Company setup in Portugal

Start with the right structure

Explore legal entity forms and registration sources for Portugal. Use the local terminology below when discussing your application with the relevant authority.

Detailed foreign-investor rules for this jurisdiction have not yet been independently reviewed here. The registry sources below are the starting point for confirming the available formation route.

Company & entity types

Listed forms include commercial companies and other legal entities. A listing is not confirmation that a foreign founder can establish that form. Local names are preserved to avoid misleading legal translations.

Find a legal form or sub-jurisdiction

32 legal forms listed

Cooperativa

PortugalELF 1HGD

Cooperativa de 2º Grau

PortugalELF 5KVH

Entidade Empresarial Intermunicipal

PortugalELF 6IK8

Fundo

PortugalELF 6L6P

Organismos de investimento colectivo em valores mobiliários

PortugalELF 6WQ5UCITS

Fundo de Investimento Alternativo

PortugalELF 7XPPAIF

Agrupamento Europeu de Interesse Económico

PortugalELF 99JDAEIE

Entidade Pública Empresarial

PortugalELF A8CT

Associação

PortugalELF ALPT

Entidade Empresarial Municipal

PortugalELF D7OA

Sociedade Anónima

PortugalELF DFE5

Empresa Intermunicipal

PortugalELF IX01

Organismo da Administração Pública

PortugalELF KUUV

Sociedade Anónima Europeia

PortugalELF MFHRSE

Sociedade em Nome Coletivo

PortugalELF N66B

Entidade Empresarial Metropolitana

PortugalELF NIQY

Sociedade em Comandita

PortugalELF OXUC

Pessoa Coletiva de Direito Público

PortugalELF P5S3

Empresa Municipal

PortugalELF PIDC

Pessoa Coletiva Internacional

PortugalELF QFXD

Sociedade por Quotas

PortugalELF USOG

Societas Cooperativa Europaea

PortugalELF V6YLSCE

Empresário em Nome Individual

PortugalELF VALH

Sociedade Unipessoal por Quotas

PortugalELF VF4C

Sociedade Anónima Desportiva

PortugalELF W9W3

Empresa Metropolitana

PortugalELF XD16

Agrupamento Complementar de Empresas

PortugalELF YMLD

Fundação

PortugalELF Z0NE

Estabelecimento Individual de Responsabilidade Limitada

PortugalELF ZILA

Empresa Regional

PortugalELF ZSWE

Trust

MadeiraELF IKBN

Sucursal Financeira Exterior

MadeiraELF Z7ZX

Source: GLEIF ELF v1.6, February 2026 ↗. Active codes only; language variants grouped by code. The source is not an exhaustive list of all available legal forms.

What to confirm before applying

These are planning questions, not verified Portugal requirements.

Foreign ownership & activity

Ask whether your nationality, ownership percentage and proposed business activity require investment approval, a local partner or a sector licence.

Directors & local presence

Confirm the required directors, shareholders, registered office, local representative and any residency or company-secretary rules.

Capital & incorporation costs

Obtain the current minimum capital, filing fees, notarisation costs, translations and annual renewal or service charges for the selected legal form.

Tax & ongoing compliance

Verify corporate tax, VAT or sales tax, withholding, beneficial-ownership reporting, accounting, audit and annual-return obligations.

Banking & immigration

Check bank onboarding and source-of-funds evidence separately. Company registration should not be treated as approval for banking, residence or work permission.