Sworn translation and apostille: Brazil ⇄ United States
A Brazilian document for use in the United States or a document from the United States for use in Brazil: step by step, apostille, consulates and sworn translation English ⇄ Portuguese.
5 out of 5 on GoogleStep by step: a Brazilian document for use in the United States
Used for: Immigration and green card (USCIS), immigrant visa (NVC and US consulate, form DS-260), study (universities and credential evaluators such as WES and ECE), professional licences (state licensing boards)
You
Get the right document in Brazil
- Up-to-date certificate from the cartório; records since 21 Nov 2017: inteiro teor (Reciprocity Schedule).
- Criminal record: Federal Police; for immigrant visas, also the state certificates.
traduzme does this for you
We translate and certify it
- Complete sworn translation, including stamps and annotations, as a digitally signed PDF.
- With the Certificate of Translation required by USCIS (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
OptionalWe request the e-Apostila if required
- Only if the authority asks: on the original and/or translation, via the cartório.
- On the original, only for documents issued in digital form.
- e-Apostila: R$ 119 each
You
Send it to USCIS or the NVC
- USCIS: a copy of the original together with the translation.
- NVC: upload the original, then the translation; bring paper originals to the interview.
Translation time: 4 business days (or 24 h with express, when there is capacity); the e-Apostila on the original, where needed, adds 1 business day. Embassy legalisation, where required, is a separate step.
Brazilian documents most often required in the United States
Which version to get in Brazil and what the authority there requires.
- 01
Birth certificate (full copy)
Issued by the civil registry.
Under the Reciprocity Schedule both the standard and full (inteiro teor) versions are acceptable; for records from 21 Nov 2017 the schedule lists the inteiro teor, which is also needed to show socio-affective parentage.
- 02
Marriage certificate (up to date, with annotations)
Issued by the civil registry; it may show prior marriages, divorces and deaths of former spouses.
A registered stable-union deed (união estável) is accepted as an alternative, per the Reciprocity Schedule.
- 03
Marriage certificate annotated with the divorce, or divorce judgment
The Reciprocity Schedule accepts the court judgment or the civil registry certificate, which carry the same weight.
A divorce granted abroad first needs recognition by Brazil's Superior Court (STJ).
- 04
Criminal record certificate (Federal Police and state)
For immigrant visas the schedule asks for the Federal Police certificate plus a state certificate for each state where you lived more than 6 months in the last 5 years (none is available in the Federal District or Rio Grande do Norte).
Court certificates are not accepted. The PF issues it online, free. For immigrant visas the State Department generally treats police certificates as valid for 2 years.
- 05
Military service certificate (reservist or exemption)
Listed in the Reciprocity Schedule as the available military record (Army).
Check your NVC checklist to see whether it is required in your case.
- 06
Diploma and academic transcript
WES asks the institution to send the transcript directly (sealed envelope or electronically).
The translation must be word-for-word by a professional translator; applicants may not translate. Check WES's Brazil requirements.
Price into English: from R$ 139 per document · e-Apostila R$ 119 (on the original or the translation).
Good to know
- Visa interview at a US consulate in Brazil: per the State Department, documents in the official language of the country where you apply (Portuguese) need no translation. For USCIS in the US, a translation is always required.
- The PF certificate is valid for 90 days in Brazil, but the US authority decides how recent it must be; request it close to submission.
- The Brazilian Apostille is electronic and can be checked online via its code/QR code; keep the original file.
- Keep name spelling consistent with your passport and forms (accents, order of surnames).
What the authority requires from the translation
Brazilian sworn translation accepted
- USCIS and NVC: complete translation with the translator’s statement (Certificate of Translation), which we include.
- No US translator or notarization needed (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
- Universities, DMVs and credential evaluators (WES, ECE) have their own rules: check first.
Embassy and consulates of the United States in Brazil
Brazilian documents are apostilled at a cartório in Brazil; the embassy is only involved where the country requires legalisation.
Step by step: a document from the United States for Brazil
Apostille or legalisation? The United States is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention: the document gets the apostille in the issuing country and is valid in Brazil without the consulate. Then we do the sworn translation. The difference in 30 seconds →
You
Get the right document
- Birth and death: certified copy from the state vital records office or VitalChek.
