How a Florida diploma or transcript is used in 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.
Translation for Portugal
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.
What your Florida diploma or transcript must look like
A school document is apostilled through a notarized copy: the registrar (or another school official) signs a statement that the copy is true, and a Florida notary notarizes that signature with a complete notarial certificate. The Department of State then apostilles the notary's signature. An original diploma, an unsigned transcript or a copy you notarize yourself cannot be apostilled. Ask the school for its apostille procedure first — most Florida universities and school districts have one — and send us the notarized copy, not the original.
Step by step: diploma or transcript apostille for Portugal
- Order online — pick "Diploma or transcript" and "Portugal" on the order form; $220 per document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more.
- Send a photo — reply to the confirmation email with a picture of the document. We check the certification before anything ships, so a defect is caught before it costs you a round trip.
- Drop it at FedEx — after approval, FedEx emails you a prepaid QR code; show it at any FedEx Office or Ship Center, no printer or label needed.
- Filed in person in Tallahassee — we walk the document into the Florida Department of State and ship the apostilled original back by FedEx within 5–7 business days of receipt — to your U.S. address, or to Portugal with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for Portugal. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.