Australian Embassy
Portugal
Cabo Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea Bissau

Services for Australians overseas

Overview of services provided by the Embassy

 
The Embassy cannot assist with visa enquiries. You can find which visa is right for you by using the Department of Home Affair's Visa Finder. You can find which visa is right for you by using the Department of Home Affair's Online Enquiry Forms or by calling the Department's Visa Service helpdesk on +61 2 61 96 01 96 on weekdays between 09.00 - 17.00.


Consular Services

Consular staff can assist Australians overseas in accordance with the Australian Consular Service Charter.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains a 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre and you can always contact a consular officer if you are in urgent need of assistance.

 

Smartraveller

Smartraveller has the latest, authoritative travel advice so you can be informed and prepared about overseas travel. Subscribe to receive travel advice updates - by simply supplying your name and email address – straight to your inbox.

You can now also subscribe to the new SMS service - by supplying your mobile number – to receive critical alerts in the event of a crisis overseas.

In a crisis, Smartraveller will activate a crisis page on its website. It will make it easier for you or someone you know to contact the Australian Government if you need help. It will supplement the consular emergency hotline.

Visit www.smartraveller.gov.au to subscribe or connect with Smartraveller on Facebook and Twitter.

Have questions?  Let's chat.

As always, we encourage Australians overseas to stay in touch with friends and family and let them know you’re safe.

If you need immediate assistance, you can call the Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas or 1300 555 135 from within Australia.

 

What we may do

Each case is unique and our assistance will depend on the circumstances and availability of consular resources. We may be able to:

  • issue replacement passports and travel documents for a fee
  • provide details of local doctors and hospitals in a medical emergency
  • if you are the victim of a serious assault or other crime, provide appropriate help, including details of local lawyers and details of interpreters
  • if you are arrested, visit or contact you to check on your welfare, provide details of local lawyers and details of interpreters if required and do what we can to see you are treated fairly under the laws of the country in which you have been arrested
  • provide advice and support in a wide range of other cases including the death of relatives overseas, missing persons and kidnappings
  • if you agree, we will contact friends or family on your behalf. In some circumstances we may contact your friends or family where we have been unable to get your consent
  • make special arrangements in cases of international terrorism, civil disturbances and natural disasters (fees may apply)
  • enable you to vote in Australian federal and some state elections while overseas
  • provide some notarial services, including witnessing and authenticating documents and administering oaths and affirmations (fees apply)
  • provide small emergency loans in exceptional situations (you may be required to surrender your passport and you may not be issued with a replacement until the debt is repaid).
     

What we cannot do

There are a range of tasks which are outside the consular role or which we do not provide for policy reasons. These include:

  • guarantee your safety and security in another country or make your travel arrangements
  • give you legal advice, interpret or translate documents, though we may provide details of local lawyers and translators
  • intervene in another country's court proceedings or legal matters including employment disputes, commercial disputes, criminal cases and family law matters or child custody disputes
  • carry out searches for missing people, which is the responsibility of local authorities
  • investigate crimes or deaths overseas, which is the responsibility of local authorities
  • get you out of prison or prevent you from being deported
  • get you better treatment in prison than local prisoners, although we may raise welfare concerns with local authorities
  • post bail or pay your fines or legal expenses
  • enforce an Australian or any other custody agreement overseas or compel a country to decide a custody case
  • pay for medical or psychiatric services or medications
  • pay your pension or social security benefits
  • arrange visas, licences, work or residency permits for other countries
  • intervene in immigration, customs or quarantine matters in other countries, or
  • store lost property.

 

Notarial services

The range of, and requirements for, notarial services are varied.  It is the client’s responsibility to know which service he/she requires. 
DFAT does not provide legal advice and the onus is on the client to present documents in the correct form and provide the correct instructions for witnessing any signatures on the documents.

The Embassy is staffed with consular and diplomatic officers, who are authorised to perform notarial services under the following legislative guidelines:
Consular Fees Act 1955
Oaths Act 1900
Statutory Declaration Act 1959 (approved witness list from Australian Attorney General's Department)

This is the list of notarial services and acts that can be performed at the Australian Embassy in Copenhagen. A more detailed description of what these entail are on our dedicated Notarial page.

  • Witnessing and taking of affidavits, oaths or affirmations.
  • Witnessing Commonwealth and State statutory declarations
  • Witnessing applications forms for, and issuing of, Certificates of No Impediment (CNI)
  • Witnessing notices of intended marriage
  • Performing legalisation of signatures and/or seals through either an authentication or an apostille
  • Certifying true copies of documents or photographs
  • Witnessing the signing of Australian forms (where permitted by Australian laws)
  • Performing legalisation of signatures and/or seals through either an authentication or an apostillle
  • Assisting with Land Transfer, property sales and mortgage documents

 

Australian Elections

For general information on Australian elections, enrolment and voting while overseas visit the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) at www.aec.gov.au.  You can also email or call the AEC on +61 2 6160 2600 for information. 

How To Vote Overseas | Smartraveller.gov.au | Smartraveller

Check your enrolment online

Get information for overseas voters

 

Travelling and living in Portugal

List of translators and interpreters 

(If a translation is required for submitting in Autralia, please verify beforehand with the Australian recipient which form of translation is acceptable to them - eg NAATI, Notary Public etc)

 

List of lawyers

List of Portuguese lawyers conversant in English - Lisbon
List of Portuguese lawyers conversant in English - Algarve
List of Portuguese lawyers conversant in English - Madeira Island
List of Portuguese lawyers conversant in English - Azores Islands
List of Portuguese lawyers conversant in English - Porto

 

Are you the victim of a crime in Portugal ?

Infovictims
APAV  

 

Former residents

A gateway to information about Australian benefits, payments & services.

Social Security Agreement between Australia and Portugal.

 

Returning to Australia

Handy information for Australians or residents returning from a holiday or moving back to Australia.
 

Privacy Policy

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) uses third-party software (Setmore) to manage the Consulate-General's appointments.  Your personal information (including your name and contact details) will be collected by DFAT via Setmore to book your appointment and for related purposes.  By proceeding with this booking, you are consenting to the collection of this information by Setmore on DFAT's behalf for these purposes.  If this information is not collected, DFAT's ability to arrange your appointment will be limited.  Your personal information will be handled by Setmore in accordance with Setmore's Privacy Policy, and by DFAT in accordance with DFAT's Privacy Pollicy.