Certified true copy · €79 · from your scan
Certified true copies of Portuguese and foreign documents, online.
Portuguese offices regularly want certified copies. So do most visa applications. A licensed Portuguese lawyer certifies your passport, diploma or any other document online. You keep the original and get the certified PDF by email, usually in 2–3 business days.
€79
flat, per document
2–3 days
business days
✓Licensed Portuguese lawyer
✓Certified digital PDF included
Is this you?
The documents people certify most
If a consulate, bank, university or employer has asked for a certified copy of one of these, you're in the right place.
✓
Passport bio page
The one visa checklists ask for. Consulates and VFS want a certified copy in your D7, D8 or D2 file, and banks ask for it too.
✓
Birth certificate
Family and minor applications, family reunification, and university enrolment.
✓
Marriage certificate
Couple applications, joint bank accounts and name-change proof.
✓
Diplomas and transcripts
Portuguese universities and degree recognition bodies want certified copies of your qualifications.
✓
ID and residence cards
Front and back, for consulate files and bank checks.
✓
Driving licence, income proof, leases
Licence exchange at IMT, income documents for your visa file, lease contracts for parallel processes.
One to watch: criminal record certificates usually need an apostille on the original, which is a different thing from a certified copy. If that's what your checklist says, don't order a certified copy of it. Ask us first and we'll point you the right way.
Clearing up the confusion
Certified copy, apostille, or notarised signature?
These three get mixed up constantly. Here's the difference in plain English.
Certified copy
A lawyer confirms your copy matches the original. This page. It's what visa checklists mean by "certified copy of passport".
Apostille
An extra stamp that makes a document valid abroad, usually outside the EU. It goes on top of a certification, and we can add it for €99. Only need the apostille? It's its own service.
Notarised signature
The lawyer confirms it's really you signing a document. Different job, its own page here.
How it works
Fully online, in three steps.
Your part takes a few minutes, and everything after that happens by email.
1
Place your order
€79 flat, one document per order, up to 10 pages included. Upload your document as you check out.
2
Verify your identity
A quick online check from your phone. A few minutes.
3
Your certified copy arrives
A licensed Portuguese lawyer certifies it, and the PDF lands in your inbox, usually within 2–3 business days. Paper version posted from €30 if you need one.
The clock starts once your identity check clears and your scan is in, not at payment.
What clients say
In their words.
★★★★★
Good from start to finish
“Friendly, patient, and they broke the process into steps I could follow without a law degree. Questions got answered same-day every time. If you're weighing up whether to use a service like this, use this one.”
Dom A
– Verified client
★★★★★
Quick to reply, easy to deal with
“There were a couple of steps I completely misunderstood and they walked me back through them without making me feel stupid. Really happy with how it went.”
Katrin
– Verified client
★★★★★
No surprises anywhere
“Told me exactly what the process was, what it cost, and what they needed from me. No hidden fees turning up later. The help-chat was quick and I always knew who was actually handling my file.”
Brett Sorensen
– Verified client
★★★★★
Two years in and still glad I picked them
“I've been with Novomove about two years now. Things get done when they say they'll get done, I'm never left wondering what's happening, and they follow up without me having to chase.”
Marisol Jenkins
– Verified client
Collected directly from our clients after their service is complete. Read all reviews →
FAQ
Certified copy questions
A copy of a document that a licensed professional certifies as matching the original, so institutions can accept the copy instead of the original itself. In Portugal it’s called a cópia autenticada, and lawyers as well as notaries are authorised to issue one.
Under Portuguese law (Article 38 of Decree-Law 76-A/2006), a lawyer’s certification has the same evidential force as a notary’s. Landlords, banks, universities and Portuguese government counters accept it for the great majority of everyday purposes, and most consulate and VFS checklists do too. That said, no provider can guarantee what a specific receiving authority accepts, so check your checklist wording. If you’re unsure, message us before ordering.
Passports and ID documents are the most common, followed by diplomas, birth and marriage certificates, and bank statements. If you’re not sure yours qualifies, ask before ordering.
A scan of the document, the passport or ID you’ll use for the online identity check, and an email address. There’s no video appointment: the identity check runs from your phone whenever suits you.
No. Everything happens online: you upload a scan and receive the certified PDF by email.
Yes. Your documents are handled under GDPR, used only for the certification you ordered, and the identity check runs through a regulated verification provider. Nothing is shared beyond the lawyer handling your order.
Usually 2–3 business days. The clock starts once your identity check clears and your upload is in, not at payment.
The certified PDF arrives by email, and for most purposes that’s what gets submitted. If you need a physical version, we can post the certified paper copy, from €30.
€79 flat, including up to 10 pages. The posted paper copy is an optional add-on from €30. There are no other fees.
Up to 10 pages is included. Longer than that, we confirm a small top-up with you before starting.
One document per order, so each gets its own certification. Two documents means two orders.
Only if the document will be used in a country that asks for one, usually outside the EU. Tell us the destination country and we’ll advise. If in doubt, leave it off and ask.
The certification covers the copy itself, so the language of the document usually doesn’t matter. We don’t offer translations, though, so if your receiving authority needs a sworn translation, you’ll arrange that separately.
Need something else certified?
Get your certified copy for €79
Certified by a licensed Portuguese lawyer. Delivered as a PDF by email in 2–3 business days.
Novomove is a relocation technology platform that coordinates access to licensed Portuguese partners. It is not a law firm and not a notary. Certification is performed by a licensed Portuguese lawyer from our partner network. Acceptance by a receiving authority is never guaranteed.