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Is the word conferir the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

No.

While the dictionary definitions of "conferir" are the same in both dialects—primarily meaning "to check," "to verify," or "to bestow/grant"—there is a significant difference in typical usage.

In Brazil, "conferir" is a very common, casual way to say "to check" or "to look at" something (e.g., checking a notification, checking a fridge, or checking a price). In Portugal, using "conferir" for these casual actions can sound slightly formal or overly specific. In Portugal, "conferir" is more frequently used to describe the act of "cross-checking" or "matching" two sets of data (e.g., matching a receipt against a bank statement). For general everyday checking, a person from Portugal would much more naturally use "verificar" or simply "ver."

Brazilian Portuguese Usage

  1. Vou conferir se a porta está fechada. (I'm going to check if the door is closed.)
  2. Deixa eu conferir meu e-mail rapidinho. (Let me check my email quickly.)
  3. Você conferiu se o pagamento caiu na conta? (Did you check if the payment went through to the account?)
  4. Preciso conferir se tem leite na geladeira. (I need to check if there is milk in the fridge.)
  5. Dá uma conferida na lista de convidados. (Give the guest list a check.)

Continental Portuguese Usage

  1. Vou ver se a porta está fechada. (I'm going to see/check if the door is closed.)
  2. Deixa-me verificar o meu e-mail rapidinho. (Let me check my email quickly.)
  3. Já verificaste se o pagamento caiu na conta? (Have you checked if the payment went through to the account?)
  4. Preciso de ver se há leite no frigorífico. (I need to see/check if there is milk in the fridge.)
  5. Dá uma vista de olhos na lista de convidados. (Take a look at the guest list.)