You have a deal with a Brazilian distributor, client, supplier or joint-venture partner. The draft is in English, the other side reads Portuguese, and someone asks: “Do we need this in Portuguese?”
Short answer: you can sign in English, but Brazilian law expects a Portuguese version the moment the contract has to do something in Brazil. This guide shows when that happens, what kind of translation each situation needs, and how our native Brazilian Portuguese team can prepare your contract before it becomes urgent.
Need a contract translated now? Get a quote or Connect us on WhatsApp. Send the file, tell us the deadline, and we reply with a quote.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. For the legal terms of your deal, talk to a lawyer qualified in Brazilian law.
Can a contract with a Brazilian company be in English?
Yes. Brazilian commentators note that no law requires a private contract to be written in Portuguese, even when it is signed in Brazil (Migalhas).
The catch is article 224 of Brazil’s Civil Code: “Documents written in a foreign language shall be translated into Portuguese to have legal effect in the country.” An English-only contract is fine while everyone cooperates. When it has to be enforced, registered or shown to an authority, a Portuguese translation becomes part of the job.
Three moments when your contract needs Portuguese
1. A dispute reaches a Brazilian court
Article 192 of the Code of Civil Procedure says Portuguese is mandatory in all court acts. A document in a foreign language can only be filed with a Portuguese version sent through diplomatic channels or the central authority, or signed by a sworn translator (tradutor juramentado).
So if there is any chance of collecting payment or enforcing a clause in Brazil, plan the Portuguese side early. A rushed translation during a dispute is the worst time to discover unclear wording.
2. The contract must be valid against third parties
Brazil’s Public Registries Law (Lei 6.015/1973) covers this in articles 129 and 148. A foreign-language document can be registered in the original only for safekeeping. To have legal effect in Brazil and be valid against third parties, it must be translated into Portuguese and the translation registered. The same applies to powers of attorney written in a foreign language.
Registry offices (Registro de Títulos e Documentos) such as the São Paulo RTD centre ask for the translation to be done by a sworn public translator, and for foreign public documents to be apostilled or legalised.
3. Government offices, banks and partners need to read it
The same Civil Code rule sits behind many everyday requests: a Brazilian bank, a Junta Comercial, a tax office or simply your partner’s legal team asking for the Portuguese version. Even when no stamp is needed, a clear Portuguese text saves weeks of back-and-forth.
The bilingual contract option
Many companies sign a two-column contract, English on one side and Portuguese on the other. A São Paulo court oversight opinion (TJSP Corregedoria, Processo 2018/00160538, reproduced by Anoreg/MT) explains that a document written in Portuguese and another Latin-script language may be registered without a separate translation, if the registrar can confirm that both texts match exactly. If any word raises doubt, it will not be registered as is.
That makes the quality of the Portuguese column important. Our native translators work clause by clause so the two versions say the same thing, and we flag any English term that has no clean Brazilian equivalent so your lawyer can decide. Planning one? Get a quote for a bilingual contract.
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Guidance only — not legal advice. Toggle the questions that apply.
Guidance only, not legal advice.
Which translation do you need?
| Situation | What usually works |
|---|---|
| Negotiating, internal review, the partner wants to understand the terms | Professional native Brazilian Portuguese translation |
| Signing a contract both sides will rely on | Bilingual English–Portuguese contract, reviewed by your lawyers |
| Filing in a Brazilian court or registering at a cartório | Sworn translation (tradução juramentada) by a tradutor público in Brazil |
We are honest about the last row. Sworn translations for Brazil are signed by sworn public translators registered in Brazil, and we do not claim that accreditation. Our sworn translation guide explains how that step works. We prepare the accurate native translation and the bilingual drafts that come before it.
What we translate for Brazil deals
- Distribution, agency and reseller agreements
- Supply, purchase and service contracts
- NDAs, MoUs and letters of intent
- Employment contracts and offer letters for Brazil
- Powers of attorney and board resolutions
- Terms and conditions, privacy policies and tender documents
See our Portuguese legal translation and business translation services. If you are also setting up in Brazil, read documents for doing business in Brazil.
Have a contract on your desk right now? Get a quote or Connect us on WhatsApp.
Why native Brazilian Portuguese matters in a contract
Brazilian and European Portuguese differ in vocabulary and legal phrasing, which we cover in Brazilian vs European Portuguese. A contract for Brazil should read like it was written there. Machine translation can miss defined terms, change shall into a suggestion, or mix the two variants; our Google Translate vs professional translation post shows where that goes wrong.
Our team is led by Layla Correa Mishra, Lead Native Brazilian Portuguese Translator. Every contract is translated by a native Brazilian Portuguese speaker and checked for consistent terminology across all clauses and annexes.
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English contract, Brazilian partner: true or false?
Guidance only — not legal advice.
How to get your contract translated
- Send the file through the quote form or WhatsApp: Word, PDF or scan.
- Tell us the purpose: reading only, bilingual signing version, or preparation for sworn translation in Brazil.
- Share your deadline and any glossary or earlier contracts with the same partner.
- Get your quote. Every project is quoted individually, based on length, subject and deadline.
- Receive the translation, with notes on any terms your lawyer should confirm.
Unsure how to prepare the file? See how to prepare documents for translation.
Sources
- Código Civil (Lei 10.406/2002) — art. 224
- Código de Processo Civil (Lei 13.105/2015) — art. 192
- Lei 6.015/1973 — arts. 129 and 148
- Anoreg/MT — TJSP Corregedoria opinion on bilingual registration
- RTD Brasil / CDT-SP — foreign documents
- Migalhas — private contracts in a foreign language
Sign with confidence
Send your contract to our native Brazilian Portuguese team today: Get a quote or Connect us on WhatsApp.
Need legal Portuguese for Brazil?
See our Portuguese legal translation service, or request a quote for your contract.
Frequently asked questions
Is a contract in English valid in Brazil?
Commentators note that no law requires private contracts to be in Portuguese. But Civil Code art. 224 says foreign-language documents must be translated into Portuguese to have legal effect in Brazil.
Do I need a sworn translation of my contract?
For filing in a Brazilian court, the Code of Civil Procedure (art. 192) requires a Portuguese version signed by a sworn translator or sent through official channels. Registries also ask for sworn translations for third-party effect. For negotiation and internal use, a professional native translation is usually what you need.
Can a bilingual contract avoid a separate translation?
Sometimes. A São Paulo court oversight opinion says a registrar may accept a Portuguese and foreign-language document without separate translation if both texts clearly match. It is the registrar’s decision, so accurate Portuguese matters.
Does a power of attorney in English need translation for Brazil?
Yes, to have legal effect and be valid against third parties, Lei 6.015/1973 art. 148 says it must be translated into Portuguese and the translation registered.
How much does contract translation cost?
We quote every project individually based on length, subject and deadline. Request a quote and we will reply with a price for your file.
Do you translate Portuguese contracts into English too?
Yes. See our Portuguese to English translation service.
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