How to Open a Bank Account in Portugal Online?
You can open a Portuguese bank account remotely through a bank that offers an appropriate digital opening process. Banco de Portugal describes remote identity checks including electronic identification and videoconferencing; it does not say that every bank must accept every applicant online.[5]
The useful question is: which route fits your country of residence, tax residence, identity document and ability to complete the bank’s checks? Nationality alone is not a reliable shortcut: ActivoBank distinguishes accepted documents and verification methods, while novobanco’s online FAQ also imposes residence conditions.[1][3]
This guide compares remote routes. For broader preparation, use the general guide to opening a bank account in Portugal. If your main issue is an address abroad or applying before moving, use the nonresident bank-account guide.
Direct bank opening or private assistance?
Separate these choices before sending documents:
- Direct bank website or app: check the bank’s own opening requirements and complete its application yourself. ActivoBank and novobanco publish distinct identification and signing steps, described below.[2][4]
- Assisted service: assess the private support separately from the bank’s requirements. Ask what the service includes, which bank and account are proposed, whether your residence and ID are accepted, and what you must do personally. Do not buy assistance on the assumption that it guarantees acceptance or eliminates verification.
An online form, access to mobile banking and a completed account-opening process are not interchangeable. For example, ActivoBank’s CMD instructions separately list downloading its app, authenticating, confirming data, signing contracts and registering in the app.[1]
Documented bank routes: what to check first
These are examples, not a ranking or a universal eligibility list. Use the bank’s current instructions for your exact profile before starting.
| Route | Published entry conditions | Your remote steps |
|---|---|---|
| ActivoBank: CMD in the app | Up to two holders; both need a Portuguese Cartão de Cidadão and Chave Móvel Digital (CMD).[1] | Use CMD linked to the Cartão de Cidadão, sign the contractual pack and confirm your data.[4] |
| ActivoBank: video call | One holder, with an accepted ID; proof of address and professional status must be uploaded. See the document restrictions below.[1] | Provide your details and documents, schedule the video call and digitally sign the contractual pack.[1][4] |
| novobanco: online opening | Its detailed FAQ specifies new clients, Portuguese or Brazilian nationality, permanent residence in Portugal and no foreign tax domicile, plus further restrictions below.[3] | Validate contacts, provide identification data, record a video selfie and digitally sign the account-opening contract.[2] |
ActivoBank: choose the identification route, not just the app
The CMD route is tied to a Portuguese Cartão de Cidadão. Do not assume that possessing another identity document or a CMD linked to another document meets this route’s conditions.[1]
For video opening, ActivoBank lists a Portuguese Cartão de Cidadão, a Portuguese residence card/permit issued after December 2008 with a validity exceeding 12 months, or a passport from Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom or Poland. Its video checklist also lists a valid NIF, proof of address and proof of professional status.[1] Check the bank’s exact document wording and validity requirements before uploading; this is not a list of every document accepted at a branch.
The passport list identifies accepted documents, not a promise to accept residents of those countries or applicants living anywhere in the world. Confirm your country of residence and tax residence with the bank. ActivoBank expressly makes opening subject to its client-acceptance policy.[1]
For two holders, the bank’s FAQ says online opening requires both to have CMD; otherwise both must attend a Ponto Activo together.[1] A route suitable for one applicant is therefore not automatically suitable for a joint application.
novobanco: residence matters, and its pages need careful reading
novobanco documents a real remote process: contact validation and pre-contractual information, identification data, a video selfie and digital signing.[2] Its detailed eligibility FAQ requires an adult new client who is the account’s beneficial owner, has Portuguese or Brazilian nationality and permanent residence in Portugal, and has no tax domicile in another country. It also excludes dual nationality except Portuguese/Brazilian, and specifies restrictions relating to politically exposed persons, public officeholders, close family and close associates.[3]
There is a discrepancy in the bank’s public information: the online-opening landing page also mentions Schengen-passport holders, while its detailed FAQ and separate how-to page describe the narrower Portuguese/Brazilian scope.[2][3] If you are relying on a Schengen passport or another profile outside that narrower scope, ask novobanco to confirm the available channel before applying. Do not treat the broader headline as confirmed eligibility.
What you still need to do remotely
Use the bank’s instructions to separate each stage:
- Confirm eligibility before uploading. Ask about your actual residence and tax residence, exact ID, and whether you want one or two holders. Do not substitute nationality for those answers.
- Identify the verification method. ActivoBank distinguishes CMD from a scheduled video call; novobanco describes a video selfie. These are different published workflows, not interchangeable labels.[2][4]
- Read and sign the contract. Both banks’ published remote processes include digital signing.[2][4] Review the proposed account and current contractual information before agreeing.
- Check what remains after the application. Ask the bank how it confirms opening, when you can use the account and whether any funding or activation step remains. ActivoBank states that the first movement for digitally opened accounts is by bank transfer.[4] Do not treat submission as a promise of immediate access or card delivery.
If obtaining a Portuguese NIF is your next task, see the separate NIF assistance page. Keep that task separate from confirmation that a particular bank will accept your application.
Before choosing an assisted route
Ask for clear answers to these questions:
- Which bank, account and opening channel does the proposal cover?
- Has the provider checked your country of residence, tax residence and exact identification document?
- Must you join a video call, record a video selfie, authenticate with CMD, sign documents or attend in person?
- What does the private service charge cover, and which bank charges or other costs are separate?
- What happens if the bank asks for more information or does not accept the application?
These are questions to resolve before choosing a service, not a description of a guaranteed provider workflow. Private assistance should not be presented as the bank’s decision.
Considering private support? Review E-Residence’s Portuguese bank-account assistance and ask whether the proposed route fits your circumstances. Keep the assistance agreement separate from the bank’s eligibility checks and decision.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a Portuguese bank account entirely online?
Yes, where the bank offers that route and you meet its requirements. Banco de Portugal allows banks to offer account opening through digital channels, with identity verification. That does not mean every applicant qualifies for every bank’s online process.
Is a foreign passport enough to use ActivoBank’s video route?
Not by itself. ActivoBank lists passports from Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Poland for its video route, alongside other accepted ID types. It also lists a valid NIF, proof of address and proof of professional status. Confirm that the bank accepts your residence profile before applying.
Can I apply without Chave Móvel Digital?
ActivoBank documents a video-call alternative for one account holder using an accepted ID. It requires document uploads, a scheduled video call and digital signing of the contractual pack. This is a specific bank route, not a promise that every applicant can open without CMD.
Can I use novobanco’s online route while living abroad?
Do not assume so. Its published online eligibility FAQ requires permanent residence in Portugal and no tax domicile in another country. Ask the bank about a route for your actual residence profile rather than relying on your nationality or access to its app.
Does private assistance replace my identity checks and signature?
Do not treat assistance as a substitute for the steps the bank requires from you. The direct routes described here include identity verification and signing. Before choosing an assisted service, ask who performs each step and which actions you must complete personally; assistance is not a promise of bank acceptance.
Does downloading a banking app mean my account is open?
No. ActivoBank’s published CMD instructions distinguish downloading the app, authenticating, confirming data, signing contracts and registering in the app. Check the bank’s confirmation of account opening and any remaining steps rather than treating installation or a login as proof.
Sources
[1] ActivoBank: Conta Simples and opening FAQs
[2] novobanco: online-opening steps
[3] novobanco: opening page and eligibility FAQs