What a Portuguese company costs: the state fees and the first year
The headline is €360 — and it is true. It is also about a tenth of what the first year actually costs. The incorporation fee is fixed by the registry; what you are really budgeting for is the accountant the law requires, the annual filings and, if nobody is covered elsewhere, the manager’s social security. Here is all of it, from the official fee tables.
Your company, priced line by line
Choose how you incorporate and what you need. Official fees come from the registry; the accountant’s fee is your own figure.
The registry’s price list, October 2026
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Empresa Online, pre-approved articles | €220 (€440 urgent) | Needs Chave Móvel Digital or eIDAS and a NIF for every partner |
| Empresa Online, bespoke articles | €360 (€720 urgent) | Correcting an irregularity: €30 |
| Empresa na Hora | €360 | All partners in person or by proxy; trademark €200 + €44 per extra class |
| Name admissibility certificate | €75 (€150 urgent) | Only for a name outside the pre-approved list; valid 3 months |
| Permanent certificate | €25 / 40 / 60 / 70 | 1 to 4 years; the first access code is included in formation |
| Beneficial owner declaration (RCBE) | Free | Within 30 days; confirmed annually |
| Registering the annual accounts | €80 | With the IES, by the 15th day of the 7th month after year-end |
| NIF for a non-resident | Free at the tax office | Tax representative avoidable via electronic notifications, unless you have Portuguese tax obligations |
Source: service pages of the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (registo.justica.gov.pt), read October 2026. The registry fee regulation (DL 322-A/2001) was last amended by DL 87/2026, which concerned the land cadastre; we found no change to company fees.
Three costs the headline leaves out
Every company keeps organised accounts and only a Contabilista Certificado can sign its returns and file the IES. At €100–250 a month this is the largest cost of the first year by a distance — typically five to ten times the incorporation fee. Cheap formation packages rarely include it.
Ask whether the quote covers 12 or 13 instalmentsMany founders assume no salary means no contributions. Under the Contributory Code a sócio-gerente who is not covered by another compulsory scheme still contributes on one IAS — €537.13 in 2026 — at 34.75%: about €2,240 a year. Cover elsewhere has to be proved and notified with the minutes.
The most common surprise in year oneEach year the accounts are registered with the IES, for €80, by 15 July for a calendar-year company. Late filing blocks the renewal of the permanent certificate, which banks and counterparties ask for.
The fee renews the certificate code for three monthsWhat founders ask before they budget
How much does it cost to register a company in Portugal?
€220 through Empresa Online with pre-approved articles, or €360 with your own articles or at an Empresa na Hora counter, according to the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado. Urgent online processing doubles the fee. The fee covers the registration, the company's tax number (NIPC), its social security number and access to the permanent certificate.
Do I need a certificate for the company name?
Only if you want a name that is not on the pre-approved list. The certificate of admissibility costs €75, or €150 urgent, and is valid for three months, within which the company must be registered.
What is the minimum share capital?
€1 per quota. It is deposited in the company's bank account within five working days of incorporation or, if the partners declare it, by the end of the first financial year.
Do I need an accountant?
Yes. Companies must keep organised accounts, and only a certified accountant (Contabilista Certificado) can sign the tax returns and submit the annual IES. For a small company the market fee is roughly €100 to €250 a month plus VAT, and some accountants bill thirteen instalments a year.
What are the annual fixed costs?
The accountant, €80 to register the annual accounts with the IES by 15 July, and optionally renewal of the permanent certificate (€25 a year). There is no longer a minimum tax: the special payment on account (PEC) was abolished from 2022.
Does an unpaid manager pay social security?
Often yes, which surprises many founders. A sócio-gerente who takes no salary but is not covered by another compulsory scheme contributes on a base of one IAS (€537.13 in 2026) at 34.75%, about €187 a month. Cover in another country normally has to be proved with an A1 form or a bilateral certificate and notified with the minutes.
Can a non-resident open a company online?
Yes, with a Chave Móvel Digital linked to the passport or an eIDAS login, and a Portuguese NIF for every partner. Contributions in kind are not possible online, and Empresa na Hora requires attendance in person or by a representative with a power of attorney.
Is the beneficial owner declaration a separate cost?
No. The RCBE declaration is free; it must be filed within 30 days of incorporation and confirmed every year.
Limits we state: a reduced €300 fee for technology companies appears in older sources but not on the registry’s current pages, so we do not use it. We could not read the article of the fee regulation that sets the €360, so we cite the registry’s service pages instead. Accountant fees are market ranges, not regulated prices.
One fixed price, agreed before we start
We quote the incorporation, the official fees at cost and the first year of accounting as one figure, so the number you budget is the number you pay.