What is a NIF, and why do you need it first?
The NIF (número de identificação fiscal) is your Portuguese tax number. It is the first requirement for almost anything official in Portugal: signing a lease, opening a bank account, contracting utilities, starting work, buying property or applying for a residence permit. That is why every visa file we prepare starts with it.
It is a tax number, not a residence status. Having one does not make you a Portuguese tax resident on its own; tax residency is decided by where you actually live and how long you spend in Portugal. Each family member needs their own number, children included, and family applications are filed together.
Who needs a tax representative?
If you are in Portugal, you can apply in person at a tax office. To obtain a NIF from outside Portugal you need a Portuguese tax representative to apply for you; once the number is issued you may replace the representative with electronic notifications (ViaCTT). Our fee includes the representative for 12 months. This is the usual case for people preparing a move: you hold a NIF while living outside Portugal, and the tax office needs an address in Portugal where its notices reach someone.
After the number is issued, where you live and what dealings you have with the tax office decide whether you must keep a representative, which is why we ask about both before quoting anything. Property owners who are not resident in Portugal are another common case. If you live in another EU country, the position is different; check with us for yours.
Is there any way to do without one?
Once the number is issued, yes: you may replace the representative with electronic notifications (ViaCTT). The tax authority's own guidance gives residents of non-EU countries this alternative: once you have dealings with the tax office, such as owning property, an employment contract or self-employed work, you either appoint a representative or receive its notices electronically through ViaCTT. If you work self-employed in Portugal while non-resident, a representative stays mandatory.
In practice, most applicants abroad keep the representative. Someone has to receive the notices, read them in Portuguese and act on their deadlines, and the electronic route leaves all of that to you. If you would rather go that way once your number is issued, we tell you during the assessment whether your situation allows it.
What does the tax representative actually do?
A tax representative is your registered address for the Portuguese tax authority: notices, deadlines and correspondence go to them. We receive those, translate them and tell you what, if anything, needs doing, so every letter from the tax office reaches you.
The representation is set up with a mandate that is signed and registered with the tax authority on your behalf. It runs for a term and is renewed: the NIF price includes the first 12 months, and after that our renewal costs EUR 90 a year.
What documents does a NIF take?
Two documents and one signature:
- Your passport, or your national ID if you are an EU citizen
- Proof of address in your country of residence, issued recently
- A signed digital power of attorney, which we send you
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Nothing else is needed, and if a case needs more, we tell you before you pay. Your proof of address is from wherever you live now, so you do not need a Portuguese address first. It usually takes a few business days: our part starts as soon as both documents pass review, and the issuance time then sits with the tax office and moves with the season and with whether a tax representative is involved. We give you the current expectation before you pay.
The price is EUR 90, fixed: our review, the power of attorney, the filing at the tax office, the issued document and 12 months of tax representation. Everything happens remotely, with one digital power of attorney.
Your number and the official document arrive in your inbox. From there the NIF carries straight into the next steps of a move: the NISS for social security, a Portuguese bank account and, for a visa, the file itself. If your plan includes those, we run them in the same path, so the NIF is the first step of the move rather than a separate errand.
Questions people also ask
Does getting a NIF make me a Portuguese tax resident?
No. It is an identification number for dealing with the tax authority. Tax residency is a separate matter, determined by where you actually live and how long you spend in Portugal.
Can I get a NIF without a Portuguese address?
Yes. Your proof of address is from wherever you live now. From outside Portugal a Portuguese tax representative applies for you; once the number is issued you may replace the representative with electronic notifications (ViaCTT). The first 12 months of representation are included in our price.
Can you get NIFs for my whole family?
Yes, children included. Each person needs their own number, and family applications are filed together.
What happens after the first 12 months of representation?
You can renew it with us for EUR 90 a year, or appoint someone else. If you have moved to Portugal by then, you may no longer need a representative at all; we tell you which applies.
Sources
The official pages behind this guide. Rules change, so we confirm the current position on every case.
