Permanent Certificate of Commercial Registration

What is the Permanent Certificate of Commercial Registration?

As mentioned, the Permanent Certificate (not to be confused with the Permanent Certificate of Land Registry or Certificate of Content) allows online and up-to-date access to all records and electronic documents associated with the electronic folder of an entity registered at the commercial registry office ( companies , cooperatives , public companies and other entities subject to commercial registration ), or the latest updated articles of association/statute, depending on the type of certificate signed (with the exception of accountability documents).

There are three types of permanent commercial registration certificates:

• Permanent Certificate of Commercial Registration (can be requested in Portuguese and English) - provides access to the computerized records of the commercial entity and all requests for registration pending execution;
• Permanent Certificate of Commercial Registration and the Documents on which they were based - this certificate allows viewing, in addition to the information mentioned in the previous point, all documents related to the entity's electronic folder (with the exception of accountability documents);
• Permanent Certificate of the last updated Covenant/Bylaws - allows you to view the latest bylaws and updated bylaws associated with the commercial entity or association.

Why do you need the Permanent Certificate?

In real estate activity, this document is indispensable when the owner(s) who wants to sell a property, or the customer who wants to buy it, is a commercial company.Without this document, it is not possible to carry out the registrations and acts of purchase and sale of the property: Promissory Agreement of Purchase and Sale and the Deed of Purchase and Sale .

It is necessary to bear in mind that this document has an expiry date and that if it is not valid, it cannot be used for legal purposes.

Who can consult the Permanent Certificate?

Access to the Citizen's Portal where you can consult thePermanent Certificate of Commercial Registration is free of charge for anyone, as long as they have the respective access code. The code is made available to anyone who submits the request for a certificate to an entity and can be shared whenever it is necessary to present this document. The delivery of the access code replaces the presentation of the paper certificate and no entity, public or private, can refuse to accept the online version.

How to consult the Permanent Certificate?

To consult this document, simply access the Justice Portal and enter the access code on this page to access the permanent certificate . With the numeric code (like: 9999-9999-9999) you can access updated information at any time of the day and print the respective document. Pending registration requests also receive an access code.

How much does it cost to consult the Permanent Certificate?

The consultation service is free if you already have an access code. If you don't have the access code yet, you will have to place an order.

Who can, how and how much does it cost to request a Permanent Certificate?

Any individual or company can apply for a Permanent Commercial Certificate, as long as there is already a prior commercial registration. To request this document, you can do it over the Internet without the need for special authentication, through theEmpresa Online page, or at the counter of any commercial registry office. When ordering, you must indicate:

• the name of the person requesting the certificate;
• the tax identification number (NIF or NIPC);
• the email where you want to receive the access code to the certificate;
• your mobile phone number if you want to receive an SMS when the certificate becomes available.

There is a cost associated with the application, which depends on the type and validity of the certificate andPayment can be made via Visa/MasterCard, Multibanco or e-Banking :

The order is only completed after making the payment.After confirmation of payment, the certificate is available. It can be requested in Portuguese or English, and in the latter case the certificate is only available up to 3 business days after confirmation of payment for the order.