You don’t need a Portuguese passport - or even to live in Portugal - to own a Portuguese company. The law imposes no nationality or residency requirement on the shareholders or the director of an Lda. What it demands is more prosaic: a NIF, a valid way to sign the registration, and patience for the bank.
The difference between a foreigner and a Portuguese national opening an Lda isn’t the process - it’s the route to get there. There are three, and picking the wrong one costs weeks.
The universal prerequisite: a NIF for every shareholder
Before any form: every shareholder needs a Portuguese NIF - the registration platform won’t proceed without it. That goes for you and for any co-founder, Portuguese or not.
- EU/EEA citizens: get the NIF directly at a Finanças office, with an ID document and proof of address.
- Non-EU, without residence in Portugal: the NIF can be requested remotely or by someone on your behalf - and appointing a fiscal representative is no longer mandatory just to obtain the NIF (it may become necessary later, depending on your relationship with the tax authority). The process is in the foreigner’s guide.
Note the distinction that confuses many people: the Portuguese NIF is required to be a shareholder. To appear as the beneficial owner in the RCBE, your home country’s tax number is enough.
The three routes to registration
The detail that trips up founding teams: every shareholder signs the registration. Your co-founder with a Cartão de Cidadão can’t sign for you - anyone without their own digital signature goes in via power of attorney through the professional.
What’s the same for everyone
From the moment you can submit, you’re a founder like any other: the costs (from 220 €), the capital (from 1 €), the articles of association and the post-registration deadlines don’t check passports. The most urgent one is the same too: the start-of-activity declaration at the tax office within 15 days, filed mandatorily by a certified accountant - hire one before the registration, not after.
The details that only affect foreigners
A director living outside Portugal. You can be your Lda’s director without living here. And if your EU state’s social security institution issues an A1 form covering this role, you’re excluded from the Portuguese directors’ contribution regime - it’s not automatic, it depends on the classification your country confirms. The director’s rulebook is here.
The bank. It’s the least predictable step. Portuguese banks run demanding identity checks on non-residents, many require physical presence, and the RCBE certificate is requested right away. Count on weeks, not days - and sort out the RCBE before booking the meeting.
Working in the company vs. owning it. Holding shares requires no visa or residence. But if you’re from outside the EU and plan to live in Portugal and work in your company, you need a residence permit that allows it - that’s an immigration process, separate from the commercial registration, with its own roadmap.
Warning: the most expensive mistake is deciding the route too late. A non-EU founder who assumes they’ll “open online like everyone else” finds out at the signature step that they can’t - with the name already reserved and the deadlines running. Decide the route first, sort out the NIF, and only then touch the form.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open the company without coming to Portugal? Yes. NIF requested remotely (appointing a fiscal representative is no longer mandatory for the attribution itself), registration through a lawyer, solicitador or notary with power of attorney, RCBE handled by the professional or the accountant. The unpredictable step at a distance is the bank - some require presence.
Do I need a visa to be a shareholder of an Lda? No. Owning shares requires neither residence nor a visa. The visa enters the picture when you want to live in Portugal and work in the company.
Can my Portuguese co-founder handle everything alone? The process, yes; your signature, no. Every shareholder signs - without a Portuguese or European eID, your part goes through power of attorney to a professional.
Can the company invoice clients outside Portugal from day one? Yes - a Portuguese Lda invoices to any country. The VAT rules for foreign clients are the same ones that apply to any Portuguese company.
In summary
-
Nationality and residence are not obstacles - both shareholder and director can be non-resident foreigners. The real prerequisites: a Portuguese NIF for every shareholder (for the RCBE, your home tax number is enough) and a valid way to sign.
-
Choose the route before you start: CC/CMD → self-service online; EU eIDAS → probably online (test the signature); no eID → professional with power of attorney or Empresa na Hora in person. Every shareholder signs - nobody signs for you.
-
After registration, you’re a founder like any other: accountant within 15 days, RCBE confirmed, bank with patience. And if your plan in Portugal is to work for yourself rather than build a company just yet, freelance activity opens in a day - and FIZ handles certified invoicing and the quarterly VAT and Social Security declarations, in Portuguese and in English.
