Legalising Malaysian Documents for Portugal

Oct 22

Short answer: Portugal has used the Apostille Convention since 1969, but Malaysia is not a party, so an apostille is not available for Malaysian documents. A Malaysian document for Portugal is legalised in a chain: the right endorsement first (a Notary Public for copies and private documents, the Ministry of Higher Education for degrees), attestation at Wisma Putra (Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs), then legalisation by the Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok, which covers Malaysia. There is no Portuguese embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Most Portuguese offices then want the document in Portuguese.

We handle it end to end: certified Portuguese and English translations, notarisation, Wisma Putra attestation, and lodging your documents at the Portuguese Embassy in Bangkok, so you don't need to travel. Send your document on WhatsApp for a quote.

Last reviewed: October 2026. For translation rules, see certified Portuguese translation for Portugal.

Step by step

Start with the right document. Birth, marriage and divorce certificates come from JPN; for a marriage, non-Muslims use JPN's letter of marital status and Muslims the State Religious Department's certificate. Copies and private documents, such as powers of attorney, statutory declarations and company documents, are notarised first; see notarisation. Degrees and transcripts are endorsed by the Ministry of Higher Education and school certificates by the Ministry of Education; see degree and transcript attestation. For a residence visa, the criminal record is the PDRM Certificate of Good Conduct.
Translate it when the Portuguese office needs it. Malay documents always need a Portuguese translation; English documents often do too. Wisma Putra accepts translations by Malaysian court translators, ITBM, the Malaysian Translators Association and DBP. Our team is certified by ITBM, DBP and the Malaysian Translators Association and includes Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak High Court interpreters, so our certified translation is attested together with the original. See who may translate for Portugal.
Attest it at Wisma Putra in Putrajaya. Walk-in, in person or through a representative with an authorisation letter; collection is the same day or the next working day. Wisma Putra charges RM 20 for civil-status and notarised documents and RM 10 for certified translations and true copies; see the legalisation fees tracker.
Legalise it at the Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok. The embassy legalises only originals that Wisma Putra has already attested: documents "terão de já ter sido previamente certificados pelo Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros" (must first be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The holder or a representative with a power of attorney hands them in, on Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm without an appointment (six places a day) or by appointment booked by email. We lodge the documents for you.
Hand the documents to the Portuguese office that asked for them: the visa centre or AIMA for residence, a civil registry (Conservatória) for a marriage, birth or nationality, a university or DGES for degree recognition, or a notary for company and property matters.

Embassy of Portugal, Bangkok (covers Malaysia)

Address: 26 Bush Lane, Bangkok 10500, Thailand. Consular section: sconsular.bangkok@mne.pt; tel. +66 2 234 2123 / +66 2 234 0372.
Jurisdiction: Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Legalisation: originals only, after Wisma Putra; Wednesdays 9 am to 12 pm without an appointment (six places a day), otherwise by email appointment stating the exact service. A representative brings personal ID, a copy of the applicant's ID and a power of attorney signed by the applicant.
Visas are separate: since 19 January 2026, long-stay visa applications go to TLScontact Bangkok, while legalisation "continuam a ser efetuados exclusivamente na Embaixada" (continues to be done only at the embassy).
Fee: charged per document under Portugal's consular fee table.

Which Portuguese offices ask for this

Residence visas and permits (visa centre, AIMA): the criminal record from your country of origin or of residence for over a year must be "legalizado" when no apostille is possible (under-16s are exempt). AIMA wants foreign documents duly authenticated and, as a rule, with a certified Portuguese translation. Apply for the Certificate of Good Conduct early: it takes weeks, and visa checklists want a recent one.
Civil registry (IRN): marriage transcription, birth registration and nationality. Foreign civil-registry certificates for nationality are legalised under the Code of Civil Procedure, and documents need a Portuguese translation unless they are in English, French or Spanish and the registrar reads that language.
Degree recognition (DGES and universities): a copy of the degree authenticated by the competent authorities, with a certified Portuguese translation unless the documents were issued in English, French or Spanish.
Notaries, companies and property: notaries accept foreign documents without prior legalisation unless they have well-founded doubts, and a foreign-language document comes with a Portuguese translation; legalise when the notary, bank or counterparty asks. See using Malaysian company documents abroad.

What gets documents refused

No Wisma Putra attestation before the Portuguese Embassy: the embassy cannot legalise it.
Copies instead of originals, or copies that were not notarised.
A representative without a power of attorney signed by the applicant.
A Malay document without a certified Portuguese translation.
An old criminal record, or names spelled differently from the passport.

Portuguese documents for use in Malaysia

Portugal issues apostilles (through the Attorney General's office), but Malaysia does not accept them because it is not a party to the Convention. Malaysia's embassy for Portugal is the Embassy of Malaysia in Paris, which is also accredited to Portugal, with an honorary consul in Lisbon. Malaysian offices then need the document in English or Malay: we translate Portuguese documents into English and Malay, certified for Malaysian government use.

Informação em português

Portugal aplica a Convenção da Apostila, mas a Malásia não, pelo que os documentos malaios para Portugal são legalizados: reconhecimento notarial ou do Ministério do Ensino Superior quando necessário, certificação no Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros da Malásia (Wisma Putra) e legalização na Embaixada de Portugal em Banguecoque, que cobre a Malásia (só originais; às quartas-feiras das 9h às 12h sem marcação, ou por marcação através de sconsular.bangkok@mne.pt). Os documentos em malaio precisam de tradução certificada para português. Tratamos de todo o processo: contacte-nos no WhatsApp (+60 17-227 9378).

Maklumat dalam Bahasa Melayu

Malaysia bukan anggota Konvensyen Apostille, jadi dokumen Malaysia untuk Portugal disahkan melalui Wisma Putra dan kemudian Kedutaan Portugal di Bangkok (tiada kedutaan Portugal di Kuala Lumpur). Dokumen berbahasa Melayu memerlukan terjemahan Portugis yang diperakui. Kami uruskan terjemahan, Wisma Putra dan penghantaran ke Bangkok.

中文简要说明

马来西亚不是海牙认证公约成员国，因此在葡萄牙使用的马来西亚文件须办理领事认证：先经马来西亚外交部（Wisma Putra）认证，再由负责马来西亚的葡萄牙驻曼谷大使馆认证（吉隆坡没有葡萄牙大使馆）。马来文文件需附葡萄牙文认证翻译。我们可代办翻译、外交部认证及曼谷使馆递交。

Common questions

Can I get an apostille for Portugal instead?

No. Portugal is a party to the Apostille Convention, but Malaysia is not, and an apostille only works between two member countries. Malaysian documents are legalised through Wisma Putra and the Portuguese Embassy in Bangkok; see apostille in Malaysia.

Is there a Portuguese embassy in Kuala Lumpur?

No. The Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok covers Malaysia for visas and consular services, including legalisation. Long-stay visa applications go through TLScontact Bangkok; legalisation stays at the embassy.

Do I need to go to Bangkok myself?

No. The holder or a representative with a power of attorney can hand the documents in. We lodge them at the embassy for you after Wisma Putra.

Does my Malaysian document need a Portuguese translation?

Malay documents do. English documents can be exempt at registry offices and for degree recognition, but AIMA usually wants a certified Portuguese translation. See certified Portuguese translation for Portugal.

How is the courier charged?

At cost: FedEx's published rate from Kuala Lumpur to Lisbon, with no mark-up.

Related guides

Sources:

Zhihan Chew