Documents issued in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq
In order to be effective in Portugal, documents issued in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq must be legalized by the Embassy of Portugal in Abu Dhabi, which has jurisdiction over these 3 countries in the region.
This legalization requires prior certification of the documents by the respective Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), after which the Embassy will be able to recognize the authenticity of the signature affixed on MoFA's stamp.
Requirements:
- Original passport or passport copy attested by competent authorities or Portuguese ID card (if applicable)
- The purpose of the attestation clarified with document evidences
- Authorisation letter needed if represented by others
- If the document is not originally in Portuguese, English, or French, the applicant must bring a certified translation thereof with the MoFAIC stamp
How to legalize documents at the Embassy
Appointments are personal and not transferable (save that a duly empowered representative can come to the Embassy and act on behalf of the customer that booked the appointment).
One appointment for certification/authentication grants the right to a maximum of three documents. Should you have more than these you should book as many slots as needed. In the day of the appointment, the customer comes to the Embassy and delivers the documents at the front desk. Except for duly documented urgent cases, the documents will only be ready from five to ten business days thereafter.
