Bank account in Portugal – the NIF, the basic account, MB WAY and the Chave Móvel Digital

Nothing in Portugal moves without a NIF: not a bank account, not a lease, not a job. Here is how to get the tax number, who has a legal right to a basic bank account and what it may cost, what the law guarantees for payments by app, and how a foreigner activates the Chave Móvel Digital.

Opening a bank account in Portugal starts at the tax office. The NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number) is, in the state's words, a personal identification number: you need it to buy goods or services, sign contracts, have a job and open a bank account. Then come the other two keys to daily life – a current account, which every bank must offer in a basic form, and the Chave Móvel Digital (the state's mobile digital key), the single login for public and many private portals. All of it is national law; only the counter differs between cities.

Two recent changes help. Foreigners with an address in Portugal can request the NIF, the NISS (número de identificação da segurança social – social security number) and the SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde – health service) user number in one free visit at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters – in Lisbon at Saldanha and Laranjeiras, in Porto at Cedofeita (by appointment on 226 052 740) and in Braga, but not in Coimbra. And the Tax Authority says a non-resident needs no tax representative just to obtain a NIF – the ePortugal page saying third-country nationals 'must' name one is out of date.

How do you get a NIF in Portugal?

Anyone can apply at any time, free of charge, always by appointment at a Serviço de Finanças (tax office) or a Loja de Cidadão (citizen shop): book on the Portal das Finanças without logging in, or call 217 206 707, weekdays 9h–19h. An EU citizen living here shows an ID card or passport plus the CRUE (certificado de registo de cidadão da União Europeia, issued by the câmara municipal – town hall); a non-EU resident shows a passport plus the residence permit from AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency), an appointment confirmation or the receipt of a pending application.

Apply before you move and you get the NIF as a non-resident, on a passport and proof of your address abroad. Only within 15 days of a 'tax relationship' – a job, a car, a property – must a non-resident from outside the EU and EEA appoint a representative or opt for electronic notifications; the fine for not appointing a mandatory representative is €75 to €7,500. Once resident, report your Portuguese address within 60 days; other address changes within 15 days. The number has nine digits and never changes.

Your situation	What you show	Where
EU citizen living in Portugal	ID card or passport and the CRUE	Finanças or Loja de Cidadão by appointment, or the e-balcão on the Portal das Finanças
Non-EU citizen living in Portugal	Passport and the AIMA permit, appointment confirmation or receipt	Same
Not yet resident	Passport (with entry visa unless exempt) and proof of address abroad; from abroad, a representative with a power of attorney	Finanças; e-balcão for the representative
Foreigner with an address here	NIF, NISS and SNS number together: Chave Móvel Digital linked to your passport or eIDAS login, proof of address, and your permit, AIMA receipt, CRUE or protection document	One of the 12 Espaço Cidadão counters

Source: the Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira) and ePortugal, read 24 September 2026.

Then request a Portal das Finanças password under 'Registar-se'; it is posted to your registered tax address, never e-mailed. With a Chave Móvel Digital you can create the account directly.

Who has a right to a basic bank account in Portugal, and what does it cost?

The basic account (conta de serviços mínimos bancários) is set by Decreto-Lei 27-C/2000, last amended by Lei 24/2023, and every credit institution taking deposits in Portugal must offer it. A bank may not demand a minimum deposit or other products, has 10 working days after a complete request to open the account or refuse, and must give any refusal in writing with reasons and remedies, including a complaint to Banco de Portugal (the central bank). The condition: you hold no other current account in Portugal – except as co-holder with someone over 65 or with a permanent disability of 60 per cent or more – and make at least one operation a year. Total fees may not exceed one per cent of the IAS (indexante dos apoios sociais – social support index): €5.22 a year at the 2025 IAS; with the 2026 IAS at €537.13 (Portaria 480-A/2025/1) that works out at about €5.37.

