If you are already in Portugal, the cheapest route is simple: book a Finanças appointment, take the correct ID and address evidence, and request the NIF for €0.
If you are still abroad, there is also an official remote route, but it is not a normal self-service online application. A legal representative or procurador submits it for you through Portal das Finanças e-balcão.
The part that needs care in 2026 is representation. A legal representative who files the NIF request is not automatically the same thing as a fiscal representative. Even some current government pages do not explain this consistently.
Verified 6 September 2026: AT currently requires advance booking for foreign citizens requesting a NIF in person. The appointment line is (+351) 217 206 707, working days from 09:00 to 19:00. The government NIF request itself is free.
Which NIF route should you use?
| Your situation | Route | Main thing to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| You are in Portugal | Finanças or Loja do Cidadão | Appointment + ID + address evidence |
| You are abroad | Legal representative through e-balcão | Power of attorney + ID + foreign address proof |
| You need the NIF before moving | Remote representative route | Check what the provider is actually charging for |
| You live abroad and want a non-resident NIF | In person or by representative | Your foreign address can be used |
| You already live in Portugal | Resident-document route | Residence evidence depends on nationality/status |
| You already have a NIF | Do not request another one | Update the address/status when needed |
A NIF, or Número de Identificação Fiscal, is Portugal’s nine-digit taxpayer number. It is commonly requested for work, contracts, banking, property and tax matters. The number remains the same if you later change from non-resident to resident status.
If the NIF is for opening an account, use our Portugal bank account guide after this one.
How to get a NIF in person at Finanças
1. Book the appointment first
For foreign citizens, AT’s current instruction is advance appointment required. Do not plan the process around an old forum post saying to arrive early and take a senha.
On Portal das Finanças, go to:
Contactos > Atendimento por Marcação
Then choose:
- Para pedido de NIF ou alteração de morada para pessoas sem cartão de cidadão
- Assunto: Identificação
- Subassunto: Pedido de NIF
- Observações: enter your identification-document number
You can also book by calling (+351) 217 206 707, working days from 09:00 to 19:00.
Recent Portugal-expat discussions still show people getting conflicting walk-in advice. For this one, I would follow the current AT instruction rather than gamble on a particular office making an exception.
If the portal itself is unfamiliar, our Portal das Finanças guide explains the main service areas in English.
2. Take the right documents for a non-resident NIF
For a foreign citizen requesting a NIF as a non-resident, AT lists:
- a valid civil identification document, normally a passport; and
- proof of your address abroad if the address is not already shown on that identification document.
For a third-country citizen applying personally, AT also says the passport should contain a valid entry visa for Portugal, unless the passport has an entry visa for another EU country or the person is from a country exempt from a Schengen entry visa.
Documents presented to AT should be originals or certified copies. A simple copy can be accepted when presented with the original. Foreign-language documents may need a certified translation.
The document I would over-prepare is proof of address. Take something formal that clearly shows your full name and the same foreign address you want AT to register. Do not rely on a cropped screenshot if you can take a proper statement or official document instead.
For Portugal address evidence, see our proof of address guide.
3. Receive the NIF
The government NIF request costs €0. At the appointment, AT checks the application and documents before assigning the number. Missing or unacceptable documents can still mean another visit.
How to get a NIF remotely from abroad
Can you apply online by yourself?
For the normal foreign-citizen remote route, no. AT says the e-balcão request is submitted by your legal representative.
The representative logs in to Portal das Finanças and uses:
Todos os Serviços > Contactos > Atendimento e-balcão > Registar nova questão
Then:
- Imposto ou área: Registo Contribuinte
- Tipo de Questão: Identific
- Questão: Atrib/Alte NIF - Singulares
The file normally includes:
- your identification document;
- proof of your foreign address if it is not on the ID; and
- a power of attorney giving the representative authority to request the NIF.
AT says the signature on the power of attorney must be certified unless the power is granted to a lawyer or solicitor identified in that professional capacity.
AT does not publish one guaranteed processing time for this representative-filed route. If a private service advertises delivery in a fixed number of days, that is its service promise, not an AT statutory deadline.
What are you paying for with an online NIF service?
The NIF itself costs €0. A remote provider may charge for the power of attorney, document review, submission, support or fiscal representation.
That distinction matters because recent community posts still show people discovering recurring representation fees after they thought they had paid only for a one-time NIF request.
Before paying, ask for these four things in writing:
- Is the price one-off or recurring?
- Are you acting only as my legal representative for the NIF request, or also as my fiscal representative afterward?
- If fiscal representation is included, when can I cancel it and what does renewal cost?
- Who will receive my Portal das Finanças password and official AT correspondence?
