Done the maths and the answer was “company”? (If you haven’t yet, start with Recibos verdes or Lda - for most freelancers, the answer is to stay put.)
The good news: registering an Lda in Portugal is now an online process - the application takes an afternoon, costs from 220 €, and the registration comes through within days. The part nobody tells you: registration is only the start. The deadlines that carry fines come afterwards - and this guide covers both sides.
Before you start: six decisions
The online form takes minutes. What takes time is deciding what to put in it:
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The type of company. On your own, you open a sociedade unipessoal por quotas (a single-member private company - the sole shareholder is you). With other people, a regular sociedade por quotas. The process is the same.
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The name. Two routes: pick a pre-approved name from the Bolsa de Firmas (faster) or request a certificado de admissibilidade for the name you invented - it’s issued electronically and is valid for 3 months.
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The CAE - the company’s activity code (one main code plus optional secondary ones). They’re the same codes used when opening freelance activity: see how to choose your CAE.
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The share capital. The minimum is 1 € per share - yes, you can open a company with 1 €. In practice, it makes sense to put in enough to cover the first months of expenses; the money stays yours, inside the company.
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The director (gerente) - who represents and signs for the company. In a single-member company, that’s usually you (sócio-gerente). Note that a director’s Social Security has its own rules - the numbers are here.
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The articles of association (pacto social) - the company’s “contract”. With the pre-approved template you pay 220 €. With custom articles (bespoke clauses, shareholders with special agreements) you pay 360 € - and you can file them yourself too, on the same platform. That was the case for Tiago and Bruno: they wanted custom exit clauses for their agency - bespoke articles, which they had a lawyer review before submitting.
Where you open it
If you have a CC or CMD, the online route is the obvious one: cheaper (with the pre-approved template) and no travelling. The official registration deadline is up to 5 days with the pre-approved template (10 days with custom articles) - in practice, it often comes through faster.
The online registration, step by step
- Go to registo.justica.gov.pt and choose “Criar Empresa” (Empresa Online).
- Authenticate with Cartão de Cidadão, Chave Móvel Digital or eIDAS.
- Choose the name: from the Bolsa de Firmas or with your certificado de admissibilidade.
- Fill in the shareholders’ and director’s details - every shareholder needs a Portuguese NIF; the platform won’t proceed without it.
- Enter the registered office address and the CAE (main and secondary).
- Set the capital and how the shares are split.
- Choose the pre-approved articles of association (or attach your own).
- Fill in the beneficial owner details - the platform handles the RCBE (the register of who controls the company) within the same flow.
- Sign digitally and submit. You have 48 hours to pay.
After confirmation you receive the essentials: the NIPC (the company’s tax number), the access code to the certidão permanente (valid for 3 months), the company’s electronic card and the NISS - Social Security registration happens automatically.
After registration: the three deadlines that matter
This is where Rita, a designer who opened her single-member company on 8 July, nearly tripped up. The registration confirmation arrived - and she thought she was done. She was just getting started:
The point that catches almost everyone off guard is the second one: an Lda has organised accounting by legal obligation, and the start-of-activity declaration can only be filed by a certified accountant. In other words: you need an accountant hired within the first two weeks of the company’s life. The practical move is to choose one before registering.
Warning: the most common mistake of new company owners is celebrating the NIPC and stopping there. The commercial registry and the tax office are separate systems: until the start-of-activity declaration is filed, the company doesn’t exist for the tax authority - and the delay carries a fine. Put the three deadlines in your calendar the day you submit the registration.
What opening costs (and what comes next)
The real cost of an Lda isn’t the opening - it’s the upkeep: an accountant every month, the director’s Social Security, and the company’s filing obligations. We’ve done those sums here - read them before you commit.
What about the new company’s VAT?
Since 1 July 2025, an important change (Decree-Law 35/2025): companies can also benefit from the article 53 VAT exemption - until then, an Lda always went straight into the normal regime.
If the turnover forecast for the calendar year is up to 15,000 €, the company can be exempt: it doesn’t charge VAT and doesn’t file periodic returns. Invoices carry the mention “IVA - regime de isenção”. Above that, normal regime: you charge VAT and file the quarterly return.
The choice is made right on the start-of-activity declaration - one more reason to align everything with the accountant before registering.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an accountant to register the company? For the registration itself, no. But you need one within the following 15 days, for the start-of-activity declaration - so in practice, hire one beforehand.
Can I open an Lda on my own? Yes - it’s the sociedade unipessoal por quotas. One shareholder, capital from 1 €, the same online process.
I’m a foreigner. Can I open one online? It depends on authentication: with a Cartão de Cidadão, Chave Móvel Digital or European eIDAS identification, yes. Without any of them (the typical case for non-EU founders), the registration is done by a lawyer, solicitador or notary with power of attorney. And every shareholder needs a Portuguese NIF before starting - see the complete guide for foreigners.
How long does the whole thing take? With a NIF, digital authentication and a name from the Bolsa de Firmas: the application takes an afternoon, registration comes through within the official deadline of up to 5 days (usually faster in practice), and the company is fully operational (tax office, bank, invoicing) in two to three weeks.
What if I want to open freelance activity, not a company? That’s a different, simpler and free process: how to open activity step by step.
In summary
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Opening the Lda is the easy part: Empresa Online, pre-approved template, 220 €, registered within up to 5 days. The decisions that matter (name, CAE, capital, director) are made before the form.
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The deadlines come after registration: capital within 5 working days, start-of-activity declaration at the tax office within 15 days (only via a certified accountant), and the RCBE check - the 30-day deadline only applies if the beneficial owners weren’t registered in the online flow itself. Hire the accountant before you register.
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Still deciding between recibos verdes and a company? Do the maths first - and while you work on recibos verdes, FIZ handles certified invoicing and the quarterly VAT and Social Security declarations automatically.