Service	In the basic account
Current account, debit card usable in the EU, ATM, homebanking and branch access, deposits, withdrawals, payments, direct debits	Yes
Transfers within the same bank, and to other banks at ATMs	Unlimited
Transfers to other banks in Portugal or the EU by homebanking or app	48 a calendar year
Transfers through third-party payment apps	5 a month of up to €30, on top of the 25 a month (up to €30 each, €150 a month) every customer gets free of extra commissions
Term deposits, counter transfers, transfers outside the EU, credit	Not included – the bank's price list applies

Source: Banco de Portugal, booklet Serviços mínimos bancários, read 24 September 2026.

The bank may close the account with 60 days' notice after 24 months without movements, if you stop being legally resident in the EU, or if you open another current account. Which identification documents banks may ask for could not be read on Banco de Portugal's pages on 24 September 2026.

MB WAY, Multibanco references and paying by app

Multibanco references (entity, reference, amount) and MB WAY appear as payment methods everywhere, from parish certificates to exam fees. Banco de Portugal's booklet names no app; it speaks of 'payment apps operated by third parties', and that is the rule: 25 transfers a month of up to €30 each, and €150 a month, must be free of additional commissions for every customer. Beyond that, the bank's folheto de comissões (price list) applies. Paying or receiving €3,000 or more in cash is illegal (€10,000 for non-resident individuals who are not traders), and businesses must pay invoices of €1,000 or more by a traceable means.

How does a foreigner activate the Chave Móvel Digital?

The Chave Móvel Digital (CMD) links one mobile number to one identity document and works as a state-certified login and, for most documents, a digital signature (Lei 37/2014). It is free. Holders of a Cartão de Cidadão (citizen card) can activate it online; every foreigner does it at a counter, linking it to a passport, a residence permit (título de residência), an EU residence card or a residence or temporary-protection certificate. The residence documents require a Portuguese NIF first; the certificates allow no digital signature. The CMD lasts as long as the linked document, and each person needs their own phone number.

Question	Answer
Where do I activate it?	Espaços Cidadão and Espaços Empresa, IRN registry offices (conservatórias), criminal-record services and court registries, Portuguese consulates, RENTEV counters and, in the Azores, RIAC counters
What do I bring?	The document you will link – a passport, or a residence permit or card plus your NIF – and your phone
The PIN	6 to 8 digits; five wrong signature PINs in a row disable the signature, authentication keeps working
Help	Linha Cidadão 210 489 010 or 300 003 990, Monday to Friday 9h–18h, from the linked number

Source: ePortugal and the Agência para a Reforma Tecnológica do Estado, read 24 September 2026.

What to do now

Step	What	When
1	Book a NIF appointment on the Portal das Finanças or on 217 206 707, or use a one-stop desk	Before you move, or once you have an address
2	Request the Portal das Finanças password and check the tax address	Right after the NIF
3	Open a basic or ordinary current account	With the NIF in hand; the bank decides within 10 working days
4	Activate the Chave Móvel Digital at an Espaço Cidadão	In your first weeks
5	Report a change of tax address	Within 15 days, or 60 days if your residence status changes
6	Non-EU non-resident with a job, car or property here: representative or electronic notifications	Within 15 days

Source: the Tax Authority, Banco de Portugal and ePortugal, read 24 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 24 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

• gov.pt (Autoridade Tributaria e Aduaneira) · gov.pt
• gov.pt (guia 'Como pedir o NIF e o NISS para pessoas estrangeiras em Portugal') · gov.pt
• gov.pt (guia 'Migrantes: impostos e Seguranca Social') · gov.pt
• Banco de Portugal - booklet 'Servicos minimos bancarios' (15.a reedicao, Jan 2025) · bportugal.pt
• Diario da Republica - Portaria n.o 480-A/2025/1 (IAS 2026) + Banco de Portugal SMB booklet · files.diariodarepublica.pt
• Autenticacao.gov (Agencia para a Reforma Tecnologica do Estado) · autenticacao.gov.pt
• gov.pt (page · gov.pt
• Autenticacao.gov · autenticacao.gov.pt
• Autenticacao.gov FAQ + gov.pt · autenticacao.gov.pt
• IEFP + Portal da Habitacao · iefp.pt

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.