Legal support in Portugal for international clients
ME&JBA — Advogados assists foreign individuals and businesses with legal matters in Portugal, in English, Spanish and Portuguese, in person in Lisbon or remotely.
Matters most often raised by international clients
Buying property
Prior checks on the property (land register, tax register, licences and encumbrances), review of the promissory contract and the sale contract (public deed or authenticated private document), payment of property transfer tax (IMT) and stamp duty, and liaison with notaries, banks and the Tax Authority. A Portuguese tax number (NIF) is required to buy.
Inheritance involving assets in Portugal
Declaration of heirs (habilitação de herdeiros), European Certificate of Succession, registration of assets in the heirs' names, division of the estate and notification to the Tax Authority, which is required even where the transfer is exempt from stamp duty.
Setting up a company or branch
Choice of company type, articles of association, commercial registration, beneficial ownership declaration (RCBE) and the first corporate obligations.
Leases
Residential and non-residential leases, as landlord or tenant, including notices, termination and eviction.
Hiring staff in Portugal
Employment contracts, internal rules and termination, under the Portuguese Labour Code.
Debt recovery and insolvency
Recovering claims against Portuguese debtors, payment orders (injunção), enforcement and lodging claims in insolvency or revitalisation (PER) proceedings.
Data protection
Compliance with the GDPR and with the Portuguese implementing law (Law no. 58/2019) for businesses operating in Portugal.
Foreign individuals with property, inheritances or business interests in Portugal, and foreign companies that invest, hire staff or recover debts in Portugal.
Working with clients who live outside Portugal
- We work in Portuguese, English and Spanish.
- Meetings in person in Lisbon or remotely, by video call.
- Many steps can be taken by a representative holding a power of attorney. A power of attorney signed abroad may need to be notarised, apostilled and, in some cases, translated, depending on the country; we explain in advance what is required.
- We explain how to obtain a Portuguese tax number (NIF), which is required for most transactions.
- The scope of the work and the criteria for setting fees are confirmed in writing before the services begin.
Common questions from international clients
Do I need to be in Portugal to buy property or deal with an inheritance?
Not always. Many steps can be taken by a representative holding a power of attorney. The power of attorney can be granted abroad, but it may have to meet certain formalities, such as notarisation of the signature, the apostille provided for in the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 and, if it is in another language, translation, depending on the country.
Which law applies to the estate of a foreign national with assets in Portugal?
For deaths on or after 17 August 2015, Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 applies. As a rule, the succession is governed by the law of the State in which the deceased had their last habitual residence, unless they chose the law of their nationality in a will or other disposition of property upon death. The registration of assets located in Portugal follows Portuguese formalities in any case.
Can a non-resident set up a company in Portugal?
Yes. A non-resident can be a shareholder or manager of a Portuguese company once they have obtained a NIF. The company can be set up in person or, in some cases, online, and it must declare its beneficial owners in the Central Register of Beneficial Owners (RCBE).
General information, based on the legislation in force on 11.11.2026. Its application to a specific situation depends on the facts and requires its own legal analysis.