Portugal Research Tips and Strategies

Portugal Wiki Topics

Portugal Beginning Research

Finding Town of Origin Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Census Church Directories Church Records Civil Registration Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Military Records Notarial Records Online Genealogy Records Religious Records Websites

Portugal Background

For Further Reading Gazetteers History Languages Maps Naming Customs Periodicals Social Life & Customs

Portugal Genealogical Word Lists

Portuguese

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Portugal

Research Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page The Portugal Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Portugal. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Portugal Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Portugal.

• Getting Started
• Finding Town of Origin
• Record Finder
• Online Learning - Video classes
• Portugal Websites
• Portuguese Genealogical Word List

Research Guides

• Portugal Research Guide
• Azores and Madeira Research Guide

Portugal Research Tips

• Birth, Marriage, and Death Information: Vital information was recorded by the civil registrar from 1878 onwards for non-Catholics and from 1911 onwards for all residents of Portugal. Learn more about Portugal Civil Registration.
  Prior to that date, all such events were recorded by the Catholic Church. Learn more about Portuguese Catholic Church Records.
• Finding Parents: Catholic church records frequently recorded the parents and grandparents of the person being baptized or married. This tradition was carried into civil registration records.

Portugal Record Finder

This Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. For a more complete list, visit Portugal Record Finder.

What you are looking for:	Try these records first:	Other useful records:
Age	Church Records, Civil Registration	Census
Birth date and birthplace	Church Records, Civil Registration	Census, Nobility Records
Death information	Church Records, Civil Registration	Newspapers
Marriage information	Church Records, Civil Registration	Notarial Records, Nobility Records
Naming customs	Portugal Names	—
Emigration information	Emigration and Immigration	Church Records, Newspapers, Societies
Parents, children, and other family members	Church Records, Civil Registration	Notarial Records, Census
Language helps	Word List, Handwriting	—

Genealogy Records Available for Portugal by Time Period

Further Portuguese Research

For more research on Portugal, including research at the district level, visit the Portugal page on the Wiki.

Search all of the Portugal record collections at FamilySearch.