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Starting a Company in Portugal

Which company type to choose, how to register in a day at an Empresa na Hora desk or online, what it costs, and what to do next.

Starting a Company in Portugal

Last verified: September 2026.

Who this is for

  • You want to set up a limited company in Portugal, alone or with partners.
  • You live here or abroad, EU citizen or not, and already have or can get a NIF.
  • You work as a freelancer and are weighing whether to turn your work into a company.

Not for you if: you only want to invoice as a freelancer in your own name. Read "Registering as Self-Employed (Recibos Verdes) in Portugal" instead.

Updated September 2026. Corporate tax fell to 19% in 2026, with 15% on a small company's first €50,000 of profit, and online registration now starts at €220.

You can register a Portuguese limited company in a single day. At an Empresa na Hora desk it costs €360 and takes one visit. Online it costs €220 if you use a standard set of articles, and every partner needs a Portuguese digital signature. The legal minimum share capital is €1 per partner. The slow part usually comes after: opening the bank account, hiring an accountant, and setting up social security for the manager. Plan on two to four weeks before you trade normally.

Most small businesses choose one of these:

  • Sole trader (empresário em nome individual). Not a company. You register at Finanças like a freelancer and pay income tax on the profit. There is no share capital. You are personally liable for all business debts.
  • Single-member limited company (sociedade unipessoal por quotas, "Unipessoal Lda"). One owner. The company is a separate legal person, so your personal assets are protected. Minimum capital is €1. It pays corporate tax (IRC).
  • Private limited company with partners (sociedade por quotas, "Lda"). Two or more partners, each holding a share (quota) of at least €1. Same tax and liability as the single-member form.
  • Public limited company (sociedade anónima, "SA"). Minimum capital of €50,000 and, as a rule, at least five shareholders. Heavier governance. It suits businesses raising outside investment.

Sole trader or limited company

There is no fixed turnover at which a company becomes worthwhile. Weigh these points.

A sole trader setup suits you if:

  • Your work carries little risk of large claims.
  • You have no staff and little stock.
  • Your profit is modest, so the lower income tax bands keep your tax low.
  • You want the least paperwork and no monthly accountant.

A limited company suits you if:

  • You want your home and savings kept apart from business debts.
  • You plan to hire, hold stock, or sign large contracts.
  • Your clients prefer to deal with a company.
  • Your profit is high enough that corporate tax plus tax on dividends beats income tax at your top band.

A company always needs a certified accountant and yearly accounts. Ask an accountant to run both options on your real numbers before you decide.

What you need before you register

For every partner and every manager (gerente):

For the company:

  • A name. Either pick one from the list of pre-approved names, or get a name certificate (certificado de admissibilidade) from the national companies register (RNPC). The certificate costs €75, or €150 for urgent handling, and is valid for three months.
  • A registered office address (sede). This can be an office, a coworking space, or your home. Check that your lease allows business use.
  • An activity code (CAE). This describes your main activity. It affects your VAT treatment and, for some trades, the licences you need.
  • Share capital. You can pay it into the company's bank account after registration, or declare that partners will pay it in by the end of the first financial year.
  • A certified accountant (contabilista certificado). You can name one at registration or choose one from the official list at the desk.

A bank account is not needed before you register.

Register at an Empresa na Hora desk

Empresa na Hora means "company on the spot". The service is run by the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN).

  1. Book an appointment through the Justice portal, or go to any Empresa na Hora desk. You can use any desk in the country, wherever your office will be.
  2. Bring every partner. All partners must be present.
  3. Choose a pre-approved name, or bring your name certificate.
  4. Choose one of the standard sets of articles (pacto social).
  5. Name your accountant, or choose one from the list.
  6. Pay €360.

You can create a single-member company, a company with partners, or an SA this way. A European company (SE) is not possible at the desk.

You leave with:

  • The signed articles of association.
  • An access code to the company's permanent registry certificate (certidão permanente).
  • An access code to the company card, which carries its tax number.
  • The company's social security number.

Adding a trademark at the desk costs €200 more, plus €44 for each extra class of goods or services.

Register online

The online service (Empresa 2.0) runs on the Justice portal.

  1. Log in with the Chave Móvel Digital or a Citizen Card. If you are a foreign citizen, you can use a Chave Móvel Digital linked to your passport, or a European eID.
  2. Fill in the partners, managers, activity code, capital, office address, and name.
  3. Declare the company's beneficial owners.
  4. Every partner signs the articles digitally. Each one receives an email asking them to sign.
  5. Pay within 48 hours by MB Way, Multibanco, or card.

What it costs:

  • Standard articles: €220, or €440 for urgent handling.
  • Your own articles: €360, or €720 for urgent handling.

If the registry finds a problem, you have five days to correct it. A correction costs €30. When the registration is approved, you get the access codes by email. The physical company card follows by post, free.

You cannot register online if:

  • Any partner lacks a Portuguese NIF.
  • Any partner is under 18.
  • A partner is a foreign company without a Portuguese company number.
  • Capital is paid in property or goods rather than money.

If your case is complex (custom articles, investors, or share vesting), a lawyer can prepare the articles and file them for you.

