Portugal, Porto Passport Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of passport registers for the years 1940-1950 that are housed at the Arquivo Distrital de Porto, Portugal. From the middle of the 19th century to the late 1950s, nearly two million Portuguese left Europe to live in, Brazil and the United States. This collection covers passport registers, which were authorized documents given to people wanting to travel outside their province in the same country, passengers in transit, or passengers going overseas. The person traveling had to show this permission as he or she was entering the destination place. The records are handwritten in Portuguese.

Reading These Records
These records are in Portuguese. For help reading these records see the following guides:


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Portuguese Letter-writing Guide
 * Learning Center Resources:

Collection Content
Passport registers generally contain the following information:


 * Name of person requesting a passport
 * Date and place where it was requested
 * Personal description
 * Origin and destination place
 * If person is traveling with minor children, it will specify so
 * Age or date of birth
 * Occupation

How Do I Search the Collection?
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, as well as some identifying information such as age and residence.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Número de tomo e anos to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing this Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Portugal’s emigration rate is one of the highest in the world. Check Portugal Emigration and Immigration for more information
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition, local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military unties, counties, parishes, etc.)
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * For records after 1911, it is suggested that you research both the civil registry and the church records to verify information

New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Portugal.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing this Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.