Someone living in Portugal can get most Indian legal work done remotely. Documents are signed before a Portuguese notary or other authorised official, apostilled by the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica, and couriered to India, where they are stamped within three months. Our team in Mohali then files, registers or appears for you, with video calls in Lisbon time. Travel is needed only for a few steps, such as personal appearance at some sub-registrar offices or court evidence a judge will not take by video.
- Document route
- Notary, then apostille from the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica
- Time difference
- India is 4h30 (summer) to 5h30 (winter) ahead
- Foreign judgments in India
- Not reciprocating: fresh suit
- Apostille with India
- In force
Who we help in Portugal and what they need
The Indian-origin community in Portugal is unusually varied. There are long-established Goan Catholic and Hindu families, Gujarati traders whose families came through Mozambique after 1975, and a large and newer group of Punjabi, Haryanvi and South Indian workers in agriculture, hospitality and technology. Each group brings a different set of Indian legal problems.
Goan families most often ask about inherited houses and land in Goa, where the local civil code still governs succession and division. Gujarati families tend to need help with shops, flats and family partnerships in Diu, Daman, Ahmedabad or Mumbai. Newer arrivals usually need a power of attorney for a relative in India, marriage papers for a Portuguese residence application, or help selling a plot to fund a home in Portugal. Business clients include Portuguese companies sourcing from or selling into India.
Signing and legalising documents in Portugal
Portugal and India are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, and the apostille is in force between them. A document signed in Portugal for use in India therefore goes through two steps: signature before a Portuguese notary (or another official allowed to authenticate documents, such as some lawyers and solicitadores), followed by an apostille. In Portugal apostilles are issued by the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica in Lisbon and its regional offices in Porto, Coimbra, Evora and Faro.
Ask the notary to keep the document in English, or to attach a certified English translation if any part is in Portuguese. Indian registrars and courts will not accept a Portuguese-only document. Once the original reaches India it must be stamped under the relevant state stamp law within three months, and a power of attorney used for a property sale often has to be authenticated or verified at the sub-registrar office. For documents going the other way, Indian certificates are apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs and then usually translated into Portuguese by a certified translator in Portugal.
Most requested services from Portugal
These are the six services our clients in Portugal ask for most. They reflect a mix of Goan family property, everyday paperwork for people who have moved for work, and the citizenship questions that follow a Portuguese passport.
Power of Attorney
Someone in India has to sign, collect or attend on your behalf, and a Portuguese notarised and apostilled power of attorney is the usual way to authorise them.
Partition of Family Property
Family houses and land in Goa, Gujarat and Punjab are often held jointly by heirs spread across Portugal, the UK and India.
Marriage Registration
AIMA and Portuguese civil registries ask for a registered and apostilled Indian marriage certificate for family reunification and nationality files.
OCI Card Issues
Goans and others who take Portuguese nationality lose Indian citizenship and need a surrender certificate and an OCI card.
Apostille & Attestation
Indian degrees, birth and police certificates need an MEA apostille before Portuguese authorities will accept them.
Buying & Selling Property
Many families sell a flat or plot in India to buy a home in Portugal, and the sale has to be run remotely.
Tax treaty and moving money between India and Portugal
India and Portugal have a double taxation avoidance agreement. It matters when you earn rent, interest or capital gains in India while being tax resident in Portugal. India taxes Indian-source income first, usually through tax deducted at source, and Portugal gives credit under its own rules. To claim treaty rates in India you need a Portuguese tax residence certificate from the Autoridade Tributaria and Form 10F.
Portugal changed its special regime for new residents (the old NHR) from 2024, so the Portuguese treatment of Indian income depends on when you became resident. That is a question for your Portuguese adviser; our role is the Indian side. Sale proceeds and rent go into your NRO account, and up to USD 1 million per financial year can be sent to Portugal after Form 15CA and the chartered accountant certificate in Form 15CB. See NRI income tax in India for how the Indian return is handled.
Family law, Goa and recognition of Portuguese judgments
Goa is the one Indian state with its own civil code, inherited from Portuguese rule. Spouses married under Goan law generally hold property in community, and on death a share of the estate is reserved for close heirs. Estates are divided through inventory proceedings, now governed by the Goa Succession, Special Notaries and Inventory Proceeding Act 2012. A Goan family in Portugal cannot simply apply the rules that would govern a family in Punjab or Delhi.
