Trade and Services

On this page you can find various services related to the management of retail establishments.

Businesses working in the commercial trade and providing services must provide a notification concerning the start of operations, any changes or the closure of their establishment or warehouse, using the form available on this website. In some cases, you will need to apply for authorisation to set up or make changes to your establishment.

Retail establishments and food warehouses must comply with certain requirements. To find out what requirements must be met, please consult the laws set out in Article 40 of the legal regime governing access to and pursuit of commercial, services and catering activities (RJACSR).

This information is available on the ePortugal portal for mainland Portugal and for Madeira.

Applications for the Azores, with the exception of sales and stock clearance services, should be made via the Azores Government portal.

Table of contents

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Request all permits online
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Safely, online
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Legal compliance

Notifications

Applications for starting up operations, making changes or closing an establishment must be communicated by sending a form to the responsible municipal authority, via ePortugal or at a municipal council customer services office.

Authorisations

Only the establishments listed below need to apply for authorisation to start trading:

  • commercial groupings of retail and service establishments
  • traditional/specialised commercial groupings of retail and service establishments
  • traditional/specialised shopping centres
  • large supermarkets/hypermarkets.

Applications can be made by submitting the form on this website.

Services

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Wholesale and retail trade of food

Retail sales in an establishment belonging to a company using one or more signs or logos or forming part of a group

Retail sales in large supermarket located in a commercial unit

Ambulatory retail sales

Retail sales of pets and pet food

Wholesaling of food of animal origin under a controlled temperature

Wholesaling and retail sales of feed for farmed animals

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Commercial groupings of retail and service establishments

Commercial groupings and traditional/specialised shopping centres

  • Traditional/specialised shopping centres – joint permit for setting up: Mainland Portugal
  • Traditional/specialised shopping centres – joint permit for significant changes: Mainland Portugal
  • Traditional/specialised commercial groupings – renewal of the joint permit for setting up: Mainland Portugal
  • Traditional/specialised shopping centre – closure: Mainland Portugal

Large supermarkets/hypermarkets

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Stallholders and street vendors

Organisation of trade fairs by a private entity 

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Adaptation and repair of motor vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed and liquefied natural gas (NG)

Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds

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Legislation

  • Decree-Law no. 109/2019, of August 14 - simplifies and harmonizes the procedures that traders must comply with whenever they notify the Food and Economic Safety Authority that they intend to carry out sales in balance or in liquidation.
  • Decree-Law No. 10/2015, of January 16 - approves the legal regime for access and exercise of trade, services and restaurant activities.
  • Decree-Law No. 70/2007, of March 26 - regulates commercial practices with price reductions, with the aim of disposing of stocks, increasing sales volume or promoting the launch of a product not previously marketed by the economic agent.