Opening a company in Portugal: locals, foreigners, freelancers and digital nomads

At a glance: Unipessoal Lda. or Lda. with 1 euro per quota and no notary, Empresa Online 220 to 360 euros in 1 to 10 days, corporate tax 19 percent (15 on the first 50,000 euros for SMEs), VAT exemption to 15,000 euros, D8 digital nomad visa at 3,680 euros a month. Legal forms. Sole trader: empresario em nome individual, or trabalhador independente on "recibos verdes". Lda. (sociedade por quotas) and the single-member Unipessoal Lda.: no statutory minimum, 1 euro per quota, payment can wait until the end of the first financial year. S.A.: 50,000 euros, 30 percent paid. Registration. Every founder needs a Portuguese tax number (NIF; non-EU residents via a fiscal representative). Empresa na Hora creates a company at a desk the same day for 360 euros; Empresa Online costs 220 euros with pre-approved articles (360 custom) and takes one to ten business days. No notary. A certified accountant is mandatory for companies, and the beneficial-owner register (RCBE) must be filed within 30 days. Registry backlogs in 2026 can stretch the traditional route to months. Taxes 2026. Corporate tax (IRC) 19 percent, falling to 17 by 2028; SMEs 15 percent on the first 50,000 euros; municipal surcharge up to 1.5 percent; Madeira about 13 percent. Dividends 28 percent for individuals, 25 for non-resident companies, zero for EU parents. VAT 23 percent mainland (22 Madeira, 16 Azores); exemption to 15,000 euros turnover. Top income tax 48 percent above 86,634 euros plus solidarity surtax up to 5 percent. Freelancers and the self-employed. Open activity on the tax portal (free, pick the activity code). Under 200,000 euros turnover the simplified regime applies: taxable income is 75 percent of fees for most services, 35 for other services and lodging, 15 for sales. Social security 21.4 percent on 70 percent of quarterly service income, exempt for the first 12 months of a first registration, minimum 20 euros a month with no income. Withholding 23 percent when a business pays you, waived below 15,000 euros. Eligible newcomers get the IFICI regime: 20 percent flat tax on Portuguese professional income from qualified activities plus exemption of most foreign income for ten years (NHR successor). Foreigners. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens get a NIF, register with the municipality after three months, and a social security number. Non-EU founders: D2 visa for independent activity or entrepreneurs (company or service contract, means of subsistence, four-month visa then two-year permit renewable for three; about 110 euros consulate plus 177 AIMA), the Startup Visa through a certified incubator, or the D8 below. No resident director requirement, 100 percent foreign ownership, Portuguese registered office (domiciliation allowed). Banks open accounts for non-residents with NIF, passport and proof of address, usually in person. Branch of a foreign company. Register the sucursal at the registry within two months of the parent's decision (resolution naming the representative, object, address and assigned capital; certificate of existence; articles; translations); at least one representative with a Portuguese NIF, no residency rule; fee 170 euros online, 370 urgent. Taxed as a permanent establishment at IRC rates. A Unipessoal Lda. subsidiary costs about the same and limits liability. Digital nomads. Yes: the D8 remote-work visa. Income at least four times the minimum wage, 3,680 euros a month gross in 2026, plus 50 percent for a spouse and 30 per child, and savings of about 11,040 euros per adult. Choose a one-year temporary-stay visa or the residence route: four-month visa, two-year permit renewable for three, permanent residence after five; family included; fees about 90 to 110 euros plus 170 to 177 for the card; AIMA decisions take two to three months. Tax residence after 183 days; IFICI if the activity qualifies. Changed recently. IRC 19 percent and SME 15 percent (2026 budget); income-tax brackets cut; minimum wage 920 euros; NHR closed and replaced by IFICI; AIMA replaced SEF with long backlogs; 2025 immigration amendments tightened job-seeker visas and family reunification; golden visa property route closed (2023). Figures checked October 2026 from Portal das Financas, AIMA, the Justice registry and Portuguese law firms; amounts change with each state budget. Confirm with a licensed adviser in Portugal before you file.