
- Employment contracts and employer declarations
- Income evidence
- Powers of attorney and declarations
Recent changes to Portuguese immigration and nationality rules
Portugal changed important immigration rules through Law 61/2025, in force from 23 October 2025. For procedures started after that date, family reunification is generally subject to the sponsor having held a valid residence permit for at least two years; a 15-month period applies to certain spouses or partners with at least 18 months of prior cohabitation. Statutory exceptions apply, including for dependent minors or incapacitated family members and for holders of certain highly qualified, investment and EU Blue Card residence permits.
New residence procedures based on a manifestation of interest were abolished from 4 June 2024. Procedures already started by that date remain protected; for the specific transitional category under Article 3(2)(b) of Decree-Law 37-A/2024, the deadline for submitting the residence application expired on 31 December 2025. The CPLP regime now requires a residence visa before applying in Portugal for a CPLP residence permit. The law also recast the job-seeker visa as a qualified job-seeker visa; the operational definition of the specialised technical skills concerned depends on implementing rules and should be checked with the consular authority and AIMA.
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.
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.
Portuguese nationality law was also amended by Organic Law 1/2026, in force from 19 May 2026. For new naturalisation applications, the statutory residence period is now seven years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU citizens, and ten years for nationals of other countries. Applications already pending on 19 May 2026 remain subject to the previous rules.
Official sources for Portugal
Requirements should be checked with the relevant authority: AIMA for immigration procedures, DGES for recognition of foreign academic degrees and the IRN for foreign documents used in Portuguese registry procedures.
