Licences, permits and authorisations for businesses

Once your business has been set up and registered, you will have to deal with a number of formalities. Depending on the activity chosen, there are some general and specific requirements that need to be met in order to be authorised to pursue the activity.

An application to the Directorate-General for Economic Activities (DGAE) for authorisation to pursue an economic activity must be submitted to the Balcão do Empreendedor (BDE) [Entrepreneur’s Desk – an advisory service for entrepreneurs]. Here you can find all the information on the licences and permits required to carry out the different types of activities, the contact details of the competent authorities and other electronic services.

Sectoral guides for some areas of economic activity are also available, as well as simulators for verifying your business’s obligations in terms of:

• access to the business activity,
• infrastructure and facilities,
• operation,
• working conditions,
• social security,
• taxes.

Changes to the company

During the life cycle of your business, you may also need to make some changes to the company, such as changing the company name, the address of the registered office, the activity, the memorandum of association or the articles of association.

In the event of a dispute

In the event of a dispute concerning industrial property, domain names, trade names or corporate names, you can request a settlement of the dispute through the arbitration centre ARBITRARE.

If the case relates to the purchase of goods or services, you may request arbitration to resolve consumer disputes.