Written translations of Bulgarian documents for Portugal do not follow one certification route in every case. The appropriate form depends on the document type, the purpose for which it is submitted and the requirements of the particular Portuguese authority. Certification by the Portuguese Embassy in Sofia is not a universal mandatory step for every translation.
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 applies to certain public documents exchanged between EU Member States. It covers specified records concerning civil status, residence, nationality and absence of a criminal record and removes the requirement for an apostille or legalisation. A multilingual standard form can accompany some of these documents and may reduce the need for a separate translation.
Where a document falls outside the Regulation, such as certain educational, company or other official records, an apostille from the competent Bulgarian authority may be required. Bulgaria and Portugal are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so for documents within its scope the apostille generally replaces full consular legalisation.
The translation is normally prepared in Portuguese, but the acceptable certification of the translator's signature and whether an electronic or paper copy is required are confirmed with the recipient. Some authorities accept a certified translation made in an EU Member State, while others specify a particular format or additional authentication.
La Fit Trans checks the issuing authority, intended use and recipient's requirements, arranges the translation and coordinates any necessary apostille or certification. The quotation separates translation work from administrative and courier charges and describes the exact document set intended for submission in Portugal.