Running a business as a stallholder or street vendor

Before you start selling at a stall or making sales on the street, you must submit a simple prior notification (Mera Comunicação Prévia – MCP) to the Directorate-General for Economic Activities (DGAE). This entails completing a form confirming that all the conditions for performing the activity are met.

The form is completed online free of charge.

Service channels

  • Online

    To carry out this service you need to login with one of the following means of authentication:

    Authentication issues with Digital Mobile Key

    If you have problems accessing the form during the authentication process, we suggest authenticating directly on the portal and then accessing the service.

Procedure and requirements

Procedure

You will need a means of authentication
To prove your identity, you must use one of the following means of authentication:

Once you have your chosen means of authentication to hand, follow these steps:

  1. Click on ‘Communite now’.
  2. Authenticate yourself.
  3. Fill in the form ‘Regime jurídico de acesso e exercício de atividades de comércio, serviços e restauração’ (‘Legal Regime governing the setting up and pursuit of commercial, service and catering activities’).
  4. If someone else is filling in the form on behalf of the salesperson, they must indicate the access code for the online power of attorney (obtain power of attorney online).
  5. Click ‘Submit’.
  6. You will receive a certificate of submission of the simple prior notification by email at the address that you provided when completing the form. Download or print this certificate.

The certificate of submission of the simple prior notification is proof that you have fulfilled your legal obligation.
Keep this document and always have it with you while you are performing your business activity. You will need to show it if there is an inspection, or to obtain permits relating to your activity, for example.

How much

This service is free of charge. However, if you do it at a municipal desk, you may have to pay a fee. Check with the town hall whether you have to pay and how much.

Validity

There is no expiry date.

When is a new simple prior notification needed?
You must submit a new simple prior notification within 60 days of any of the following changes occurring:

  • if the nature of the activity changes;
  • if the company’s ownership changes (if the business is a legal entity);
  • if the activity ceases.

To find out more, consult the following:

  • Notifying changes in a stallholder’s or street vendor’s activity
  • Ceasing activities as a stallholder or street vendor.

Obligations

Before submitting the simple prior notification, make sure you comply with:

In addition, your business must be registered as a going concern with the Tax Office in one of the following branches of activity (according to the Classification of Economic Activities [Classificação das Atividades Económicas – CAE]:

  • 7810 – Retailing of food, drink and tobacco products in stalls, at fairs and in mobile sales units
  • 47810 – Retailing of food, drink and tobacco products in stalls, at fairs and in mobile sales units
  • 47820 – Retailing of textiles, clothing, footwear, bags and the like in stalls, at fairs and in mobile sales units
  • 47890 – Retailing of other products in stalls, at fairs and in mobile sales units.

Competent Entity

Direção-Geral das Atividades Económicas

Address: Avenida Visconde de Valmor n.º 72 1069-041 Lisboa

Phone number: 217 919 100

Email address: dgae@dgae.gov.pt

Web url: www.dgae.gov.pt

Operation hours

  • Dias úteis das 09:00h às 13:00h.
  • Dias úteis das 14:00h às 18:00h.