Companies

Setting up a business in Lisbon is easy, fast and straightforward. See below for a simple, step by step, guide to incorporate your company. 

 

1.1. If the applicant is a private individual living in the EU, Iceland or Norway, he/she will have to present an ID card/passport and proof of address (e.g. water, electricity or gas bill).

1.2. If the applicant cannot be present or he/she is not a private individual living in the EU, Iceland or Norway, he/she will have to appoint a tax representative. The tax representative (an individual or a company) will have to:

• Have a permanent address in Portugal;
• Accept being a tax representative in written (click here for a template in Portuguese).

1.3. If the applicant is a company or an association, to obtain a legal person ID number, an application must be filed with the National Registry of Legal Persons (RNPC) and the following documents submitted:

• Extract from the register of companies at the country of incorporation, legalised, translated and apostilled according to the rules of The Hague Convention (except when in English, French or Spanish);
• ID card/passport of the requester;
• Power of attorney or equivalent document to confirm the ability to file the request on behalf of the company. 

 

Obs.: It is also possíble to incorporate a company online, as long as the applicant can log in with a digital certificate: ID Card (cartão de cidadão) or attorney, notary or legal clerk holding a digital signature certificate. 

2.1. Necessary Documents

2.1.1. Private individuals

• TIN,
• ID document (ID card or passport or driver’s license) or residence permit.

2.1.2. Legal persons (companies)

• Company TIN and company ID card or access code to the company ID digital card.
• ID documents and TINs of the legal representatives.
• A recent extract from the register of companies.
• Copy of the deed of Incorporation or memorandum and articles of association, issued by the Registry Office, stating the company may be involved in the incorporation of another.
• Minute recording the decision of the General Meeting to grant powers to incorporate other companies (this may not be necessary if it is provided for in the company's articles of association).

2.1.3. Foreign legal persons

• Document proving the company’s legal existence in the country of incorporation.
• Memorandum and articles of association of the company.
• Minute recording the decision that the company may be involved in the incorporation of another.
• Identification of the legal representatives of the company, including TINs.

Obs. 1: Documents issued in a foreign language must be legalised (except when in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish). Documents issued by countries having signed the Hague Convention will be apostilled.

Obs. 2: The appointed certified accountant will not need to attend, but his/her name, TIN, professional address and registration number with the Certified Accountants Association will have to be produced. 

2.2. Company Legal Form

At the “On the Spot Firm” desk only three types of companies can be set up. 

2.2.1. Single-member Company (Unipessoal Lda) – the company has a sole partner/shareholder, liability being limited to the amount of his/her share. A certified accountant must be hired.

2.2.2. Private Limited Company (LLC - Lda) – the company has a minimum of two partners, liability being limited to the amount of each partners’ share. The minimum share capital is € 1 per partner. A certified accountant must be hired.

2.2.3. Public Limited Company by Shares (PLC - S.A.) – the company has a minimum of five individual shareholders (or, alternatively, one legal person shareholder). The minimum share capital is € 50 000, each share being issued for a minimum amount of € 0,01. Shareholder liability is limited to the total amount of his/her shares. In addition to a certified accountant, a statutory auditor must be appointed. 

2.3. Company Name

The company name may be selected in three different ways:

2.3.1. From a pre-approved list of names – checking the pre-approved list of names available at the “On the Spot Firm” website or on site at the desks. A phrase alluding to the company’s business/area of expertise can be added to the pre-approved name (e.g. “1234 – Civil Engineering”), followed by Lda, S.A. or Unipessoal Lda. according to the legal form chosen.

Obs.: The chosen name will only be assigned at the beginning of the setup procedure, at the “On the Spot Firm” desk. However, it is possible to get a different name by using a valid (3 months from the date of issue) Certificate of Admissibility, previously obtained – either online or on site - at the National Registry of Legal Persons.

2.3.2. Based on the name of the partner(s) – It is possible to use the partner(s’)/shareholder(s’) names to obtain the name of the new company (and have immediate approval), followed by Lda, S.A. or Unipessoal Lda according to the legal form chosen.

2.3.3. New name – A brand new name can be submitted on the spot - for the time being this service in only available at the “On the Spot Firm” desk at the National Registry of Legal Persons, located at:

Registo Nacional de Pessoas Colectivas
Praça Silvestre Pinheiro Ferreira, 1-C, 1500-578 LISBOA
Tel: 217 714 300 | Fax: 217 743 465
E-mail: rnpc@dgrn.mj.pt

Obs. 1: It is possible to compare the new name with registered company names, therefore having an idea of its eligibility.

