Rita applied for a grant and, halfway through, they ask her for a “no-debt certificate”. She panics - it sounds like lawyer territory. It isn’t: it’s two documents, you get both online, free, in minutes. This guide tells you where to click.
What it’s for
The no-debt certificate proves to third parties that your situation with the State is in order. It’s usually asked for:
- applications for grants and subsidies;
- public tenders and some contracts;
- loan applications (often with proof of income);
- sometimes by landlords or for visas.
As a rule it’s two fronts, because there are two different creditors - the Tax Authority (taxes) and Social Security (contributions) - though a particular procedure may ask for only one.
How to get them - both
You only need your access passwords (or Chave Móvel Digital / Citizen Card). The document is generated automatically, as a PDF, to save or send.
Validity: 4 months
Both are valid for 4 months. (The Tax Authority’s certificate was extended from 3 to 4 months by Decree-Law 49/2025, matching Social Security’s.) Get it close to the date you’ll submit it, so it doesn’t expire mid-process.
Careful: at the Tax Authority it’s a single certificate - the Certidão de Dívida e Não Dívida: if you’re up to date, it attests you have no debts; if you have an unpaid debt, the document itself states the amount owed. With a payment plan being met (or an attachment/guarantee that suspends it), your situation may count as regularised. If you have an unresolved debt, deal with it before you need the certificate, because regularisation isn’t instant.
✅ In summary
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The “no-debt certificate” is two documents: one from the Tax Authority (Certidão de Dívida e Não Dívida) and one from Social Security (declaração de situação contributiva). Both prove you’re in order.
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You get both online, free and instantly - on the Portal das Finanças and Segurança Social Direta - and each is valid 4 months. You only get “no debt” if you’re up to date (or the debt is regularised via a plan).
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With FIZ you keep contributions and taxes up to date without missing deadlines, so when you need the certificate, it comes out clean first time. See the plans.
