Requesting a certificate of professional activity from the DGAE

Certificates of professional activity are intended for economic operators or workers wishing to go and work in another European Union Member State; they can be submitted to the competent authority or companies in the relevant Member State as proof that they have carried out the professional activity in question in Portugal. 

If you are a managing partner of a company, a sole trader or self-employed and your activity falls under CAE codes 05 to 43, you will need to request a certificate from the Directorate-General of Economic Activities (DGAE). You can make the request on this page. 

Requesting certificates from other authorities 

If you are a managing partner of a company, a sole trader or self-employed and your activity falls under CAE codes 45 to 47, 494, 55 to 63, 68 to 75, 77 to 82, 85 to 87 or 90 to 95 (except 92), you will need to request a certificate from the Commerce and Services Confederation (CCP). 

If you are an employee, whatever CAE code your employment falls under, you will have to request a certificate from the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT).

If you have any questions, please email certificados.profissionais@dgae.gov.pt.

Service channels

Procedure and requirements

Documentos and requirements

Managing partners of companies, sole traders and self-employed workers whose professional activity falls under CAE codes 05 to 43 must attach the following documents to the form in PDF format: 

  • a copy of the company’s permanent certificate of business registration (when the requester is, or was, a managing partner of the company); 
  • a copy of the statement of social security deductions for the period of time requiring certification (annual salary statement of the requester); 
  • a copy of the requester’s professional card or licence, if applicable; 
  • requests made by sole traders or self-employed workers must be submitted with a copy of a document proving that the professional activity was carried out (start, end and/or resumption of the activity) issued by the Tax and Customs Authority; 
  • requests made by others on behalf of the partner or business owner must be submitted together with a valid power of attorney (declaration by the requester authorising another person or company to deal with the request for a certificate of professional activity with the DGAE).

Procedure

You will need to sign in using one of the following means of authentication: 

Once you have your chosen means of authentication to hand, follow the steps below. 

  1. Click on the ‘Realizar serviço’ [‘Use service’] button on this page. 
  2. Complete the online form and attach the necessary documents (see the ‘documents and requirements’ section) 
  3. Submit your request. 

Examination of the request 

  • The form and the documents will be examined by the Directorate-General for Economic Activities (DGAE). 
  • Once the DGAE has validated all the necessary information and requirements for issuing the certificate, it will provide details regarding payment of the certificate. 
  • Once payment has been made, the certificate will become available in the private area of the ePortugal portal within 8?working days.

Time of issue/decision

There is no set time limit for the DGAE to validate the requirements. 

Once it has validated all the necessary information and requirements for issuing the certificate, it will provide the requester with details on how to pay. 

Once payment has been made, the certificate will be available in the private area of the ePortugal portal within 8?working days.

How much

Each certificate costs 15€.

Validity

There is no expiry date.

Legislation, refusals, contests, claims

Legislation

Law 9/2009 of 4 March transposing Directives 2005/36/EC and 2006/100/EC, as amended by Law No 31/2021 of 24 May

Decree-Law No 30/88 of 3 February, as amended by Decree-Law No 114/2011 of 30 November 

Order No 17366/2011 of 19 December

Order No 4243/2019 of 4 April

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.