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Using a Notary and Certifying Documents in Portugal

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

Who can recognise a signature, certify a copy, or authenticate a contract in Portugal, when only a notary will do, what each act costs, and what to bring.

The Portugal Brief 9 min read

Using a Notary and Certifying Documents in Portugal

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • You need a signature recognised, a copy certified, or a contract authenticated for a Portuguese bank or office.
  • You are buying, selling, inheriting, or making a will and want to know who can do the paperwork.
  • You live in Portugal or abroad, and you are an EU or non-EU citizen.

Not for you if: you need someone to act for you. Read Granting a Power of Attorney (Procuração) in Portugal. For a foreign document, read Getting an Apostille or Consular Legalisation in Portugal.

Updated October 2026. Since August 2026, every deed or authenticated contract that transfers a building must say whether it has a planning title.

A Portuguese notary (notário) is a private lawyer who performs a public function. Documents a notary draws up are "authentic", which gives them strong legal weight. You rarely need a notary, though. Lawyers, solicitors (solicitadores), registry offices, and chambers of commerce can recognise signatures, certify copies, and authenticate contracts, with the same legal force. At a registry office, recognising a signature costs €12. Most acts take one short appointment. This guide explains who can do what, what it costs, and when only a notary will do.

Who can do what

The law lets several professionals do everyday certification. A recognition, authentication, or certified translation made by them has the same legal weight as one made by a notary. A notary is still needed for public deeds and wills.

ServiceNotaryLawyer or solicitadorRegistry office (conservatória)Chamber of commercePortuguese consulate abroad
Recognise a signatureYesYesYesYesYes
Certify a photocopyYesYesYesYesYes
Certify a translationYesYesYesYesAsk the consulate
Authenticate a private document (DPA)YesYesYesYesYes
Public deed (escritura pública)YesNoNo, but see Casa Pronta and Balcão HerançasNoAsk the consulate
Public or sealed willYesNoNoNoAsk the consulate

Parish councils (juntas de freguesia) and CTT post offices can also certify photocopies.

A lawyer, solicitador, or chamber of commerce must record each act in an official online system. An act that is not recorded is not valid, so ask for the record reference. They cannot charge more than the maximum in the notarial fee table.

For what a solicitador does beyond this, read What a Solicitador Does in Portugal.

When you need a notary

You need a notary for a small set of acts. The main ones for foreign residents are:

  • A public will (testamento público). The notary writes it and keeps it. Both ordinary forms of will in Portugal involve a notary. See Making a Will and Handling an Inheritance in Portugal.
  • Approving a sealed will (testamento cerrado). You write and sign it; the notary approves it.
  • An irrevocable power of attorney. A power granted also in the interest of the attorney or someone else must be a notarial public instrument.
  • A public deed, when you choose one. Property sales, gifts, and mortgages can be done by public deed at a notary. They can also be done by an authenticated private document, or at a Casa Pronta registry counter.

A prenuptial agreement (convenção antenupcial) can be signed by public deed at a notary or by a declaration at a civil registry office. A declaration of heirs can be made at a notary or at a registry office. See Getting a Declaration of Heirs (Habilitação de Herdeiros).

The authenticated private document (DPA)

The documento particular autenticado (DPA, authenticated private document) is the main alternative to a notarial deed. It is a written contract the parties sign. A lawyer, solicitador, notary, registry officer, or chamber of commerce then adds a formal statement (termo de autenticação). It confirms that the parties read the contract and signed it before them.

For property, a DPA can transfer, gift, or mortgage a home with the same effect as a public deed. Here is how it works:

  1. The professional checks the property's registry and tax records.
  2. The professional checks that the transfer tax (IMT) and stamp duty are paid. The document cannot be authenticated until they are.
  3. The parties sign the contract in front of the professional, who adds the authentication statement.
  4. The professional deposits the document and its supporting papers online. For a property act, the authentication is only valid once this deposit is made.
  5. The new owner is registered at the land registry.

Notaries set their own fee for deeds, and lawyers and solicitadores set their own fee for a DPA. Ask for a written quote that lists fees, VAT, registry charges, and taxes separately.

The third route for a home purchase is Casa Pronta, a one-stop counter at registry offices. It costs €375 with one registration and €700 with more, such as a sale with a mortgage. See Using Casa Pronta to Buy or Sell a Home in Portugal. For the full process, see Buying Property in Portugal as a Foreigner and Selling Your House in Portugal.

The planning title rule. Since August 2026, any deed or DPA that transfers a building, or land for building, must record one of three things:

  • the planning title (título urbanístico, such as the use licence) was shown;
  • the seller says they have one, although it was not shown; or
  • the seller says there is none.

