Portuguese Notaries Granted Power to Issue the Hague Apostille

Cross-border legal compliance and international document recognition in Portugal are set for major simplification through the integration of the notarial network.

What motivated this reform?

Under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, the certification of Portuguese public documents for international use was traditionally managed solely by the Public Prosecution Service (Procuradoria-Geral da República — PGR).
The surge in cross-border business transactions, expatriate documentation, and international residency applications created significant administrative pressure, causing service delays. Decentralising this authority to notaries brings public services closer to citizens and corporations, ensuring immediate local access and digital efficiency.

Key elements of the new system

1. Delegation to notaries: Public notaries and authorized notarial staff are legally empowered to issue Apostilles for use in Hague Convention member states.

2. Scope and exclusions: Applicable to general public and administrative documents, excluding documents originating directly from judicial courts or the Public Prosecution Service.

3. Dedicated electronic platform: Issuance is routed through a secure platform managed by the Portuguese Notaries Association (Ordem dos Notários).

4. Digital authenticity via QR Code: Apostilles will be issued in secure PDF/A format with non-sequential numbering and an embedded QR code for immediate online verification worldwide.

5. Channels: Accessible both in person at any notary office across mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions, as well as online.

Current status and effective date

The operational framework was enacted by Ministerial Order (Portaria) no. 452/2026/1, of 12 October.

• Status: Fully enacted and officially published in the official gazette (Diário da República).

• Effective date: While technically entering into force immediately following publication, operational production of effects begins on 1 January 2027, when notary offices officially begin issuing apostilles to the public.

This text is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The application of the cited regulations depends on the specific circumstances of each case and the legal framework in force on the date of the application.