Portuguese marriage registration at the consulate
Portuguese marriage registration at the consulate, the transcription, records in Portugal a marriage celebrated in the U.S. before local authorities or a religious minister (source). It is also the first step for the children’s and the spouse’s citizenship.
The documents for a marriage transcription
- Original marriage certificate, full transcript or long form
- The foreign spouse’s original birth certificate
- Full name, date and place of birth of the Portuguese spouse
- A copy of both spouses’ ID
- The marriage transcription request form
List from Boston’s page (source). The same page warns that if both spouses are Portuguese and there was no prior publication process, separation of property applies.
| Act | Fee table |
|---|---|
| Marriage process and registration | €120 ($134.58 in Newark’s November 2026 table) |
| Birth registration of an adult | €220 ($246.73 in Newark’s November 2026 table) |
| Registry certificate | €20 ($22.43 in Newark’s November 2026 table) |
| Birth registration of a minor and death registration | Free in Newark |
Euros from the fee table (source); dollars and free acts from Newark’s table (source).
Births and deaths
Registering a child born in the U.S. is the route to the child’s citizenship: see Portuguese citizenship. It needs the U.S. birth certificate, ordered from the state of birth.
U.S. documents need an apostille; Newark writes that in the U.S. it is issued by the department of state of the issuing state (source).
How each office takes payment
| Office | Accepted payment |
|---|---|
| Boston | Card (2.63% + $0.10 surcharge), cash or money order (source) |
| Newark | Cash or money order only (source) |
| New Bedford | Cash or money order (source) |
| Providence | Cash only (source) |
| San Francisco | The exchange rate changes every month; at outreach visits, 20% more (source) |
Fees are charged in dollars at the month’s exchange rate: New York’s November 2026 table, for example, puts the Citizen Card for people over 25 at $25.80 (source).
How each office books appointments
| Office | How to book |
|---|---|
| Washington | MNE booking platform; next month’s slots released by the 10th (source) |
| Palm Coast | The office’s own online platform (source) |
| Boston | Online booking; also takes walk-ins (source) |
| Newark | Walk-in Monday to Wednesday (up to 50 acts); Thursday by appointment (source) |
| New York | Appointment only; slots open in the last week of the month (source) |
| San Francisco | Appointment only; two months open (source) |
| New Bedford | Walk-in, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., except Wednesdays (source) |
| Providence | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (source) |
Consular outreach visits in 2026
Away from their offices, the posts hold consular outreach visits. These are the places the Portal das Comunidades lists for 2026 (source); dates and bookings are on each office’s page.
| Office | Outreach visits in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Washington | Chicago, Houston, Miami |
| Boston | Cambridge, Chicopee, Gloucester, Hudson, Lowell, Ludlow, Milford, Norwood, Peabody, Somerville, Stoughton |
| Newark | Philadelphia, Wilmington |
| New York | Farmingville, Jamaica (Queens), Mineola, Mount Vernon, Naugatuck, Ossining, Tarrytown, Yonkers |
| San Francisco | Artesia, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, Tulare, Turlock |
| New Bedford | Fall River |
Questions people ask
The real questions people search about this procedure, with the short answer:
How do I register a marriage at the Portuguese consulate?
With the long-form certificate, both spouses’ documents and the request form, in person or by mail depending on the office (source).