Portuguese Company Registry Documents: Which One Do You Need?

Portugal does not have one magic "company certificate". It has several official corporate records, each answering a different question. This guide shows you what each document does and where to order it.

Basic commercial registry certificate

The Certidão Permanente de Registo Comercial gives access to the company's commercial registrations and pending registration requests.

It is the standard starting point for company verification, current legal status and registered corporate information. The official registry can issue this certificate in Portuguese or English.

Registry + documents

The Certidão Permanente de Registo Comercial e Documentos adds the electronic documents that served as the basis for registered acts.

Use it when lawyers or due diligence teams want to see the filings behind the registry entries, not just the entries themselves.

Articles of association

The separate Pacto Social / Estatutos certificate gives the latest company constitution or statutes held by the registry.

This is the document used for governance rules, corporate object, representation framework and other constitutional company terms.

Annual accounts

The Certidão de Contas Anuais is a separate financial statement record based on the company's filed IES/DA information.

It is used for due diligence, finance and company financial review. It can be obtained in English.

FCPC

The FCPC certificate gives central legal entity data such as NIPC, name, registered office, CAE, legal form, corporate object, capital where applicable and current status.

It is distinct from the Commercial Registry and has specific uses, including certain public procurement files.

RCBE

RCBE is the beneficial ownership register.

Use it when the question is who ultimately controls the company. Do not confuse UBO evidence with the ordinary commercial registry certificate.

Company card

The Portuguese Company / Legal Entity Card is an entity identification document with core identifiers such as NIPC, registered office, CAE, legal form and other official data.

Let us choose the set

Send us the foreign checklist or purpose.

Portugal Papers identifies the Portuguese records, obtains them and adds translation, apostille, legalisation preparation and delivery where the file needs them.

FAQ