What the certificate proves
The certificate provides the commercial-registry information actually registered for the entity and pending registration requests. The exact information depends on the entity and the registrations in force.
Do not assume that one commercial certificate is a complete beneficial-ownership, AML or financial report. A bank, compliance team or foreign authority may require additional evidence.
Public Registry
The Portuguese commercial registry is public. Any person or company can request a commercial certificate without needing to be a shareholder or legal representative. No special authorization is required.
Choose the certificate that matches the request
| Certificate Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Certidão Permanente de Registo Comercial | Shows the entity's commercial registrations and registration requests that are still pending. |
| Certidão Permanente de Registo e Documentos | Adds the documents supporting the registrations, except documents relating to annual accounts. |
| Certidão de Pacto Social / Estatutos atualizados | Provides the latest articles of association or statutes. |
| Certidão de Contas Anuais (IES) | Provides annual accounts information and is a separate certificate. It can also be obtained in English. |
| Certidão de Inscrição no FCPC | Provides registration data from the Central Register of Legal Entities, such as NIPC, name, registered office, CAE, legal nature and status where applicable. |
Order the exact corporate record you need
- Basic company registry
- Use the Company Registry Extract service.
- Registry plus underlying documents
- Use Portuguese Company Registry Certificate with Documents.
- Latest statutes
- Use Portuguese Company Articles of Association.
- Annual accounts
- Use Portuguese Company Annual Accounts.
- Beneficial ownership
- Use Portuguese RCBE Beneficial Ownership Evidence.
- Need a foreign KYC, banking, due diligence or legal package
- Send us the checklist and we build the full corporate file.
Requesting it yourself
The official request asks for:
- requester name;
- requester NIF/NIPC;
- the entity's NIPC or name;
- email for the access code.
After the request, payment is made using the issued Multibanco reference. The official page gives five consecutive days to pay. After payment confirmation, the access code is sent by email.
The current official service page does not publish one guaranteed same-day processing SLA, so do not plan a filing around a marketing-style instant promise.
Available in English
The basic commercial-registry certificate and the annual-accounts certificate can be obtained in English.
Using company registry evidence abroad
A foreign institution may ask for a particular certificate type, recent evidence, an apostille, certified translation or another format.
A Portuguese access code is excellent for online verification, but it does not by itself determine what a foreign institution will accept. If apostille is required, confirm the appropriate source-document format before ordering the legalization step.
Official Prices (2026)
| Certificate Type | 1 Year | 2 Years | 3 Years | 4 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certidão Permanente de Registo Comercial | €25 | €40 | €60 | €70 |
| Certidão Permanente de Registo e Documentos | €55 | €88 | €132 | €154 |
| Certidão de Pacto Social / Estatutos | €20 | €35 | €45 | €50 |
Source: registo.justica.gov.pt
Portugal Papers can obtain the right company registry document
We can help identify the appropriate certificate type, request the document and coordinate additional preparation where required.
- Company Registry Extract
- Articles/statutes or related registry document where supported
- Apostille when required and format-appropriate
- Certified translation when required
- Delivery when a physical document is required
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone request a Certidão Permanente Comercial?
Yes. Any person or company can request one.
Is it always a PDF?
No. The official permanent certificate is accessed online through an access code. The code gives continuous access to the current registry information during the certificate period.
Does it always show beneficial owners or every shareholder?
No. The commercial registry and beneficial ownership are separate records. Use RCBE when the file needs Portuguese beneficial ownership evidence.
Can I get it in English?
Yes. The basic Commercial Registry permanent certificate and the Annual Accounts Certificate are available in English.
Is it always issued the same day?
The official process makes the certificate available after payment confirmation and sends the access code by email. Portugal Papers handles the request and sends you the result as soon as the registry issues it.