How to Get a NIF Number in Portugal
What Is a NIF Number?
NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal), which is also referred to as the contribution number (“Número de contribuinte”) is an Individual Tax Identification Number used in Portugal. The number, which consists of nine digits, is unique for each person. The NIF number is issued by the tax authorities of Portugal.
Who Must Use the Portuguese NIF Number?
Anyone who lives in Portugal has to obtain a tax identification number NIF especially if they run official/legal fiscal activities (i.e. opening a bank account or buying property in Portugal). In that case, getting a NIF number is a must for residents, non-residents, and citizens of Portugal. There is no criminal sanction if one does not obtain a NIF number, yet there are a variety of areas where an individual in Portugal needs to use it. So, if you plan to conduct any sort of official fiscal transaction in Portugal, you must get a Portuguese NIF number immediately.
You just need 2 documents to get started.




How it works
To begin, all you will need is a scanned image of your passport, proof of address, and a credit card
- Get your documents in order
- Complete our online order form
- Make the payment of €90 EUR
- We make the request to the Tax Office in Portugal on your behalf
- Receive your Portuguese NIF by email
How To Get a NIF Number in Portugal
It is important to know that applying for the NIF number in Portugal is somewhat different for EU and non-EU citizens. We will guide you in the next section on how to apply for it depending on your nation and residency.
If you are a non-resident of Portugal
It is possible to apply for the number without physically being in Portugal. In that case, individuals can get a temporary NIF number from a representative or a Portuguese lawyer who they appoint as their proxy. The temporary number will be replaced by a permanent one after a few months or after the individual is a permanent resident in Portugal.
If you are a resident of Portugal
If you’re a resident of Portugal you can apply for the NIF in various ways as stated below:
- You can visit “Finanças” (the local tax office) in person, or you can go to a citizen’s shop. Businesses can apply online at “Finanças”. It is important to remember that the website is in Portuguese only.
- You can appoint a lawyer or an accountant to apply for it on your behalf.
- A quick note about the online application: while an individual cannot apply for a NIF number online, businesses can.
When ordering your NIF, you will need to provide a proof of address that satisfies the following criteria:
- Address
- Must be a residential address outside of Portugal
- Must match the "Residential Address" submitted in the intake form
- P.O. boxes and business addresses are not accepted
- Name
- If purchasing NIF only
- First name and surname on your Proof of Address must match your passport exactly
- For example, say that the name on your passport is "John Apple Smith"
John Apple Smith
John A Smith
John Smith
J Smith
Johnny Smith
Any other variations
- If purchasing NIF and Bank
- The bank requirements for Proof of Address are stricter than the NIF requirements. Because of this, the full name on your Proof of Address must match your passport exactly, otherwise, it will be rejected.
- For example, say that the name on your passport is "John Apple Smith"
John Apple Smith
John A Smith
John Smith
J Smith
Johnny Smith
Any other variations
- If purchasing NIF only
- Document language
- If purchasing NIF only
- If the document is not written in the Roman alphabet, you need to provide an English translation. The translated document needs to be certified.
- If purchasing NIF and Bank*
- The document must be in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, or French.
- If your Proof of Address is not in any of the languages above, please provided a translation to English. This translation needs to be certified. The certified English translation is only a requirement by Millennium BCP.
- For customers from the Schengen area: Documents can be certified by a lawyer, notary or any BCP branches outside of Portugal
- For customers from other countries or residents outside the Schengen Area: Documents can only be certified by an authorized entity (Portuguese Consulate/Embassy or any other entities with the Hague Apostille).
Schengen Areas:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
- If purchasing NIF only
- Image quality
- Text is legible
- No shadows
- No light reflections
- All four corners of the document are visible
Acceptable Documents
Any of the following documents are acceptable:
- Driver's license
- Must be valid (i.e. not expired)
- Provide photos of both the front and back
- Residential address must be visible
- Expiration date must be visible
- First page of bank statement
- Issue date must be visible
- Issued within the past 3 months
- Must be an actual bank statement. Other documents from the bank (e.g. confirmation letter or bank certificate) will not be accepted.
- Utility bill
- Issue date must be visible
- Issued within the past 3 months
- Can be from any of the following providers: electricity, water, mobile sim, internet, cable, etc
For Minors
If requesting a NIF on behalf of a minor, please include a proof of address of one of the minor's parents.
Contact
- 8005 Rua Das Violetas Monte Branco Faro, Portugal
-
+351 912 526 215
+351 912 526 215 - contact@imiportugal.com
Brochures
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