Set up a Portuguese company, from anywhere.
An LDA or Unipessoal in Madeira, handled remotely. The registered seat on your new company is our real hub address in Funchal Old Town.
What you're setting up
A Portuguese LDA (Sociedade por Quotas) is a standard limited-liability company with two or more shareholders. A Unipessoal is the single-member version — one founder, same protections. Either form is common, straightforward to incorporate, and works for almost any kind of business: consulting, software, e-commerce, services, holdings.
Madeira is an Autonomous Region of Portugal and a full member of the European Union. A Portuguese LDA incorporated in Madeira is a Portuguese company — it can invoice anywhere in the EU, open accounts at Portuguese or European banks, and sign contracts under Portuguese law. Madeira brings lifestyle and an active international community; the legal and banking mechanics are the same as on the mainland.
The one thing that trips up foreign founders is the sede social (registered seat). It must be a real physical Portuguese address. A PO box doesn't work. Your Airbnb doesn't work. Our hub address does — it's a verifiable, operational location with real mail handling and real people.
How it works in practice
- 01
Get your Portuguese tax number (NIF)
Non-residents need a NIF to incorporate a Portuguese company. We can introduce you to a partner lawyer who handles this remotely, typically in a few days.
- 02
Reserve the company name
Pick the name and reserve it with the IRN (Institute of Registries and Notaries). Partner lawyer handles the paperwork; you sign digitally.
- 03
Sign the articles of association
With the name reserved, the LDA or Unipessoal is formally constituted by signing the articles. At this point the registered seat is listed — we provide the address declaration from our hub for you to use.
- 04
Register and activate
The company is registered at the Commercial Registry, receives its NIPC (company tax number), and is activated with the Portuguese tax authority. Typical end-to-end time: 1–3 weeks.
- 05
Open a bank account
Portuguese banks will accept our hub address as the company's sede social. We can point you to neo-banks and traditional banks that work well for non-resident founders.
Common questions
- Do I need to be in Portugal to incorporate?
- No. The entire process can be done from abroad via power of attorney to a Portuguese lawyer and digital document signing. You do not need to fly to Madeira to set up your company.
- What does it cost to incorporate?
- Excluding our virtual office fee, incorporating a Portuguese LDA or Unipessoal with a lawyer typically runs €500–€1,500 depending on complexity and any add-ons (translations, accelerated processing). We don't do the incorporation itself but we introduce you to partners who do.
- What about ongoing accounting and taxes?
- Every Portuguese company needs a certified accountant (contabilista certificado) handling monthly bookkeeping, VAT filings, and annual returns. Typical accountant fees are €80–€200/month for a small company. We can introduce you to accountants who work with international founders.
A real Funchal Old Town address, ready in days.
€600+VAT a year. Reach us on WhatsApp — chat or call, whichever you prefer. We usually reply within the hour on working days.