Many people who move to Portugal want a lawyer they can talk to in their own language. The official lawyer search does not help with that, so it is worth knowing where to look and what to ask. This guide explains what the Portuguese Bar Association’s lawyer search shows, what the EU’s e-Justice portal says about finding a lawyer by language, how our directory handles languages, and how to check a lawyer’s language before you hire. It is general information, not legal advice, and it does not recommend any firm.
At a glance
- The Ordem dos Advogados lawyer search has no language field. It is the place to check that someone is registered, not to find a language.
- The EU’s e-Justice portal describes a tool to find a lawyer by name, location and spoken language. We have not tested how complete it is for Portugal.
- On our directory you can browse by language, but languages come from the firms’ own information, so confirm them with the firm.
- “Speaks English” can mean very different things. Ask what the lawyer can do in your language, in calls and in writing.
1. What the Ordem dos Advogados search shows
The Ordem dos Advogados is the Portuguese Bar Association. Its lawyer search page (“Pesquisa de Advogados”) has an English version. When we read it on 29 October 2026, the search fields were labelled Regional Council, Pro. Card Number, Name, City, Pro. Address and Post Code, with an “Actives Only” option and sorting options. There was no language field. The page also says that to see e-mail addresses you must confirm that you are not a robot.
That makes the search useful for one job: checking that a lawyer you have already found is registered. It cannot tell you which languages a lawyer speaks. Our guide on how to choose an immigration lawyer in Portugal explains how to check a lawyer’s registration.
2. The EU e-Justice portal
The European e-Justice Portal has a page called “Find a legal professional”. It lists lawyers, notaries, legal translators and interpreters, experts, forensic experts and mediators. Its entry for lawyers says: “Find a lawyer throughout the EU based on their name, location, spoken language”. The page shows no “last updated” date.
This is an official route that mentions spoken language. We have not tested how many Portuguese lawyers it covers or how current the language information is, so use it as a starting point and confirm everything with the lawyer.
3. Browsing by language in our directory
Our directory has a page for each of eight languages. Each page lists the firms that show that language on their listing:
Listings are compiled from public sources, mainly each firm’s own website, and each listing shows its source and the date it was last checked. A language on a listing is not a promise. It is only what we found, so please confirm it with the firm. You can also combine a language with a city or practice area on the Find a lawyer page.
4. What “speaks English” can mean
A firm that lists a language may mean several different things. These are our own suggestions, not official rules. Before you hire, find out which of these applies to you:
- The lawyer you will deal with speaks the language, or only another person in the firm does.
- Calls are in your language, and written messages and documents too, or only calls.
- The agreement and the fee terms are available in your language, or only in Portuguese.
- Someone explains the Portuguese documents you receive, in your language.
5. How to check a lawyer’s language before you hire
- Have a first call or video call. If you struggle to understand each other, that is useful to know before you pay anything.
- Send a short email in your language and see how the reply is written.
- Ask who covers for the lawyer when they are away, and in which language.
- Ask to see the agreement and the fees in writing, in a language you understand, before you sign.
Our checklist on what to prepare before contacting an immigration lawyer in Portugal helps you get ready for that first conversation.
Sources and how we checked
Last reviewed on 29 October 2026. Pages can change, so please check them yourself.
- Ordem dos Advogados: Lawyer search (search fields as shown on 29 October 2026).
- European e-Justice Portal: Find a legal professional.
This article is general information only. It is not legal advice and it does not recommend any firm. Rules and processes can change, so please check with a qualified lawyer and the official sources.