Obs. 2: There is also the possibility of adopting a pre-approved trademark, associated with the company’s trade name or independent of it, during the incorporation procedure. The trademark is chosen from a list registered on behalf of the State. These trademarks are valid for a 10-year period, renewable, and although protected only in Portugal, an European or international extension can be filed at the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). New trademarks and patents are registered here too. 

2.4. Share Capital

The share capital represents the total sum of shares owned by the partners or shareholders.

Obs.: The share capital may be paid-up in kind (tangible or intangible assets, whether movable or immovable), partially or in full, at the “On the Spot Firm” desks marked with “Including the creation of companies with contributions in kind” (Com Procedimento de constituição com Entradas em Espécie). This possibility requires scheduling an appointment to set up the company.  

2.5. Registered Place of Business

Even if the company does not need office space, a place of business must be registered, thus becoming the incoming address for all official correspondence (namely from the Tax Authority, Social Security).

Obs.: the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and industry's virtual offices are a cost-effective option for companies wishing to set up a business in Lisbon, but who do not need actual premises. 

2.6. Company Object (business purpose)

Company objects are associated with a CAE code (economic activity classification), which identifies its area of operations. Each company will be registered under a main code and up to three secondary codes. The full list of CAEs, its 3rd revision having been adjusted to NACE (Nomenclature Générale des Activités Économiques dans les Communautés Européennes), is available here (Consultar Cae Rev 3). 

2.7. Appointing a Certified Accountant

The full list of all certified accountants can be found here. Select the “area geografica” field as Lisboa, press “submeter” and then “+info” at the right side - contact details are provided. 

2.8. Articles of Association

Partners/shareholders may choose one of the standard memorandum and articles of association/by-laws from the pre-approved templates available at the “On the Spot Firm” website or desks.

If partners/shareholders would rather, however, have these drafted by an attorney, for instance, they will have to upload a file to a private forum and await notification of approval from every member, an option which entails a delay of two working days and an additional fee. 

2.9. Documentation Issued upon Registration

Upon registration, applicants shall receive:

• The access code to the company ID digital card;
• The company’s Social Security number (NISS);
• A certified copy of the articles of association;
• The access code to the permanent company extract (valid for three months);
• A voucher which includes a pt. domain name, a website development tool and mailboxes.

The registration will be published on the spot at http://publicacoes.mj.pt/Index.aspx (facts related to legal persons are a matter of public record and online publication is mandatory). 

Obs. 1: An extract in English can be issued upon request.

Obs. 2: Service fees may be paid in cash, cheque or ATM (basic fees of € 300 for IT or R&D companies; € 360 for other areas of business). 

3. Start-up of Activity Statement

As soon as the company is incorporated, the Start-up of Activity Statement, duly completed and signed by the certified accountant, can be filed either at the “On the Spot Firm” desk or within 15 days at any tax office or at the Tax Authority website. 

4. Share Capital Deposit

Up to 5 working days upon incorporation, partners/shareholders must deposit the share capital in a bank, in the name of the company. This period can be extended to the end of the first fiscal year in the case of Single-member Companies and Private Limited Companies. 

5. Useful Links

• “On the Spot Firm” (Empresa na Hora) - Visit here the FAQ section of the “On the Spot Firm” website.

• "On the Spot Branch" (Sucursal na Hora at the aicep website).

• aicep Portugal Global - Portuguese Trade & Investment Agency.

• Institute for Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN) - Civil, commercial and land registry services to private individuals and companies (only available in Portuguese).

• Business Spot Desk - Single service desk based on a multichannel service model: face-to-face, digital, digital assisted and by phone.

• “On the Spot Branch” – Sucursal na Hora (only available in Portuguese).

• “On the Spot Association” – Associação na Hora (only available in Portuguese).

• Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) - Patent and trademark registry.

• Economic Activity Classification (CAE) - Each CAE refers to an economic activity.

• Export Helpdesk - At Export Helpdesk, the online portal to access the European Union single market, there is information on EU tariffs, requirements, preferential arrangements, quotas and statistics relating to imports from trade partner countries.  

PORTUGAL

• Portugal 2020 (European Funds - only available in Portuguese) 

Incentives to Commerce Investment

• IAPMEI – Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (only available in Portuguese)

Incentives to Tourism Investment

Short-term stays

Who does not need a visa?

Citizens of European Union member states, as well as of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, can live and work in Portugal without a visa.

Citizens of some other countries do not need a visa for short-term stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period), being free to enter and stay in the 26 Schengen States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland), where common rules for short-stay visas apply.

Who does need a visa?

List of third countries whose nationals are required to hold a short-stay visa (Schengen visas), issued by one of the 26 Schengen States, to travel within the Schengen area.

To visit Portugal, visas should be applied for at the Portuguese Consulates or Embassies at the country of residence. 

Long-term stays