If the document leaves this out, the sale can be annulled.

Signature recognition

A signature recognition (reconhecimento de assinatura) confirms that a signature on a document is really yours. Banks, schools, landlords, and some public offices ask for one. There are three kinds:

  • Simple recognition. The professional confirms the signature as yours.
  • In-person recognition (reconhecimento presencial). You sign, or confirm your signature, in front of the professional. This is the kind needed for many powers of attorney.
  • Recognition with a special mention. The professional also confirms a fact about you, such as your role as a company manager.

Bring your passport, residence card, or Portuguese Citizen Card. Do not sign the document beforehand if the recognition must be in person.

If a Portuguese office only needs to check that a signature matches your ID, showing your passport or ID card may be enough. Ask before you pay.

Certified copies and translations

A certified copy (fotocópia certificada) confirms that a copy matches the original you show. Notaries, lawyers, solicitadores, registry offices, chambers of commerce, parish councils, and CTT post offices can all certify copies. Bring the original document.

Before you pay, ask whether the office really needs a certified copy. Some counters accept a plain copy if you show the original.

Portugal has no sworn translators. A translation becomes "certified" when a notary, lawyer, solicitador, registry officer, or chamber of commerce certifies it. See Getting a Certified Translation in Portugal.

A foreign public document usually also needs an apostille or consular legalisation before a Portuguese notary will use it. A Portuguese document you want to use abroad may need one too.

What it costs

Registry offices charge fixed fees set by law. Notaries set their own prices; for some acts, the government's notarial fee table sets a maximum. Lawyers and solicitadores set their own fees, within the same maximums for these acts. Notary, lawyer, and solicitador fees carry VAT, at 23% on the mainland.

ServiceRegistry office fee
Recognising one signature€12
Recognition with a special mention€16.50
Authenticating a document, one person€24, plus €6.50 for each extra person
Authenticating a power of attorney, one grantor and one attorney€20, plus €10 for each extra person
Authenticating a DPA for a property act€175, plus €10 for each extra person

At Portuguese consulates the fees are also fixed. For example, the consular fee table lists €20 per signature recognition, €20 to certify a photocopy, €40 for an authentication statement, and €50 for a power of attorney.

Ask a notary for their price before you book. No public list of each notary's prices is published.

Taxes and registration are separate. On a property deal you also pay IMT, stamp duty, and registration fees, whichever route you use. Stamp duty is no longer charged on notarial acts themselves.

How to book and what to bring

  1. Decide which service you need, using the tables above. If a bank or office asked for the document, ask them to confirm the exact form in writing.
  2. Find a professional. The Ordem dos Notários, the notaries' professional body, lists every notary on its website. Registry offices can be booked through the justice ministry's online booking service. Lawyers and solicitadores are listed by their professional bodies.
  3. Book and ask for the price and the document list at the same time.
  4. Send any draft text in advance, so it can be checked before the day.
  5. Attend with everything on the list. A missing document can mean another visit.

Bring:

  • a valid passport, Portuguese residence card, or Citizen Card for each person signing;
  • your tax number (NIF) for any act involving property, money, or a company; see Getting a NIF (Tax Number) in Portugal;
  • the original documents to be copied, signed, or authenticated;
  • a certified translation of any document not in Portuguese, unless the professional accepts the language;
  • for property acts, the documents your lawyer or notary lists, such as the land registry certificate and the tax record.

If you do not speak Portuguese well, ask when you book whether you need an interpreter.

Powers of attorney

A power of attorney (procuração) lets someone else sign for you. Its form depends on the act. Where a power needs notarial formality, it can be:

  • a public instrument made by a notary;
  • a document you sign, with your signature recognised in person; or
  • an authenticated document.

An irrevocable power must always be a notarial public instrument. For the types, the special powers property deals need, and cancelling one, read Granting a Power of Attorney (Procuração) in Portugal.

Choosing the right professional

  • You need one signature recognised or one copy certified. Go to the nearest registry office, notary, solicitador, or parish council. Registry fees are fixed and published.
  • You are buying or selling a home. Ask a lawyer or solicitador for a DPA quote, ask a notary for a deed quote, and compare with Casa Pronta.
  • You are making a will. Go to a notary. A lawyer can advise on the content first.
  • You are abroad. A Portuguese consulate can recognise signatures, authenticate documents, and prepare powers of attorney. Book early.
  • You are setting up a company. You usually do not need a notary. See Starting a Company in Portugal.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For a large transaction, ask a lawyer or solicitador to check your case before you sign.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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