What to do in the first month

  1. Pay in the share capital. You have five working days after registration, unless you paid it already or declared it will be paid by the end of the first financial year.
  2. Declare the beneficial owners (the real people who own or control the company) within 30 days, if you did not do it during registration. Confirm the details every year by 31 December. See "Declaring a Company's Beneficial Owners (RCBE) in Portugal".
  3. Register the activity at Finanças within 15 days, if you did not name an accountant at the desk.
  4. Open the company bank account. Banks run identity and money-laundering checks on every partner and beneficial owner. This is often the slowest step. See "Opening a Bank Account in Portugal".
  5. Set up social security for the manager (see the next section).
  6. Choose your VAT and invoicing setup with your accountant. Companies issue invoices through certified billing software.
  7. Get any sector licence before you trade, if your activity is regulated, such as food, construction, transport, or tourism.
  8. Before you hire, read "Hiring Your First Employee in Portugal". The minimum wage is €920 a month in 2026, paid 14 times a year. The company adds 23.75% social security on top. Workplace accident insurance is compulsory for every employee.

Taxes your company pays

Corporate tax (IRC)

For 2026:

  • The general rate is 19%.
  • If your company is a small or medium business, the first €50,000 of taxable profit is taxed at 15%.
  • Your town hall may add a local surcharge (derrama municipal) of up to 1.5% of taxable profit.
  • Large profits pay a state surcharge: 3% on profit between €1.5 million and €7.5 million, 5% up to €35 million, and 9% above that.

The law already sets the general rate at 18% for 2027 and 17% for 2028.

VAT

The mainland rates are 23%, 13%, and 6%. The Azores and Madeira have lower rates. Companies with turnover over €650,000 file VAT monthly; smaller ones file quarterly. A company can also use the small business VAT exemption if its turnover is €15,000 or less.

Invoices

A Portuguese business client does not normally withhold income tax from your company's invoices. This is different from freelancers, whose Portuguese clients withhold tax.

From 1 January 2027, PDF invoices sent from billing software must carry a qualified electronic signature. Ask your software provider how they will handle it.

Social security for the manager

If you manage the company (as gerente), you are a member of its statutory bodies. Social security treats you differently from an employee.

  • If you are paid a salary: the company pays 23.75% and you pay 11% of your pay. The minimum base is the social support index (IAS), which is €537.13 a month in 2026. So the minimum total is about €186.65 a month.
  • If you are unpaid: the company must tell Segurança Social, with a copy of the minutes of the decision. You may still owe contributions on the minimum base, unless you are covered by another compulsory scheme. Ask your accountant which applies to you.

A sole trader pays social security as a self-employed worker instead, at 25.2% of relevant income. See "Registering as Self-Employed (Recibos Verdes) in Portugal".

If you live in another EU country and are covered there, an A1 certificate from your home country can keep you in that country's system.

Taking money out of the company

You can take money out in two main ways:

  • Salary as manager. You pay income tax at the normal rates, from 12.5% to 48% in 2026, plus 11% social security. The company deducts the salary as a cost.
  • Dividends. Paid from profit after corporate tax. If you are tax resident, the company withholds 28% as a final tax. You can choose to add half of the dividend to your other income instead, if that works out cheaper.

Special regimes can change this, such as IFICI. See "Qualifying for the IFICI Tax Regime That Replaced NHR" and get advice before you rely on one.

What it costs

ItemCost
Empresa na Hora desk€360
Online, standard articles€220 (€440 urgent)
Online, your own articles€360 (€720 urgent)
Name certificate, if you want your own name€75 (€150 urgent)
Trademark added at the desk€200, plus €44 per extra class
Share capitalfrom €1 per partner
Certified accountanta monthly fee; ask two or three for quotes
Manager's social security, if paidfrom about €186.65 a month

Banks often ask for more than €1 of capital before they open a company account. Ask your bank first.

How long it takes

  • Registration: the same day at a desk. Online, once every partner has signed and you have paid.
  • Bank account: from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the bank's checks.
  • Ready to trade: allow two to four weeks from your first step, if every partner already has a NIF.

Who can be a founder

Portugal does not require partners or managers to live in Portugal. Every partner and manager needs a NIF. For online registration, every partner also needs a Portuguese NIF and a digital signature.

Owning a company does not give you the right to live in Portugal. If you are not an EU citizen, you need a visa. See "Getting the D2 Entrepreneur Visa for Portugal" or "Getting the StartUP Visa for Portugal".

Coming up in late 2026 and 2027

  • Labour law reform. The government sent its "Trabalho XXI" labour reform to Parliament in May 2026. Check the latest before you sign your first employment contract.
  • Signed invoices. Qualified electronic signatures on PDF invoices become compulsory on 1 January 2027.
  • Lower corporate tax. The general rate falls to 18% in 2027 and 17% in 2028.

Closing the company

Closing takes longer than opening. You hold a partners' meeting to dissolve the company, settle its debts, file the final corporate tax return, and close the activity at Finanças. If the company has no assets and no debts, the registry offers a faster same-day dissolution. Ask your accountant which route fits.

Sources

Last verified September 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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