Registo

Registo is a noun in Portuguese that denotes the act of recording information or the result of that act, as well as an official place where such records are kept. In European Portuguese, registo is the common spelling; in Brazilian Portuguese, the form used is registro. The word derives from the idea of keeping a written or stored record.

The term is widely used in public administration and law. It encompasses civil records, such as vital events (births, marriages, deaths) kept in a registo civil; property interests registered in a registo de imóveis or similar land registry; and vehicle or corporate registrations managed by relevant authorities. In everyday language, people may refer to needing to do a registo for documents, ownership, or rights, indicating the formal entry into an official register.

In information management and archival contexts, registo can also mean a single data entry or record within a database or archive. Here it denotes the unit of information stored about an item, person, or event, used for indexing, retrieval, and provenance.

Regional spelling differences aside, registo conceptually covers both the act of registering and the resulting registered records. Official registos are typically governed by specific laws and procedures, with defined access rights, confidentiality rules, and evidentiary value in legal and administrative proceedings. The reliability of registos underpins identity verification, property rights, civil status, and eligibility for services and benefits.