Translation of Documents to Portuguese

You’ve often heard us refer to document translation as one of the many requirements for business transactions in Brazil. Nearly every document written in a foreign language must be translated to Portuguese before being used in Brazil. But did you know there are two types of translations?

The simplest and most common form of translation is the tradução livre (also known as tradução simples or tradução comum). Think of it as the Google translator type of translation. Anyone (or anything) can do it.

A tradução juramentada (also known as tradução pública) is a sworn or certified translation prepared by a professional translator. In Brazil, only translators licensed by the State Trade Board can provide this type of translation.

For most business transactions, particularly those requiring registration of documents in a notary office or filing with a government entity, a certified translation is required. The process for buying a house or registering a marriage each requires translation by a licensed professional translator in Brazil.

This is also true when dealing with the Brazilian court system. It’s the government’s way of ensuring the accuracy of documents drafted in other languages, providing a level of security for all parties involved.

A certified translation is more expensive than your basic translation. Fees are calculated based on a government prepared fee schedule that varies by state.

Brazil translation services are critical if you’re doing business in Brazil. But also don’t forget that most documents need to be notarized and apostilled first to be valid. Only then comes the translation (including the notary and apostille stamps).