How to open a bank account in Portugal?
To open a personal bank account in Portugal, first choose an account and an opening route that fit your circumstances. Then confirm the documents, review the terms and fees, and complete the bank’s identification and signing steps. This guide focuses on that preparation, rather than promising approval or recommending one bank to everyone. If you live outside Portugal, use our non-resident guide for the questions specific to applying before you move.
In this guide
View the bank account application form
How to prepare your bank account application
- Define what you need. List your expected payments, transfers, cash access and card use. Decide whether you need one holder or a joint account, and which support channels and languages matter to you.
- Check the account and opening route. Give the bank your country of residence and the types of identification you hold. Ask which route is available before arranging a visit or starting an app application.
- Prepare the documents. Ask for the current checklist for your circumstances, including accepted formats, document age, translations and certification. Do not order translations or certified copies on the assumption that every bank requires them.
- Read the information before signing. Banco de Portugal requires the FIN, FID, fee information document and general account conditions to be supplied before opening, whether in person or remotely.1
- Complete the bank’s checks and confirm access. Submit through the agreed channel and respond to requests. The current-account contract is concluded with the customer’s signature, and the bank must provide a copy on paper or another durable medium.1 Ask separately when the account, cards and digital access will be usable.
Documents: what to confirm with the bank
Banco de Portugal sets out identification information and supporting evidence for individual applicants. Banks may request additional information depending on the account.1 This table summarizes key groups, not an exhaustive checklist or a guarantee of acceptance.
| Information | Regulator's guidance | Your preparation check |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Valid identification: the guidance lists the Citizen Card, identity card, passport, Portuguese residence permit or an equivalent public document with the holder's photograph and signature.[1] | Ask which document the bank and channel accept; check its validity. |
| Tax identification | A tax identification number or an equivalent number issued by a foreign authority, supported by a physical or electronic document.[1] | Ask whether this account requires a Portuguese NIF and which foreign tax details you must also provide. |
| Address | Full permanent residential address and full tax domicile address, if different, with supporting evidence.[1] | Confirm the accepted proof for your country of residence and how recent it must be. |
| Profession and employer | Profession and employer, where they exist, with supporting evidence.[1] | Explain your circumstances and ask which evidence fits your employment or income situation. |
The regulator also lists place of birth and other nationalities not shown on the identification document.1 Check that your application records your details accurately and consistently.
The regulator’s tax-identification field is not a universal promise of opening without a Portuguese NIF. Santander’s branch checklist explicitly asks for the account holders’ NIF.4 Confirm the requirement for your chosen product. For information about assistance with a Portuguese tax number, see our NIF service page.
Being unemployed or having no profession should not itself be a reason to refuse account opening, according to Banco de Portugal. Unemployed or retired applicants should provide information about their last profession.1
How to compare accounts
A current account allows deposits, withdrawals and payments. However, Banco de Portugal notes that banks are not obliged to provide cards, direct debits, home banking or other financial services simply because someone holds a current account.1 Confirm the features you need instead of assuming they are all included.
Use the same questions for each option: Am I eligible for this account and channel? Which services are included? What will I pay after any introductory offer? What support is available? Where can I read the terms and deposit-protection information?
These are examples of published products, not a ranking or a complete eligibility assessment. Official pages checked on September 10, 2026.
| Account | Product and opening checks | Documents and costs |
|---|---|---|
| Santander — Conta Santander Mais | A current account with the Serviço Mais package. Santander's online guidance directs foreign applicants without Portuguese nationality and a Portuguese Citizen Card to a branch.[5] Confirm the complete eligibility criteria directly. | Read the product and account documents, document checklist and tariff. Compare the charge after the introductory period and conditions for reductions. |
| CGD — Conta Caixa S | A package including account maintenance, one debit-card availability fee and specified transfers.[7] CGD's published app route for new customers lists a single personal holder over 18, a Portuguese Citizen Card, an address and tax residence in Portugal, and a Portuguese mobile number.[8] | Read the package and discount conditions, app-opening criteria and tariff. Do not confuse joining a package with opening a new account; if the app criteria do not fit, ask CGD about your circumstances. |
Fees and account information to read before opening
Keep the documents’ roles separate:
- FIN — standard information sheet: describes the account, including access conditions, ways to use it and any minimum or maximum opening or maintenance amount.1
- FID — depositor information form: identifies the deposit-guarantee system protecting deposits at that institution and explains its protection limit and reimbursement period.1
- Fee information document: presents the fees for the most representative services offered by the provider.1
- Tariff (preçário): comprises a fees-and-expenses leaflet and an interest-rate leaflet. Banco de Portugal explains that the first lists maximum fees and indicative main expenses; the second covers interest rates.2
For a practical comparison, check account or package maintenance, debit-card charges, transfers by channel and destination, and currency conversion. Ask what is included, what is charged separately, whether tax is included and what happens when an introductory offer ends. For a transfer involving another currency, ask for both the applicable charges and the exchange rate before confirming the payment.
Record any initial deposit or minimum balance separately from bank fees. Use the bank’s current documents and Banco de Portugal’s tariff directory, rather than treating a general monthly or international-transfer price as applicable to every account.2
Can I open the account online?
Banco de Portugal recognizes both in-person and remote opening; identification evidence is required in either case.1 The published Santander and CGD routes illustrate why you should check the bank’s criteria for the particular opening channel.38
Ask how identity verification and signatures work for your documents, and whether any later step requires your presence. For a fuller comparison of direct digital and assisted routes, read the online bank account opening guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always need a Portuguese NIF to open an account?
Banco de Portugal lists a tax identification number or an equivalent number issued by a foreign authority. This does not mean every bank or opening channel accepts a foreign number instead of a Portuguese NIF. Confirm the requirement for your chosen account; Santander’s branch checklist, for example, asks for the account holders’ NIF.
Can I apply if I am unemployed or retired?
Banco de Portugal says that having no profession or being unemployed should not be a reason to refuse account opening. Unemployed or retired applicants should provide information about their last profession. Ask the bank what evidence fits your circumstances.
Can I open the account online instead of visiting a branch?
Remote opening is possible, but the available route depends on the bank’s criteria. For example, CGD’s published app route requires a Portuguese Citizen Card, an address and tax residence in Portugal, a Portuguese mobile number and a single personal account holder over 18. Check the route before starting.
How long should I allow for opening the account?
Ask the bank for an estimate for your application and whether identity checks, signatures or activation steps are still outstanding. Do not schedule essential payments until the bank confirms that you can use the account.
Which fees should I compare?
Compare account or package maintenance, debit cards, transfers and any currency conversion you expect to use. Read the fee information document and current tariff alongside the account terms. Check introductory offers, conditions for discounts, taxes and services charged separately.
What information should the bank give me before I sign?
Banco de Portugal lists the standard information sheet (FIN), depositor information form (FID), fee information document and general account conditions. These pre-contractual information requirements apply to both in-person and remote opening.
Official sources
Consulted on September 10, 2026. FAQ evidence: tax identification — Banco de Portugal and Santander; employment and pre-contractual information — Banco de Portugal; app-opening example — CGD. Timing and cost-comparison answers are practical preparation advice, not a processing deadline or a price quotation.
- Banco de Portugal — account opening and identification
- Banco de Portugal — tariffs and their contents
- Santander — opening routes, documents, Conta Santander Mais and tariff
- CGD — Conta Caixa S, app-opening criteria and tariff
Information about E-Residence assistance
Read our bank account service page for information about the assistance offered and the application process. Confirm the scope of assistance and any steps you will need to complete before starting an order.