Apostille and translation of documents

Apostille

Estonia and Portugal have joined the Convention on the Abolition of the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents (the so-called Apostille Convention), which means that documents issued in Portugal must be certified with an apostille for use in Estonia and vice versa.

For more information on certifying documents with an apostille in Estonia, and in Portugal, please visit the Portuguese Ministry of Justice.

Estonia and Portugal issue multilingual CIEC (International Commission on Civil Status Conventions) birth certificates and marriage certificates that do not require an apostille or translation. Whenever possible, we recommend to ask for a CIEC certificate.

Translation of documents

The Embassy does not provide legal translation services.

When do you need to contact a sworn translator?

You need to contact a sworn translator when you have to submit an official or certified translation of an education document, register statement or certificate, court judgment, notarial instrument or any other documents to foreign or Estonian authorities. As of 1 January 2015, only sworn translators make official translations from the Estonian language into foreign languages in Estonia. Until 2020, notaries also issue translations from foreign languages into Estonian alongside sworn translators but as of 1 January 2020 the exclusive competence to make all official translations transfers to sworn translators.

Sworn translators are competent to:

  • Translate documents
  • Make certified copies or printouts of documents they translate
  • Advise clients and arrange the authentication of documents to be translated or translations with an apostille
  • Translate laws and international agreements

Sworn translator’s fee is subject to agreement.

Contacts of sworn translators.