How to apostille a Brazilian certificate
Since 2016, when Brazil joined the Hague Convention, apostilling stopped being an odyssey at the foreign ministry and became a cartório counter service: thousands of CNJ-authorised cartórios apostille on the spot. What still confuses — and sends documents back from Europe — is the order of the stages and what exactly to apostille.
Where and how it is done
At any authorised cartório (the list is the CNJ's) — it need not be the cartório of the record nor in your state. You bring the original; the apostille comes as an attached sheet/label with a verifiable QR code. The cost follows each state's fee table: typically in the range of R$ 50-150 per document.
What to apostille (and what not to)
- Civil registry certificates (birth, marriage, death) — the classic case: apostille the recently issued certificate, not the 1970 heirloom (destinations require recent issuance).
- Diplomas, transcripts, criminal records, powers of attorney, judgments — apostillable, each with its prerequisites (verifiable certifications and signatures).
- Certified copies — the certification is apostillable; but many destinations require the original: confirm first.
- Brazilian sworn translations — when the destination accepts them, the translation itself is also apostilled (double apostille: document + translation).
The right order with the translation
The eternal doubt: translate then apostille, or the reverse? The practical rule that avoids rework: apostille the document first; translate afterwards (in the destination country when it requires a local translator — like Italy and Germany —, or in Brazil with a sworn translator, also apostilling the translation, when the destination accepts it). The common mistake — translating in Brazil a document not yet apostilled — forces a later re-translation of the apostille page.
The mistakes that send the document back
- An old certificate: a valid apostille on a certificate the destination deems expired (over 6-12 months) — the whole set comes back.
- Apostilling a copy when the destination requires the original.
- A name diverging between the certificate and the passport without an annotation explaining it — the apostille authenticates the document; it does not fix the chain.
- Forgetting the second copy: the apostilled original gets retained in the proceeding abroad and the family in Brazil has no other.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Brazilian apostille expire?+
The apostille itself has no validity period — but the apostilled document can 'expire' in the destination's eyes (certificates with a recent-issuance requirement). The validity that matters is the document's.
Can I apostille while outside Brazil?+
The Brazilian apostille is done at a cartório, in Brazil, on the physical document. From abroad, the cycle — issue, apostille, ship — is solved by a bearer or a local mission: it is a one-day job.
Informative content about request procedures. We do not cover citizenship or visa eligibility. Rules and amounts may change; always confirm before acting.