Company registration · Portugal
Company registration in Portugal the mainland or the Madeira regime
- Support
- from €1 600
- Registration time
- EU
A comfortable European jurisdiction with a special regime on Madeira, where the reduced rate depends on hiring and investment.
Everything starts with tax numbers for the founders.
Registration
from €1 600
Turnkey work by BRIDGES. Government fees and duties appear as a separate line in the estimate at actual rates.
See packagesEU
Full access to the single market
1-2 weeks
Incorporation with the registry
Madeira regime
A reduced rate with conditions
Who it suitsPortugal
Who Portugal suits
Working on the company structure- 01IT and services with European clients
- 02Businesses relocating a team to the country
- 03International trade through the Madeira regime
- 04Founders planning to live in Portugal
- 05Companies ready to hire locally
Does not suit
- You expect the Madeira rate with no hiring and no investment
- A fully remote company with no local accountant
- You are counting on anonymity: the registry is public
- There is no willingness to work with Portuguese-language filings
Company forms4
Which company to open
The private limited company is the working form; the Madeira regime is applied on top of it.
- 01Sociedade por Quotas · Lda — private limited company
Services, IT, trade, small manufacturing.
Low entry cost and fast registration.
A Portuguese accountant is mandatory from day one.
- 02Sociedade Anonima · SA — joint stock company
Larger businesses and structures raising capital.
Higher standing and flexible share classes.
Higher capital requirement and heavier governance.
- 03Company in the Madeira regime · international business centre
International trade, services and shipping.
A materially lower corporate rate on qualifying income.
Requires job creation and, above certain levels, investment.
- 04Branch · branch of a foreign company
An existing group entering the EU market.
No new legal entity is required.
The parent company carries the liability.
Packagesfrom €1 600
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios. The amount depends on the regime and the hiring plan.
01 · 1-2 weeks
Company
from $1 600
An EU entity for contracts and invoicing
- Tax numbers for the founders
- Name approval and preparation of the articles
- Incorporation with the registry
- Registered address for the first year
- Tax registration and a Portuguese accountant
02 · 3-8 weeks
Company, VAT and account
from $2 500
An operating business with EU settlements
- Everything in the Company package
- VAT and EU VAT registration
- Bank profile and submission to suitable banks
- Monthly accounting set-up
- Support with correspondence with the tax authority
03 · from 6 weeks
Madeira regime
from $4 800
International trade with local jobs
- Everything in the Company, VAT and account package
- Licence application for the international business centre
- Hiring plan and payroll set-up
- Office on the island
- Monitoring of the regime conditions
Registry fees, licence fees and employer contributions appear as separate lines in the quote.
TaxesPortugal
Taxes in Portugal
The mainland rate carries surcharges; Madeira offers a reduced rate with conditions.
Taxes in Portugal
Portugal
- EU
- Full access to the single market
- from $1 600
- BRIDGES fee
- 1-2 weeks
- Incorporation with the registry
- Madeira regime
- A reduced rate with conditions
- Corporate income tax
- The standard rate applies to taxable profit, with a reduced rate on the first band for small companies.
- Municipal surcharge
- Charged by the municipality on top of the corporate rate.
- State surcharge
- Applies to higher levels of profit in progressive bands.
- Madeira regime
- A materially reduced rate on qualifying international income, capped by reference to jobs created.
- VAT
- The standard rate applies on the mainland, with lower rates in the autonomous regions.
- Obligations at home
- Owning a foreign company creates obligations in the beneficiary country of residence.
Annual upkeep
- Registered address
- Certified accountant
- VAT returns
- Annual accounts and the simplified business information filing
- Corporate tax return
- Payroll and contributions
- Madeira conditions
- Bank compliance
Registry fees, licence fees and employer contributions appear as separate lines in the quote.
Bank
The bank account after incorporation
Portuguese banks are approachable but paperwork-heavy, and they want tax numbers in place.
- 01What the bank looks at
The activity, the customers, expected turnover, the local presence and the source of funds.
- 02Which documents are needed
The corporate set, tax numbers, manager identification and a description of the business.
- 03Where the account is opened
With Portuguese banks, and with European payment institutions for cross-border flows.
- 04What we do
We prepare the file, arrange the appointment and run the submission through to the result.
Everything in Portugal moves through the tax number. Without it neither the company nor the account can proceed, so we start there.
Stages1-2 weeks
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
- 01Consultation and structure
Activity, regime, hiring, VAT, banking.
One meeting - 02Tax numbers
Obtaining numbers for the founders and, where needed, a fiscal representative.
3-10 days - 03Quote and contract
We fix the scope of work and the amount.
1-2 days - 04Incorporation
Filing with the registry and issue of the documents.
3-7 days - 05VAT and Madeira licence
Registration and, where sought, the regime application.
2-8 weeks - 06Account and launch
Bank file, the appointment and account opening.
The bank sets the timing
Result: The outcome is an EU company on the right regime: tax numbers, full documents, a VAT number, an account and a Portuguese accountant in place.
ComparisonPortugal
Mainland Portugal or Madeira
| Mainland | Madeira regime | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | the standard rate plus surcharges | a materially reduced rate on qualifying income |
| Conditions | none beyond ordinary rules | job creation and, above thresholds, investment |
| Type of income | any | primarily international activity |
| Substance | ordinary | genuine presence on the island |
| Set-up complexity | straightforward | licence application required |
| Upkeep cost | medium | higher, including payroll |
| Who it suits better | local operations and services | international trade with real jobs |
The Madeira rate is real, but it is paid for with jobs and investment. Without hiring, the mainland is the honest answer.
TeamBRIDGES
Company team
Questions
Registration questions
What is the corporate tax rate?+
The standard rate applies on the mainland, plus municipal and state surcharges. A reduced rate applies to the first band of profit for small companies.
What is the Madeira regime?+
A licensed regime within the international business centre offering a materially reduced rate on qualifying international income.
What does the Madeira regime require?+
Job creation, and above certain levels an investment in fixed assets. The benefit is capped by reference to the jobs created.
Do I need a Portuguese tax number?+
Yes, all founders need one before incorporation.
How long does incorporation take?+
One to two weeks once the tax numbers are in place.
Is an accountant mandatory?+
Yes, a certified accountant must be appointed from the start.
How hard is it to open a bank account?+
Realistic, though the process is document-heavy and usually requires an appointment.
Can I get an EU VAT number?+
Yes, normally within a few weeks of incorporation.
Is the registry public?+
Yes, managers and shareholders are visible.
Can the founder relocate?+
Yes, through the relevant residence routes, which are a separate process from the company.
Do I have to declare the company at home?+
As a rule yes: owning a foreign company creates obligations in your country of residence.
What does upkeep cost?+
Address, accountant, VAT and, in the Madeira regime, payroll. We set it out three years ahead.
A company for your task
Tell us what the company will do: we will check whether the country fits and show the launch and upkeep budget before the contract.
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Company registration
Want a company in Portugal?
Write to us, we will set it up. We will choose the form, calculate the launch and the annual upkeep, register the company and help open the account.
