Quick answer
When a Portuguese parent adopts in Florida, getting the child recognized as their child in Portugal, and passing on Portuguese nationality, depends on Portugal accepting the adoption. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Clerk of Court in the county that granted the adoption (certified final judgment of adoption); for a child born in Florida…
- Florida state fee
- $20 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 1969
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consular Section of the Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C.
- Translation
- 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.
How a Florida adoption documents is used in Portugal
When a Portuguese parent adopts in Florida, getting the child recognized as their child in Portugal, and passing on Portuguese nationality, depends on Portugal accepting the adoption. A domestic Florida adoption judgment generally needs revisão e confirmação by a Tribunal da Relação. The 2026 nationality reform also changed the rules for adopted children: adoption no longer confers nationality automatically, and a declaration of will is required. Prepare the Clerk-certified adoption judgment and the amended birth certificate, both apostilled, and talk to a Portuguese lawyer before filing.
Getting a adoption documents Florida will apostille
The final judgment of adoption certified by the Florida Clerk of Court (wet-ink or official e-certification), with all pages attached; its state fee is $20. The new birth certificate must be a certified copy signed by the State Registrar and certified in 2014 or later; its state fee is $10. Both fees are included in our price.
Adoption records are confidential under section 63.162, Florida Statutes, and released only on court order. The easiest time to get certified copies is through your adoption attorney while the case is still open; for an older case, ask the clerk what they require, since you may need to file a request with the court. Clerk and Vital Statistics fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $20 — included in our price. Full details on the adoption documents apostille page.
Who receives it in Portugal — and translation
The Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN) and its Conservatória dos Registos Centrais in Lisbon handle nationality and the transcription of births, marriages and deaths of Portuguese citizens abroad. AIMA, the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, which replaced SEF in October 2023, handles residence permits. DGES and public universities recognize degrees, Tribunais da Relação review foreign judgments, and the RNPC issues numbers to foreign companies. Florida is served by the Consular Section of the Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C.
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.
Portugal doesn't publish one age limit for every foreign document; ask the conservatória, AIMA or the consulate. Criminal records are the most time-sensitive, and nationality files filed after May 19, 2026 follow the new law, while files pending on that date keep the old rules.
Consular office serving Florida: Consular Section of the Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C. (Florida also has Portuguese honorary consular offices).
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send your document
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why adoption documentss get rejected
- Plain or conformed copy of the judgment instead of a certified one
- Birth certificate certified before 2014
- Birth certificate from another state, which that state must apostille
- Translation stapled to the certified original
What it costs for Portugal
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to Portugal is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).