Imagine you’re in Brazil for a business transaction. You’ve double-checked that you have all of your documents in order, and it’s time to finally close months of negotiations. But then, someone asks you for a reconhecimento de firma. Now what?

Don’t worry; all is not lost. Reconhecer firma is the US equivalent of notarizing a document in Brazil. While the process is a little different, the concept is the same - a notary confirms your signature and then stamps or signs the document.

First off, get yourself to a notary office - usually called a Cartório or Tabelião. Once there, you need to decide between two types of notarizations: por semelhança or por autenticidade.

Notarization por semelhança is most common. The notary takes the document, already signed, and compares the signature on it with the signature on file at the notary office to make sure it matches. This form of notarization is convenient because anyone can bring the signed document to the notary.

If the transaction requires additional safety precautions, it’s best to have the signature notarized por autenticidade. This process is most similar to the notarization process in the US. Here, the signatory shows a photo ID and signs the document in front of the notary.

Both forms of notarization can be done quickly, but you’ll spend a little more money if you need to notarize your document por autenticidade. You’ll also spend a bit more if your document has “economic value”.

No reason to worry the next time someone asks for a reconhecimento de firma. Just head to the nearest notary office and get it done properly.