Portugal is not a reciprocating territory under section 44A of the Code of Civil Procedure. A Portuguese divorce, maintenance or money judgment cannot be executed directly in India. It may be relied on as evidence in a fresh Indian suit if it meets the tests in section 13, but a divorce granted on grounds the Indian personal law does not recognise may be challenged. India is also not a party to the Hague Child Abduction Convention, so custody disputes follow the welfare test in Indian courts.
Practical points for clients in Portugal
Portugal is on Western European time, so India is four and a half hours ahead in summer and five and a half in winter. A call at 9 am in Lisbon is early afternoon in Mohali, which leaves a comfortable working window. We send scans on email or WhatsApp, draft documents for your approval, and courier originals through international services, which usually take four to seven working days from Lisbon or Porto to Punjab or Goa.
Indian courts increasingly take evidence by video link, and many High Courts have rules for it, but each judge decides. If a personal appearance cannot be avoided we plan it around one trip. Clients with Portuguese passports should check their status under Indian citizenship law before travelling, since an Indian passport used after acquiring Portuguese nationality can cause problems at immigration. Our page on OCI card legal help covers this.
All services for clients in Portugal
NRI Property Law
- Property Disputes
- Encroachment & Illegal Possession
- Partition of Family Property
- Buying & Selling Property
- Title Search & Due Diligence
- Tenant Eviction
- Builder Delay & RERA
Inheritance & Documents
Cross-Border Family Law
- Divorce for NRIs
- International Child Custody
- Maintenance & Alimony
- Marriage Registration
- 498A & Dowry Case Defence
- OCI Card Issues
Doing Business in India
- Company Setup for Foreigners
- Indian Subsidiary Setup
- Branch & Liaison Office
- FDI & FEMA Compliance
- Trademark Protection in India
- Commercial Contracts
- Employment Law for Foreign Employers
- GST for Foreign Businesses
- Investing in Indian Startups
- Legal Advisory for NRI Investors
Disputes & Enforcement
- International Arbitration
- Enforcing Foreign Judgments
- Money Recovery from India
- Shareholder Disputes & NCLT
- Accident Compensation Claims
- Cyber & Investment Fraud
- Criminal Defence & Look Out Circulars
Cross-Border Tax & Money
Indian missions in Portugal
Consular services for India in Portugal, including OCI, passport surrender and attestation, are handled by the embassy in Lisbon.
- Embassy of India, Lisbon
Frequently asked questions
Is an apostille from Portugal accepted in India?
Yes. Both countries are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention and it is in force between them. A document notarised in Portugal and apostilled by the Procuradoria-Geral da Republica does not need further attestation by the Indian embassy. It still has to be stamped in India within three months of arrival.
Can a Portuguese notary prepare my Indian power of attorney?
A Portuguese notary will authenticate your signature, but the content should be drafted by an Indian lawyer to suit the Indian sub-registrar and the transaction. We draft it in English, you sign it before the notary, and the notary records the authentication. The document then goes for apostille.
I inherited a share in a house in Goa. Which law applies?
Goan succession is governed by the civil law that continues in Goa, now largely set out in the Goa Succession, Special Notaries and Inventory Proceeding Act 2012. Property is usually divided through inventory proceedings rather than an ordinary partition suit. We check the title, the heirs and whether an inventory was already opened before advising.
Will a Portuguese divorce be valid in India?
It can be recognised if the Portuguese court had jurisdiction, both parties had a fair hearing and the ground is one Indian law accepts. Portugal is not a reciprocating territory, so a money or maintenance order needs a fresh suit in India to be enforced. We review the judgment before you rely on it for remarriage or property.
Do I need to travel to India to sell my flat?
Usually not. Your attorney holder signs the sale deed at the sub-registrar office using your apostilled power of attorney. Some states insist on extra verification of powers of attorney executed abroad, and the buyer must deduct tax at source at NRI rates, so plan the timeline with us before you sign anything.
I took Portuguese citizenship through Goan descent. Am I still Indian?
No. India does not allow dual citizenship, and voluntarily acquiring another nationality ends Indian citizenship under section 9 of the Citizenship Act. You need to surrender your Indian passport through the embassy and can then apply for an OCI card, which gives a lifelong visa and most property rights except agricultural land.
How long does a document take to reach India from Portugal?
Courier services usually deliver from Lisbon or Porto to major Indian cities in four to seven working days. Customs or holidays can add delay, so we suggest sending the apostilled original as soon as it is ready and emailing us a scan the same day so drafting can continue.
Can I pay fees from Portugal in euros?
Yes. We issue an invoice in Indian rupees or an agreed foreign currency, and payment can be made by international bank transfer. Government fees, stamp duty and court fees in India are paid in rupees, and we share receipts for each.