- Marriage: county clerk. Divorce decree: county court clerk.
- Private-school diploma: notarized copy or registrar's statement signed before a notary.
Get the apostille
- State, county or notarized document: Secretary of State of the issuing state, not the state where you live.
- Some states require county clerk certification first.
- Federal document (e.g. FBI): Department of State, form DS-4194, US$20, by mail, up to 5 weeks.
traduzme does this for you
We do the sworn translation
- Send a photo or PDF of the apostilled document.
- Digitally signed PDF, valid throughout Brazil.
- Stamps and the Apostille are translated too; no consulate step needed.
You
Submit it to the Brazilian authority
- Cartório, Federal Police, university, Junta Comercial …
- Some ask for registration at Títulos e Documentos (RTD): ask first.
The 4 business days (or 24 h with express, when there is capacity that day) are for the translation. The apostille or legalisation in the issuing country takes extra time – start early.
Common documents from the United States
Name in Portuguese, name as it appears on the original and what to watch out for.
- 01
Birth certificate
ENCertified copy of birth certificate (long form / with parents' names) – state vital records office or county
Prefer the long form, which shows the parents' names.
The short form (abstract) may not be accepted in every procedure. Order online via the state site or VitalChek; Apostille from the Secretary of State.
- 02
Marriage certificate
ENCertified copy of marriage certificate – county clerk / county recorder (in some states also the state vital records office)
Request the recorded marriage certificate, not the marriage license.
Apostille from the Secretary of State of the state where the marriage was recorded.
- 03
Divorce decree
ENCertified copy of Judgment / Decree of Dissolution of Marriage – clerk of the county court (Superior, Circuit or District Court)
Certified copy from the court clerk, apostilled by the Secretary of State.
In Brazil, a simple consensual foreign divorce can be recorded directly at the cartório; other divorces need recognition by the STJ (Superior Court of Justice).
- 04
Criminal record check (FBI)
ENFBI Identity History Summary ("FBI background check") – FBI CJIS Division
Request online from the FBI (US$18) with fingerprints (e.g. at participating U.S.
Post Offices). Ask for FBI authentication when you submit – results already issued are not authenticated afterwards. Apostille from the Department of State.
- 05
Diploma and transcript
ENDiploma / official transcript – university registrar; notarized copy + Apostille (Secretary of State)
An Apostille on a notarized copy certifies only the notary's signature.
For diploma revalidation in Brazil, check the reviewing university's requirements before you apostille.
- 06
Power of attorney
ENPower of attorney signed before a notary public – Apostille from the Secretary of State of the notary's state
Signed before a notary public; the Apostille comes from the state where the notary is commissioned.
Prices: certificates, diplomas and ID documents R$ 129 · transcripts and powers of attorney from R$ 139.
Good to know
- US dates use MM/DD/YYYY: 03/04/2020 means 4 March 2020, not 3 April.
- FBI: ask for the authenticated version (FBI signature and watermark) when you apply; without it the Department of State will not issue an Apostille.
- Do not notarize official certificates: the Department of State warns that a notarized federal document is no longer valid for an Apostille.
Embassies and addresses
Brazil’s mission in the country
Mission of the United States in Brazil
Does not apostille or legalise documents for Brazil.
Brazilian missions: checked on gov.br in Nov 2026. Foreign missions: check their website before you go.
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Questions: Brazil ⇄ United States
Special cases: certified translation, USCIS, IRCC, driving licence, diploma and more →
Overview and calculator: sworn translation English ⇄ Portuguese →
How do I use a Brazilian document in the United States?
How do I apostille or legalise a document from the United States for use in Brazil?
Where is Brazil’s mission in the United States?
Sources consulted
- hcch.net · status table
- travel.state.gov · request services
- travel.state.gov · apostille requirements
- travel.state.gov · apostille requirements
- fbi.gov · identity history summary checks faqs
- cdc.gov · index
- vitalchek.com
- govinfo.gov · CFR 2023 title8 vol1 sec103 2
- uscis.gov · volume 4 part c chapter 4
- travel.state.gov · step 7 collect civil documents
- travel.state.gov · Brazil
- wes.org · translation requirements for a wes credential ev
Last reviewed: 6 November 2026, by Benedikt Schober (traduzme) · Rules and addresses checked against the official sources cited for each country.
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