Registration of Business in Portugal

Portugal is one of the few countries in the European Union that enabled entrepreneurial activity to influence the possibility of acquiring citizenship.  Development of business in this country, caused by high state interest, is experiencing a new surge in growth.

Business in Portugal

According to the DOING JONES 2017 analysis, business in Portugal ranks 27th out of 190 in terms of doing business, given the ease and conditions of operation of enterprises.

By all accounts, entrepreneurial activity in this country has a number of advantages:

1. A high standard of living,
2. Low tax rates,
3. Preferential taxation,
4. Free movement in the Schengen area,
5. Simplicity of opening a company,
6. Low corruption risks,
7. Possibility of acquiring citizenship.

With the direct assistance of the European Commission, in the next three years, significant economic growth is planned, which, given the interest of foreign investors to conduct business in Portugal, will create competition to the immediate neighbours, such as Spain and France.

Depending on the number of owners, as well as the set goals, our company proposes to consider the following most optimal forms of enterprises in Portugal:

1. Open joint-stock company with limited liability.
   Established by minimum of 5 participants.
2. Closed joint-stock company with limited liability.
   Shareholders are responsible for the company's obligations in proportion to the size of its deposits.
3. 3. Company with a single shareholder,
   The founder is an individual or a legal entity. The company meets unlimited obligations, the founder is not liable for the obligations of the company.

The most common form is a limited liability company, characterized by the following features:

1. The minimum authorized capital is not established,
2. The total amount of capital is payable by the end of the year,
3. Only registered shares are allowed,
4. Members of the company own shares / quotas,
5. Liability extends to the limits of shares / quotas,
6. The cost of 1 share / quota is 1 Euro,
7. The authorized capital is deposited with the bank,
8. Management is carried out by 1 director.

Taxation of business activities in Portugal is characterized by the following peculiarity: the tax on personal income is calculated on a progressive scale; legal entities have a fixed rate. There is no capital gains tax.

Registration of Business in Portugal

There are two ways to register a company in Portugal:

1. EMPRESA LA HORA.
   One of the fastest ways. Provides registration through specialized centres, the founder is required to provide a full package of documents. An obligatory requirement is the presence of all founders.
2. EMPRESA ONLINE.
   This is a company registration via online service on the Internet. Standard registration deadline is 2 days. It is carried out by means of the electronic certificate confirming the person.

 
Direct registration of business in Portugal consists of the following simple steps:

1. Applying to the registration centre,
2. Certification of constituent documents by a notary,
3. Registration in the tax authority,
4. Registration in social protection services,
5. Registration in the commercial register,
6. Registration in the regional office of the Ministry of Economy.

For more detailed information concerning registration business in Portugal, please contact our specialists.

Please, select organizational and legal form of the company You are interested in:

Portugal-Lda

Portugal-SA

For reference:

Limited liability company can be established in Portugal as public company with limited liability (Sociedade Anónima - S. A.) or private company with limited liability (Sociedade por Quotas - Lda.).