You found a Brazilian public tender (licitação) that fits your product or service. The edital is in Portuguese, the deadline is fixed, and your company documents, certificates and experience letters are in English. Before your team can even decide to bid, someone has to understand the edital, and before you can qualify, your documents have to be in Portuguese.
This guide explains what Brazil's own procurement rules say about translation for foreign bidders, so you can plan it early. Our native Brazilian Portuguese team translates tender documents for companies in India and worldwide.
Have a tender deadline coming up?Get a quote or Connect us on WhatsApp. Send the edital link or files and your submission date, and we reply with a quote.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Every edital has its own rules, and the edital always prevails. Confirm details with your legal or bid team.
Can a foreign company bid in Brazil?
Yes, when the tender allows it. Brazil's public procurement law, Lei 14.133/2021 (full text), defines an international tender (art. 6, XXXV) as one where foreign bidders may take part. Article 52 §6 says the edital cannot set qualification or judging conditions that act as barriers to foreign bidders.
The key rule for translation is article 70, sole paragraph: foreign companies that do not operate in Brazil present equivalent documents instead of Brazilian ones. Brazilian tender notices and annexes are published on the national procurement portal, PNCP (art. 54), and they are written in Portuguese, the official language of Brazil (Constitution, art. 13).
Step 1: Understand the edital before you decide
An edital is long: the notice, the termo de referência (scope), the draft contract and several annexes. Misreading one qualification requirement can disqualify a bid. We translate the edital and annexes from Portuguese into English, so your management and technical teams can read the scope, deadlines, penalties and qualification rules in their own language. See our Portuguese to English translation service.
Need the edital in English this week?Get a quote or Connect us on WhatsApp.
Step 2: Qualification documents can start as a free translation
Brazil's federal rules make the first stage easier for foreign companies. According to the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) procurement manual, the qualification requirements are met with equivalent documents accompanied by a Portuguese translation. For federal electronic tenders, IN Seges/ME 73/2022, art. 37 says these documents may initially be presented in free translation (tradução livre, a professional translation that is not sworn).
The same applies to registration in Sicaf, the federal supplier register. The government's Sicaf FAQ for foreign companies says registration documents may be in free translation, checked against the Sicaf manual's table of equivalent documents.
That free translation is exactly what our native team delivers, accurately and on your deadline.
Step 3: Experience certificates (atestados) need Portuguese too
Brazilian tenders often ask for atestados, certificates from past clients proving you have done similar work. Lei 14.133, art. 67 §4, says certificates issued by foreign entities are accepted when accompanied by a Portuguese translation. If your best references are from India, the Middle East or Europe, they can count, but only once they are translated.
Collecting atestados and company papers now? Send them together and we keep the terms consistent across the whole bid. Get a quote or Connect us on WhatsApp.
Step 4: If you win, sworn translation for the contract
Here the rule changes. Under IN Seges/ME 73/2022 art. 37 (and the Sicaf FAQ), when a foreign company that does not operate in Brazil wins, the qualification documents must be translated by a sworn translator in Brazil and apostilled (Decreto 8.660/2016) or consularised before the contract or price-registration record (ata de registro de preços) is signed.
We are honest about this step. Sworn translations are signed by sworn public translators registered in Brazil, and we do not claim that accreditation. Our sworn translation guide explains how it works, and our apostille guide covers apostilling Indian documents. Starting from a clean professional translation can make the sworn step easier for your sworn translator.
Interactive check
Tender stage checker
Guidance only — the edital always prevails. Not legal advice.
What we translate for tender teams
- The edital, termo de referência, draft contract and annexes (Portuguese to English)
- Certificate of incorporation, articles of association and board resolutions
- Financial statements and tax or good-standing certificates
- Experience certificates (atestados) and client reference letters
- Technical proposals, product datasheets, catalogues and manuals
- Powers of attorney and declarations
- Clarification questions and appeals to the tender authority
- The contract itself, once you win (contract translation guide)
See our business translation, legal translation and document translation services, and the industries we serve. Planning a wider Brazil move? Read documents for doing business in Brazil.
Free or sworn translation: quick table
| Tender stage | What the federal rules say |
|---|---|
| Reading the edital internally | No rule; a professional native translation helps your team decide |
| Sicaf registration and qualification | Equivalent documents, initially in free translation (IN Seges/ME 73/2022 art. 37; Sicaf FAQ 36.2) |
| Foreign experience certificates | Accepted with a Portuguese translation (Lei 14.133 art. 67 §4) |
| Signing the contract after winning | Sworn translation in Brazil plus apostille or consularisation |
State and municipal tenders can have their own rules, so always check the edital.
How we handle tender projects
Our team is led by Layla Correa Mishra, Lead Native Brazilian Portuguese Translator. For bids we:
- assign native Brazilian Portuguese translators who know business and legal terminology;
- keep company names, figures and technical terms identical across every document;
- use translation memory and glossary tools, so repeat bids stay consistent;
- flag unclear requirements in the edital, so your team decides instead of us guessing.
Interactive check
Brazilian tenders: true or false?
Guidance only — not legal advice. The edital always prevails.
How to get a quote
- Send the edital link or files and your document list through the quote form or WhatsApp.
- Tell us the deadline for the bid or for Sicaf registration.
- Say what you need: edital into English, your documents into Portuguese, or both.
- Get your quote. Every project is quoted individually, based on length, subject and deadline. Our cost guide explains what affects the price.
- Receive the translations, with notes on any points your bid team should check.
Getting files ready? Read how to prepare documents for translation.
Sources
- Lei 14.133/2021 — arts. 6 XXXV, 52, 54, 67 §4 and 70
- TCU Licitações e Contratos manual, 5.5.1 Habilitação Jurídica
- Portal de Compras Sicaf FAQ 36.2 — documents for foreign companies
- Fornecedores estrangeiros — Lei 14.133 guidance for foreign suppliers
- Constituição Federal — art. 13
Don't let a language barrier cost you the bid
Send your edital and company documents to our native Brazilian Portuguese team today: Get a quote or Connect us on WhatsApp.
Need tender documents in Portuguese?
See our business translation, legal translation and document translation services, or request a quote for your edital or bid file.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company take part in a Brazilian government tender?
Yes, when the edital allows foreign bidders. Lei 14.133/2021 art. 70 lets foreign companies not operating in Brazil present equivalent documents, and art. 52 §6 bars conditions that block foreign bidders.
Do my company documents need a sworn translation to bid?
For federal electronic tenders, IN Seges/ME 73/2022 art. 37 says equivalent documents may first be presented in free translation. Sworn translation in Brazil is required when a foreign winner signs the contract.
Are experience certificates from other countries accepted?
Yes. Lei 14.133 art. 67 §4 accepts certificates from foreign entities when accompanied by a Portuguese translation.
Can you translate the edital into English?
Yes. We translate the edital, scope and annexes from Portuguese into English so your team can assess the tender.
How much does tender translation cost?
We quote every project individually based on length, subject and deadline. Request a quote and we reply with a price for your files.
Do you do sworn translation for the contract stage?
No. Sworn translations are done by sworn translators registered in Brazil. We provide the professional translation and explain the sworn step.
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