Electronic apostille
A Portuguese public document issued electronically with a digital signature or official access code follows the electronic apostille route.
The apostille is issued digitally and verified electronically. Under the Hague Convention system, it has the same legal status as a paper apostille.
Paper apostille
A paper public document follows the physical apostille route. The apostille is attached to or accompanies the paper document and the original can then be sent to the receiving authority.
Why clients still use both
Legal validity and office practice are not always the same experience.
Many foreign institutions now accept electronic files without difficulty. Others still run paper-heavy processes and staff understand a physical apostille faster. Portugal Papers handles both formats every week, so we prepare the file around how it will actually be used.
Can you switch from electronic to paper?
You do not convert an e-Apostille into a paper apostille by printing it.
When a physical route is better, the clean solution is to obtain an appropriate paper source document and apostille that paper document.
Which one should you order?
Send us the Portuguese source document and destination.
We tell you which route the document supports and prepare the version that fits the international file.