Do you need to use a foreign document in Brazil? Birth certificates, diplomas, powers of attorney, court rulings, and other documents issued abroad only have legal value in Brazil if they follow a specific procedure: apostille, as established by the Hague Convention, followed by a sworn translation, and, in many cases, registration at a Brazilian notary office. In this article, we explain what an apostille is, when it applies, and why translation and registration are crucial steps for a document’s content to produce legal effects in Brazilian territory.
What is an apostille under the Hague Convention?
To apostille a document means to certify its formal authenticity—its signature, seal, or stamp—so that it can be recognized by another member country of the 1961 Hague Convention. Since Brazil joined the Convention in 2016, apostille has replaced the bureaucratic consular legalization process, making document validation faster, standardized, and internationally accepted. However, apostille does not validate the content of the document; it only authenticates its origin.
What are the steps to ensure a foreign document is valid in Brazil?
Apostille in the country of origin
The apostille must be issued by a competent authority (such as notary offices or ministries) in the country where the document was issued. The country of origin must be a signatory of the 1961 Hague Convention. The apostille is attached to the original document, either physically or digitally.
Sworn translation in Brazil
To be used in Brazil, the apostilled document must also be translated by a sworn public translator based in Brazil. This step is essential: no foreign-language document can produce legal effects in Brazil without an official translation.
The translated version must accompany the apostilled original, forming a set of three components: original document, apostille, and sworn translation
Registration at the Notary Office of Deeds and Documents
While not always mandatory, registering the apostilled document and its sworn translation at a Cartório de Títulos e Documentos (Notary Office of Deeds and Documents) is strongly recommended. This registration grants public faith to the content, ensures its publicity and authenticity, and allows its use before public and private institutions such as immigration offices, universities, trade boards, or the Judiciary.
Conclusion
Documents issued abroad require specific formalities to be legally valid in Brazil. The apostille process under the Hague Convention, followed by sworn translation and notarial registration, is the safest way to ensure the document’s content has legal effect in Brazilian territory. If you need to register foreign documents in Brazil or are undergoing processes related to migration, citizenship, recognition of stable union, or nationality, our team is ready to assist you. Schedule a consultation with our office and count on expert support at every step of your document regularization!
André L. C. Delziovo
