NIF Portugal Example — Annotated NIF Document

A NIF document is the official certificate issued by Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT) that confirms your Portuguese Tax Identification Number (Número de Identificação Fiscal). It is a PDF showing your 9-digit NIF, your full name, the date of issue, and the AT seal. The document is your proof that the NIF belongs to you and is registered in AT’s system. This page shows a NIF Portugal example and explains each field, so you can recognise your number when you receive the document. If you do not have one yet, you can get a NIF Portugal online.

What a NIF document looks like

Below is an example of the NIF Portugal PDF you receive. The layout can vary slightly, but every official AT document carries the same core fields.

Annotated breakdown of the NIF document

Reading the document from top to bottom, the five numbered fields work like this:

1. Your NIF number. The 9-digit number is your unique tax ID. It usually starts with “1” or “2” for individuals and “5” for businesses. This is the number you provide to banks, landlords, employers, and government services in Portugal.
2. Your full name. As registered with AT, matching your passport or EU ID. If the name differs from your current document, contact us — name updates require a separate AT request.
3. Issue date. The date when AT registered your NIF. Your NIF is permanent from this date — there is no expiration.
4. AT stamp. The official Autoridade Tributária stamp confirms the document is genuine. The certificate itself is what AT calls the comprovativo de NIF. (Some older guides call the NIF paper “Modelo 30” — that is a different thing: Modelo 30 is AT’s declaration form for income paid to non-residents, not the NIF certificate.)
5. Tax address (domicílio fiscal). Your registered tax address — for non-residents, this is typically your fiscal representative’s address in Portugal. After becoming a Portuguese tax resident, you update this to your Portuguese address.

Where to find your NIF number on the document

Some clients receive the official AT document and are not sure which number is their NIF — Portuguese tax forms include several numbers and identifiers. Your NIF is the 9-digit number labelled “NIF”, “Número de Contribuinte”, or “Número Fiscal”, depending on the layout. It always has 9 digits with no letters or hyphens.

A common mistake is reading the fiscal representative’s number instead of your own. If your document shows a representative, their number can appear under a “Número Fiscal” label too — your NIF is the one tied to your name.

What to do with your NIF document

Save the PDF in a secure location — you will need it for many Portuguese procedures:

• Open a Portuguese bank account — most banks request a copy of the AT document
• Sign a rental or property purchase agreement — notaries request your NIF certificate
• Connect utilities (electricity, water, internet) — providers ask for proof of NIF
• Apply for a visa — D7, D8 Digital Nomad, or Golden Visa applications request your NIF
• Register a Portuguese company or freelance activity
• Request a Senha de Acesso (Portal das Finanças password)

Before you can use it, make sure your documents are in order — see the documents you need to apply.