Portugal – Branch

Introduction to setting up a branch in Portugal

Portugal provides an excellent foundation for setting up a branch company with a stable economy and a range of financial incentives aimed at foreign investment. Establishing a branch company here requires adherence to the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises – Corporate Social Responsibility, which regulate branches setting up in Portugal.

What are the accounting requirements for a Portuguese Branch?

The branch company must set up a Portuguese bank account and appoint a chartered accountant to handle the accounts of the branch.

Registration with the Tax Office is required for VAT and taxation purposes.

Portuguese branches are generally subject to the same taxes as any corporation and are required to submit annual VAT and tax accounts.

What are the formalities regarding Portuguese branches?

– A copy of the parent company’s Certificate of Good Standing
– A copy of the parent company’s Certificate of Incorporation
– Memorandum & Articles of Association of the parent company
– Minutes from the General Meeting or Board of Directors with the resolution to incorporate a Portuguese branch
– Power of attorney from the members of the Portuguese management board
– A legal representative of the branch

These documents are required in order to register the branch with the National Companies Register.

All relevant documentation must be officially apostilled and translated into Portuguese by a certified translator.

What office facilities are available when registering a branch?

There are three main types of office available in Portugal:

– A registered office is the minimum requirement, providing a registered address for branch correspondence

– A virtual office allows branch communication off-site and includes facilities such as telephone, fax and mail forwarding to maintain business professionalism

– A serviced office provides an office space with all business services set up ready for immediate occupation

We will handle every aspect of the branch formation for you. Using our expert knowledge we can offer a branch formation package in which we take care of branch registration, issue of the certificates of registration, local directors, local representative and place of business in Portugal, tax registration, VAT registration, and translation of documents (if required).

Our unique one stop solution for all European formation requirements also offers formation packages to set up multiple branches. The benefits for establishing multiple branches include further increased exposure and global presence, and we can organise everything for you.

A summary of Portugal Corporate Taxes is available here.