Short answer: Portugal has no register of sworn translators. A translation of a foreign document counts as certified when it is made or certified by a Portuguese notary, registrar, lawyer or solicitor practising in Portugal, a recognised chamber of commerce, or the Portuguese consulate in the country where the document was issued: for Malaysia, the Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok. Malay documents always need a Portuguese translation; English documents are exempt at some offices.
What we do: certified Portuguese translations of Malay and English documents, attested at Wisma Putra together with the original and lodged at the Portuguese Embassy in Bangkok, plus certified English translations and Portuguese documents translated for Malaysian authorities. Send your document on WhatsApp for a quote.
Last reviewed: October 2026. For legalisation, see legalising Malaysian documents for Portugal.
Who may certify a translation for Portugal
A notary, registrar or registry officer in Portugal.
A lawyer (advogado) or solicitor (solicitador) practising in Portugal, or a recognised chamber of commerce: they "podem certificar, ou fazer e certificar, traduções de documentos" (may certify, or make and certify, translations), with the same force as a notary, once the act is logged in their official online register.
A competent translator, whose translation is then certified by one of the above: the translator appears before them and declares under oath or on their honour that the translation is faithful.
The Portuguese consulate in the issuing country (for Malaysia, the Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok), or the issuing country's consulate in Portugal.
Every certified translation states the language of the original and that the text was "fielmente traduzido" (faithfully translated). There is no official list of sworn translators to check.
When a translation is not needed
Civil registry (IRN): no translation for documents in English, French or Spanish when the registrar reads that language; only some registry offices have such officials, so many Malaysian applicants translate anyway.
Degree recognition (DGES): documents issued in English, French or Spanish need no translation; the institution may accept a translation into English instead of Portuguese.
AIMA: as a rule, "todos os documentos escritos em língua estrangeira devem ser acompanhados da tradução certificada" (all foreign-language documents need a certified translation), so plan a Portuguese translation for residence files.
Malay documents: always translated.
How our translations reach Portugal
From our own orders: the most common Portugal request is a Malay or English document translated into Portuguese, with the translation attested at Wisma Putra together with the original. We then lodge the set at the Portuguese Embassy in Bangkok when the office needs legalised documents. When an office asks for a certification made in Portugal, a lawyer, solicitor or notary there certifies the translation, and ours gives them a complete, formatted text. Our team is certified by ITBM, DBP and the Malaysian Translators Association and includes Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak High Court interpreters.
Translate before or after legalisation?
Translation attested in Malaysia: we translate first, so Wisma Putra and the Portuguese Embassy stamp the original and the translation as one set.
Translation certified in Portugal: legalise the original first, then translate the whole document, including the Wisma Putra and embassy stamps.
Portuguese documents for use in Malaysia
We translate Portuguese birth, marriage, academic and company documents into English or Malay, certified for Malaysian government use with a DBP official's review, for JPN, the courts, Immigration and employers.
Informação em português
Em Portugal não existe registo de tradutores ajuramentados: a tradução é certificada por notário, conservador, advogado, solicitador ou câmara de comércio, ou pelo consulado português no país de emissão (para a Malásia, a Embaixada de Portugal em Banguecoque). Fazemos traduções certificadas de malaio e inglês para português, certificadas no Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros da Malásia com o original. Contacte-nos no WhatsApp.
中文简要说明
葡萄牙没有宣誓翻译员名册：翻译由葡萄牙公证人、登记官、律师、法务代理人或商会认证，或由文件签发国的葡萄牙领事馆认证（马来西亚由葡萄牙驻曼谷大使馆负责）。马来文文件一律需要葡萄牙文翻译。我们提供马来文、英文译葡萄牙文的认证翻译，并与原件一同办理外交部认证。
Common questions
Does Portugal accept a translation done in Malaysia?
A translation counts as certified in Portugal when a Portuguese notary, lawyer, solicitor, registrar or chamber of commerce certifies it, or the Portuguese consulate for Malaysia (the embassy in Bangkok) does. Our Portuguese translations are attested at Wisma Putra with the original and can be certified in Portugal on arrival when the office asks.
Is there a sworn translator list for Portugal?
No. Portugal has no official register of sworn translators; certification comes from the notary, lawyer, solicitor, registrar, chamber of commerce or consulate.
My birth certificate is in Malay and English. Do I need a translation?
For AIMA, plan a Portuguese translation. For the civil registry and degree recognition, English text can be accepted, but the Malay entries and stamps still need translating.
Do you translate Portuguese documents into English?
Yes, certified for Malaysian authorities, and into Malay as well.
Related guides
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