Portuguese documents for Germany: Portugal, Brazil, and beyond
Portuguese is the official language of nine countries. In Germany, Portuguese-speaking community members are primarily from Portugal and Brazil, with growing numbers from Cape Verde and Angola. Portuguese–German is a consistent certified translation pair for civil registration, naturalisation, Blue Card applications, and family reunification.
Portugal: Conservatória do Registo Civil
| Portuguese document | German term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certidão de nascimento (inteiro teor) | Vollständige Geburtsurkunde | Full extract — required by Standesamt |
| Certidão de casamento | Heiratsurkunde | Full certificate required |
| Certidão de óbito | Sterbeurkunde | Inheritance, civil status |
| Registo criminal | Führungszeugnis | From DGPJ — naturalisation |
| Certificado de capacidade matrimonial | Ehefähigkeitszeugnis | For marriage in Germany |
Brazil: cartório format variation
Brazilian civil documents are issued by state cartórios. Brazil’s 27 states each have different formats varying by region and decade. A São Paulo birth certificate from 1985 looks nothing like a 2024 Bahia certidão.
- Always note the state and cartório of issue when ordering.
- The certidão de inteiro teor is the full extract required for most German authority purposes.
- Handwritten averbações (subsequent annotations — e.g. divorce noted on a marriage certificate) are legally significant and fully translated.
- The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) number on modern documents is an important identifying element.
Portuguese-speaking Africa
- Cape Verde: Hague Convention member — apostilles available. Well-standardised civil registry.
- Angola: NOT a Hague Convention member — embassy legalisation required for Standesamt. Documents may include local language elements.
- Mozambique: Hague Convention member since 2018. European Portuguese administrative conventions.
Apostille by country
| Country | Hague Convention? | For German Standesamt |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | Yes (EU) | No apostille needed (EU Regulation) |
| Brazil | Yes (since 2016) | Apostille required |
| Cape Verde | Yes | Apostille required |
| Mozambique | Yes (2018) | Apostille required |
| Angola | No | Embassy legalisation required |
Step-by-step: how to order your certified translation
What our certified translations include
Every certified translation from Transzlate includes — regardless of language pair or document type:
- Court-sworn translator: Appointed by a German Landgericht — legally valid at all German authorities
- Complete translation: All text, stamps, seals, handwritten entries, and codes — nothing omitted
- Official court stamp and certification statement: Signed by the translator on every page
- 100% acceptance guarantee: If rejected due to any fault on our part, we redo it at no charge
- Pay securely online via Stripe: Secure checkout — secure payment today after receiving your translation
How to obtain Portuguese and Brazilian documents from Germany
Portugal
- Portuguese consulates (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart): civil registry services for Portuguese nationals. Allow 4–8 weeks.
- ePortugal portal (eportugal.gov.pt): some digital civil documents available for Portuguese nationals with a digital identity.
- IRN (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado): central body — can issue documents remotely.
Brazil
- Brazilian consulates (Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart): document attestation and cartório requests. Allow 8–16 weeks.
- Directly from the cartório: many now accept remote requests by post or email with CPF number and ID.
- Via a representative with notarised power of attorney in Brazil.
Brazilian apostille: the step-by-step process
My Portuguese document was issued in Brazil. Which rules apply?
Portuguese and Brazilian qualifications in Germany
Portuguese nationals benefit from EU mutual recognition; Brazilian nationals follow the standard third-country recognition process.
- Portuguese healthcare professionals: Portuguese medical and nursing degrees are recognised under EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
- Brazilian healthcare professionals: Brazilian medical degrees require individual assessment by the state Ärztekammer. Germany actively recruits Brazilian doctors and nurses under the Anerkennungsgesetz.
- Engineering degrees (Portugal): EU-recognised. Contact the state Ingenieurkammer.
- Brazilian engineering and tech degrees: Leading Brazilian universities (USP, UNICAMP, UFRJ, ITA) produce graduates who are sought by German tech companies. Degrees are assessed individually.
For all qualification recognition applications — whether Portuguese EU-recognised or Brazilian assessed — certified German translations of your degree and transcripts are required. Use Transzlate to ensure your translations are accepted by German recognition bodies.
Transzlate for the Portuguese-speaking community in Germany
Germany is home to approximately 150,000 Portuguese nationals and a growing Brazilian community. Our Portuguese translator network covers both European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese specialists — ensuring that a Brazilian certidão de nascimento from São Paulo is not translated using European Portuguese administrative conventions and vice versa.
Brazil in particular is a growing source of immigration to Germany under the Fachkräftezuwanderungsgesetz. Brazilian professionals in healthcare, IT, engineering, and research regularly need certified translations of their degrees, transcripts, and professional licences. Our Brazilian Portuguese specialists are experienced with all major Brazilian university formats and the MEA apostille system.