Notarization and Apostille of Documents for Use in Brazil

Anyone who has done business in Brazil knows that most transactions require the parties’ personal documents - and lots of them. If you’re in Brazil, it’s pretty easy. Simply present the originals or authenticated copies of the originals, and you’re set.

But what if you’re not in Brazil or you left the documents at home in the US? Well, then it’s not so simple.

In the past, Brazil accepted documents that were “legalized” with the Brazilian Consulate. However, that process changed when Brazil enacted the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (commonly known as the Apostille Convention). Now, documents generally need to be apostilled.

While the process varies from state to state, getting documents apostilled usually requires two steps. First, copies need to be notarized by a notary public in your state. Second, the original notarized copies need an apostille stamp from the appropriate state government agency. In most cases, it's the Secretary of State’s office. Sometimes, documents issued by a Clerk of the Court or a government agency do not require notarization.

In Florida, for example, documents are apostilled by the Department of State. Florida residents can complete the Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form online and mail it along with payment, the notarized documents, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Division of Corporations.

Remember that once in Brazil, the documents (including the notary stamp and the apostille) will likely need to be translated by a certified translator before they can be used for official government purposes. So give yourself plenty of time to get through the whole process.