Married abroad · Marriage transcription
Marriage transcription in Portugal: register your marriage abroad, without travelling.
For you if one of you is a Portuguese citizen and you married outside Portugal. Portugal needs that marriage in its Civil Registry (the transcrição de casamento), and the foreign spouse can’t apply for citizenship by marriage until it’s there.
A partner Portuguese lawyer files it for you under a power of attorney. Neither of you needs to come to Portugal.
€590, including the €120 official Civil Registry fee.
€590
all in, including the €120 Civil Registry fee.
3 to 6 months
at the Civil Registry, from filing. Longer in Lisbon, Porto and Braga.
Remote
the lawyer files everything under your power of attorney.
Why it matters
“We're already married. Why does Portugal need to register it?”
Because Portugal doesn’t know yet.
Until the marriage is transcribed, the Portuguese spouse’s record in the Civil Registry doesn’t show it.
That matters the day you want to use it. The foreign spouse can’t apply for Portuguese citizenship by marriage until the marriage is registered in Portugal. Citizenship by marriage still needs 3 years of marriage.
If either of you was divorced before, abroad, that divorce has to be recognised by a Portuguese court first. It’s a separate court case, and the order form asks about it before you pay.
If neither of you is Portuguese, you don’t need this.
How it works.
You send your documents and post one signed paper. The partner lawyer does the rest.
- You answer three questions and order. €590, including the official fee.
- You fill in a short form and upload your documents. The marriage certificate, the Portuguese spouse's citizen card or birth record, and the other spouse's passport.
- We check your documents, and the partner lawyer drafts your power of attorney.
- You sign the power of attorney by hand and post the original. By tracked courier, to the lawyer in Portugal.
- The lawyer files the transcription with the Civil Registry and pays the fee.
- You get your updated Portuguese marriage record. The Civil Registry usually takes 3 to 6 months.
Why post a paper original? The Civil Registry doesn’t accept an electronic power of attorney for this. It needs a handwritten signature. Depending on where you sign, the signature may also need certifying, and we tell you before you sign.
The wait is the Civil Registry’s. Smaller offices usually take about 3 months. Lisbon, Porto and Braga can take several months longer. We can’t speed it up.
What you'll need.
You upload these after you order:
- The foreign marriage certificate: a recent full copy, with the apostille if your country issues one
- A certified translation, if the certificate isn't in Portuguese, English, Spanish or French
- The Portuguese spouse's citizen card or Portuguese birth record
- The other spouse's passport
- Your prenuptial agreement, if you signed one
- A tracked courier, to post the signed power of attorney
The lawyer may ask for more, depending on your country and the registry office.
The price
“What does it cost in total?”
€590, and that includes the €120 official Civil Registry fee.
If you signed a prenuptial agreement, registering it adds €30 to the official fee. You add it at checkout, and it’s charged at cost.
Two costs stay with you: getting the marriage certificate, apostille and any translation in your country, and the courier to post the power of attorney.
Prices don’t include VAT. It’s added at checkout only if your billing address is in the EU.
Honest scope
What's included, and what isn't.
What's included
- An eligibility and document check before the lawyer starts
- The power of attorney, drafted for you to sign
- Filing and follow-up with the Civil Registry by a partner Portuguese lawyer
- The €120 official registration fee
- Updates in your order thread
- Your updated Portuguese marriage record, once it's issued
What isn't
- Recognising a divorce from abroad in a Portuguese court. That's quoted separately.
- The extra €30 official fee to register a prenup. Add it at checkout.
- Getting the marriage certificate, the apostille or a translation.
- Certifying your signature on the power of attorney, if it's needed.
- The courier to post the power of attorney.
- Your citizenship by marriage application. Ask us about it as the next step.
The Civil Registry decides and sets the timing. We can’t speed it up or promise a date.
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FAQ
Marriage transcription questions couples ask.
What is a marriage transcription?
The transcrição de casamento: registering in Portugal’s Civil Registry a marriage that took place abroad, when at least one spouse is a Portuguese citizen.
Do we have to come to Portugal?
No. A partner Portuguese lawyer files it for you under a power of attorney. You sign it by hand and post the original to the lawyer.
How long does it take?
Usually 3 to 6 months from filing. Smaller registry offices take about 3 months; Lisbon, Porto and Braga can take several months longer. The Civil Registry sets the pace.
How much does it cost?
€590, including the €120 official Civil Registry fee. Registering a prenuptial agreement adds €30, at cost.
One of us was divorced before, abroad. Can we still do this?
Yes, but the divorce has to be recognised by a Portuguese court first. That’s a separate procedure, quoted separately. Book a free call and we’ll explain the steps.
Why can't we sign the power of attorney online?
The Civil Registry doesn’t accept an electronic power of attorney for this. It needs a handwritten signature on the original.
Does the marriage certificate need an apostille or a translation?
It needs the apostille if your country issues one. If it isn’t in Portuguese, English, Spanish or French, it also needs a certified translation. We check it before the lawyer files.
Can my spouse apply for citizenship afterwards?
The registered marriage is what makes that possible. Citizenship by marriage still needs 3 years of marriage, and there are other conditions. Ask us about it once your marriage is registered.
We already started the process. Can you take over?
Book a free call and we’ll look at where it stands.
Is Novomove a law firm?
No. Novomove is a technology platform that connects you with licensed Portuguese partners. The transcription is filed by a partner Portuguese lawyer, and the Civil Registry decides.
Register your marriage in Portugal without travelling.
Answer three questions, order and send your documents. A partner lawyer files the transcription for you.
€590 including the official fee · 3 to 6 months at the Civil Registry · No trip to Portugal
Novomove is a relocation technology platform that connects clients with licensed Portuguese partners. It is not a law firm. The transcription is filed by a partner Portuguese lawyer under the client’s power of attorney. The Civil Registry (IRN) decides and sets the processing time, and Novomove cannot guarantee a date or an outcome.