The certification of copies of documents is a formal procedure through which official value is granted to a copy, certifying that it faithfully reproduces the original document presented. In Portugal, this procedure may be carried out either by a notary or a lawyer, according to the applicable legislation. A certified copy has full legal validity and can be used in place of the original before courts, public authorities, and private entities.
For the certification to be valid, a fundamental rule must be observed: the original document must be physically presented to the notary or lawyer at the time of the procedure. It is not permitted to certify a copy based on documents sent by email, in PDF format, or through any other digital means. The professional must have the original document in hand, under direct examination, in order to carry out a proper comparison. This requirement aims to prevent fraud and ensure that the certification is based on authentic documents.
The procedure itself is simple yet strict: after the presentation of the original and the corresponding copy, the notary or lawyer carefully checks whether the copy faithfully reproduces all pages and elements of the original. Once confirmed, a formal statement is placed on the copy, certifying its conformity.
However, the process is not limited to this comparison. The notary or lawyer assumes public responsibility and must adopt important safeguards:
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Verify whether the institution named in the document actually exists and is the legitimate issuer. If any doubt arises, the professional should refuse to perform the act or request official confirmation.
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If the document contains signatures, the professional must visually verify whether the signature appears authentic and matches the name indicated, refusing any documents that display manifestly false or mechanically printed signatures.
By following these safeguards, only genuine documents will result in certified copies. Therefore, certification of copies is a formal act that requires both the physical presence of the original document and the careful attention of the responsible professional.
