Translation of Education Documents for Portugal

The recognition decision is usually the university’s

Recognition of foreign diplomas in Portugal is less a single central decision than a process carried out institution by institution. DGES is the competent authority on the higher education side and draws the general framework; the decision that a degree counts as equivalent to a particular Portuguese degree, though, is usually taken by a university that teaches the field concerned. Which means the same diploma may be assessed differently at different institutions. Choosing the institution you will apply to in Portugal is, for that reason, a choice that bears on the outcome itself.

Three kinds of outcome are spoken of in the process: a general statement of level, equivalence to a specific degree, and full recognition. Which of them you need depends on your goal; a statement of level is usually enough for going on to postgraduate study, whereas professional use calls for a more detailed examination.

What each document is there for

The diploma proves the degree; the academic transcript makes it possible to compare credit by credit and course by course. Portuguese universities check the length of the programme and the total credit load with particular care. Course contents are asked for when the matching is done field by field, and they are expected to have been obtained officially from the university. A student certificate shows an enrolment still running. A language certificate is a separate condition on programmes taught in Portuguese; on programmes conducted in English, an English-language certificate is looked for.

Type of outcome	Typical use
Statement of level	Going on to postgraduate study
Equivalence to a specific degree	Academic use, and in part professional use
Full recognition	After a detailed examination field by field

The gap met with most often

Portugal has no system of sworn translators, so a translation is certified by a notary, by a lawyer or by a consulate. The mistake made most often is sending the translation without that certification step; the institution does not accept the translation and the file waits. The second frequent problem is course contents submitted without the university’s approval on them. The third is a transcript with no explanation of the grading scale – the scale used in Portugal is a different one, so no comparison can be made and the file counts as incomplete.

Where translation and certification belong

The correct order: the originals are gathered, the certification step is completed in Türkiye, the translation is made, and the translation is then certified in its turn. The difference here is that certification is applied to the translation as well; in countries with a sworn translator regime this second step is not needed. Levels of approval document by document are in our document guide, and the differences between countries in our country guide.

Who sets up the chain of certification

Portugal having no sworn translator regime, responsibility for the translation passes to the certifying authority. There are three routes in practice: notarisation, certification by a lawyer, and consular certification. Which of them will be accepted varies with the institution you apply to and with the kind of procedure; some universities find notarisation sufficient, while formal recognition procedures may call for consular certification. The three differ in how long they take and what they cost, so finding out at the outset which one holds is a budget decision outright.

Where the certification is done matters too. The translation can be prepared in Türkiye and certified here; or the document can be sent to Portugal, translated and certified there. The first route is generally quicker and cheaper, but you need to be sure that the receiving institution accepts certification carried out in Türkiye. The second looks safer, yet distance and time press hard on the timetable.

• Ask in writing which form of certification is accepted.
• Decide whether the certification will be done in Türkiye or in Portugal.
• Include the explanation of the grading scale in the translation.
• Make sure the course contents carry the university’s approval.

Choosing which institution in Portugal will decide is not to be taken lightly, since it bears directly on how far the outcome reaches. The same diploma may be assessed differently by two universities that both teach the field; one may grant equivalence outright while the other adds a further obligation. Asking more than one institution about its practice before applying is therefore research to be done ahead of preparing any documents.

On the language side, programmes conducted in English make things easier. Portugal has programmes taught in English, at postgraduate level in particular, and documents in English may be accepted on them. At the formal recognition and residence steps, though, a Portuguese translation comes back into the picture. Asking at the outset which language is needed at which stage either makes a bilingual plan unnecessary or makes it obligatory.

And when a file does come back, ask in writing whether the shortcoming lies with the translation or with the certification; the two call for different remedies.

Another preparation worth making in Portugal is to write to the institution’s international office in advance. Most universities in the country publish detailed guides for international applicants, and those guides state plainly which documents will be wanted and in what form. Reading the guide is the quickest way to see the details that change from one institution to the next. In writing, ask not only for the document list but also what is expected by way of translation and certification; when those two headings are answered together, the file is built in a single round. And since originals may be called for at enrolment, it is a safe habit not to leave your documents as scans alone but to keep the originals with you.

The certification step takes time, so you need to plan backwards from the closing date for applications. You can take a look at our pricing page, and obtain a quotation by uploading your documents.

This content is for information; the country’s practice on the apostille or on consular certification may change. Confirming the current requirement before you apply saves time.