Diploma apostille for Portugal.

Portugal recognizes foreign higher-education degrees in three ways: automatic recognition through the Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES) or a public institution, and level or specific recognition through public universities and polytechnics. Requests are filed online, and documents in English need no translation. The institution wants a copy of the diploma authenticated by the competent authorities, and specific recognition also needs transcripts and course content. For a Florida school or university, that means the registrar signs before a notary at issuance, so the document can be apostilled. Children's school records follow a separate equivalency process at Portuguese schools.

Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a separate notary and apostilled in Florida, but for Portugal you often need no translation at all. Civil registries can waive it for English, French or Spanish documents when the official knows the language (book ahead), and IRN nationality forms and DGES do the same. When Portugal does require one, the IRN expects it certified in Portugal by a notary, registry officer, lawyer, solicitador or recognized chamber of commerce, or by a Portuguese consulate in the issuing country.