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Bank Account Assistance in Portugal

Bank account assistance in Portugal helps people who live abroad apply for a personal current account when they move or buy property. We organise your identity, address and tax-number evidence into one file and explain the bank's account and fee documents before you apply.

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Who Needs Bank Account Assistance in Portugal

  • You live outside Portugal and need a personal current account for a move or property purchase.
  • You need the bank's identity, tax-number and address requests explained before applying.
  • You want to compare account charges and the deposit protection information before signing.
  • You already have a Portuguese account and need help organizing an information update.

Deposit-taking and a bank's onboarding decision are outside the offer, and no institution's decision to open an account is guaranteed.

What's Included in Account Opening Support

Your documents are organized and the bank's account documents are explained before you decide how to proceed.

  • Institution check. A specialist checks whether the credit institution appears in Banco de Portugal's register for deposit activity.
  • Identification file. Your passport or identity document, tax number or foreign equivalent, address and occupation evidence are organized into one file.
  • Account information. The standardised information sheet, fee information document, depositor information and general conditions are explained.
  • Non-resident application. A specialist prepares the information for an in-person or distance application under the institution's chosen process.
  • Ongoing information. The service helps you identify records the bank may need to update after opening.
A document diagram with identity, tax number, addresses and occupation fields.
The bank checks four core record groups during onboarding.
Diagram text version

The bank collects a valid identity document or passport. The bank records a Portuguese NIF or foreign equivalent. The bank records permanent and tax-domicile addresses. The bank records occupation and employer when applicable.

What You Need to Provide

Identity
A valid passport or other accepted identification document and details of any person authorised to act for you.
Tax number and address
A Portuguese tax number or foreign equivalent and evidence of your permanent and tax-domicile addresses.
Work and account purpose
Your occupation, employer where applicable, expected account use and any relevant source-of-funds records.
Bank documents
Any application form from the bank, account information, fee document or request for additional evidence.

How Account Opening Support Works

A specialist prepares the information an authorised credit institution requests and explains its account documents to you. The institution decides whether to open the account.

  1. Check the institution's register entry

    A specialist checks the proposed credit institution's authorisation for deposit activity.

  2. Organize identity and tax details

    The personal details and supporting documents the institution requests are reviewed.

  3. Understand account documents and fees

    The bank's standardised, fee and depositor information is explained.

  4. Prepare the application

    A specialist prepares the information, and you submit it through the institution's in-person or distance process.

  5. Address further bank questions

    You provide any additional evidence the institution requests for its own due diligence.

A four-step deposit-protection flow showing the unit, limit, period and information document.
Standard protection uses a EUR 100,000 limit and a seven-working-day period.
Diagram text version

The limit applies per depositor and credit institution. The standard protection limit is EUR 100,000. The standard template states seven working days. The bank delivers the information before opening, and the customer signs it at opening.

Timing and Possible Delays

Set by the institution's process

The document work is planned around your intended account use and the institution's application steps.

What delays it

The work takes longer when identity evidence is incomplete, documents expire or the institution asks for further due diligence.

What to prepare now

Identification, tax-number and address evidence is requested before the application starts.

Account Documents and Ongoing Checks

Keep your identification file current

You should retain copies of the identity, address and tax-number evidence supplied to the institution. A specialist can compare a later update request with the original application, while the bank determines which new documents its risk assessment needs.

Read the depositor document before signing

The bank gives you its depositor information before opening, and you sign it when the bank opens the account. The named guarantee scheme and account holder details are explained so you can check that the document fits the account you are considering.

Record changes that affect the bank’s file

You should keep the new address, tax-domicile, occupation or representative evidence beside the previous bank record so a specialist can compare them before an update. The institution applies its own due-diligence duties.

Published by Advisors in Portugal Published: Last reviewed:

Describe your account purpose

Describe where you live, why you need the account and which documents you already have.

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Common questions

Can I open a Portuguese current account from abroad?
Banco de Portugal says an authorised credit institution may open a current account in person or by distance communication. Your institution decides which channel and identity checks it will accept for your application.
Do I need a Portuguese tax number to apply?
Banco de Portugal's account-opening guidance lists a tax identification number or an equivalent issued by a foreign authority among the required details. The bank checks the evidence for your circumstances.
What information should the bank give me before opening?
Banco de Portugal requires the standardised information sheet, depositor information template, fee information document and general account conditions before opening.
Is there one opening balance or maintenance fee for every current account?
No. Banco de Portugal says standard account charges are set by each credit institution within legal limits. The bank's information sheet states any opening amount, while its fee document lists representative account charges.
What is the cap for a basic bank account?
Eligibility for the legally capped basic-account scheme (serviços mínimos bancários) and its current cap depend on conditions that require case-by-case confirmation.
How much of a deposit is protected?
Banco de Portugal states that deposits are protected up to EUR 100,000 per depositor and per credit institution, including for non-residents. Your bank's depositor information identifies the applicable guarantee scheme.
When are protected deposits repaid after a bank failure?
The official depositor information template states seven working days for standard reimbursement. Your bank's template identifies the scheme and any applicable exception.
How often must the bank update my information?
Lei n.º 83/2017 Article 40(2) ties periodic updates to the customer's risk grade. You should also tell the bank when relevant details change or an identification document expires.
Can Banco de Portugal review a complaint about an unregistered entity?
Banco de Portugal says it has no competence to regulate, supervise or sanction unregistered entities or assess complaints about their conduct. You should check the institution's register entry before contracting.
How is account-opening support handled?
A specialist prepares the documents for a Portuguese personal bank account and explains the bank's account documents. Replies come directly from the case team, which stays the point of contact through the case.

What to Expect

  • One team for the whole case.

    The banking, tax and relocation work that supports your plans in Portugal is handled by one team.

  • English or Portuguese.

    English or Portuguese, whichever you are most comfortable in.

  • A written quote before work starts.

    You get a quote in writing before any work starts. Fees are set case by case. You are told plainly if a case falls outside the service.

Contact us

Your request is in

Every request is read in house. The requirements are assessed, and a reply by email sets out the appropriate next steps.

Every enquiry is read in house, and the aim is a reply within one business day.

Describe your banking needs

Every case starts with the form below. Each enquiry is reviewed, and the reply confirms what can be prepared, in English or Portuguese.

Describe your residence, account purpose and identification documents. A reply follows within one business day. The first conversation is free.

Are you enquiring as?

This shows only the questions relevant to you.

Leave this blank if the company has not been formed yet.

How we address you.

Where the reply goes.

Choose the country code, then enter the rest of the number.

This decides which specialists read your enquiry.

Regional rules and taxes differ.

When do you need this done? (optional)

Urgent enquiries are flagged when the case is reviewed.

In a few sentences, please tell us what you need.

Your details are handled under our Privacy Notice.

The information on this page is checked against official sources and reviewed regularly. It is corrected when the law or official guidance changes, as the Editorial Standards describe.