That fourth question is easy to miss and can become more annoying than getting the NIF itself.
Legal representative vs fiscal representative
These are different roles.
A legal representative/procurador is authorised by power of attorney to make the NIF request for you. This is the role used for the official remote e-balcão route.
A fiscal representative acts as a tax contact with AT for certain non-residents. The role can involve receiving AT correspondence and handling tax obligations or rights on your behalf.
Do you need a fiscal representative just to obtain a NIF?
Here the official information needs to be read carefully.
AT’s dedicated fiscal-representation page says that non-resident Portuguese or foreign persons can request a NIF without appointing a fiscal representative. AT’s NIF FAQ also says the legal representative who files a remote request is a different figure from the fiscal representative.
However, a gov.pt practical guide updated in August 2026 still says a non-resident needs a fiscal representative.
So the official pages are currently inconsistent.
For this guide, I am following AT’s dedicated NIF and fiscal-representation instructions because they address the tax procedure directly and explicitly separate the two roles. If your case depends on fiscal representation, especially before a property purchase, employment or self-employment starts, confirm the current requirement with AT or a qualified professional rather than relying on a relocation package description.
When can fiscal representation become relevant later?
AT says a non-resident who establishes a tax legal relationship in Portugal may have 15 days to either appoint a fiscal representative or join an accepted electronic-notification channel such as NCEPF or ViaCTT.
Examples AT gives include:
- owning Portuguese real estate;
- owning a vehicle registered in Portugal;
- signing an employment contract for work in Portugal; or
- carrying out self-employed activity in Portugal.
There is a stricter rule for a third-country national who remains non-resident and carries on self-employed activity in Portugal: AT says a fiscal representative who is a VAT taxable person with tax domicile in Portugal is required even if electronic notifications are used.
Do not ignore the Portal das Finanças password
Receiving the NIF and having usable Portal das Finanças access are two separate steps.
AT says the initial portal password is sent by post to the tax address registered against the NIF. Its password FAQ also states that for someone resident outside the EU/EEA, the password is sent to the fiscal representative’s address in Portugal.
This matters if a paid NIF provider has also been registered as your fiscal representative. A recent September 2026 community complaint involved a non-resident who had received the NIF months earlier but still did not have the portal password because access depended on the representative.
Before paying a provider, I would therefore ask: who receives the password letter, who controls the email and phone number registered with AT, and how are those handed over to me?
Once you have access, validate your email and phone so future password recovery is less dependent on postal mail.
Can you get a NIF without a Portuguese address?
Yes. AT can assign the NIF with non-resident status using your foreign address.
If the foreign address is not printed on your passport or ID, take separate evidence of it. You do not need to invent or borrow a Portuguese address just to obtain the number.
When you later qualify to be registered as tax resident in Portugal, you update the tax address/status. You keep the same NIF.
What if you already live in Portugal?
The resident-document requirements depend on your status.
EU, EEA, Andorra and Swiss citizens
For a citizen of the EU, EEA, Andorra or Switzerland requesting the NIF as resident, AT lists:
- a civil identification document or passport; and
- the EU Citizen Registration Certificate issued by the Câmara Municipal for the area of residence.
Third-country citizens
AT lists the passport plus qualifying residence-process evidence. Depending on the case, this can include:
- a valid AIMA residence permit;
- proof of an AIMA appointment;
- a receipt showing a pending residence-permit application; or
- specified international-protection documentation.
If the residence document does not show the Portuguese address, AT lists additional evidence such as a residential property deed, residential rental contract, employment contract or document issued by a public entity.
So living in Portugal and having the NIF already registered as Portuguese tax resident are not automatically the same administrative event.
Five mistakes worth avoiding
1. Turning up as a walk-in
Current AT guidance says foreign citizens should book first. A recent anecdote about a walk-in senha is not a reliable appointment strategy.
2. Paying for “fiscal representation” without knowing why
The remote filing representative and the fiscal representative are not automatically the same role. Ask exactly what is included and whether it renews.
3. Bringing a passport but weak address evidence
If your foreign address is not on the ID, AT wants a separate document showing it. This is one of the easiest problems to prevent.
4. Treating the NIF and portal access as the same thing
A provider can deliver the number while you still lack direct Portal das Finanças access. Treat those as two separate deliverables.
5. Requesting another NIF after moving
Do not. Each person has one NIF. Update the tax address and residency status when required; the number itself stays the same.
Quick NIF answers
Is there a NIF form to download? No standard paper form is required for the normal foreign-citizen counter route. Remote requests are filed electronically by the representative through e-balcão.
Can a tourist or non-resident get a NIF? Yes. A foreign citizen can receive a NIF as a non-resident. The NIF itself does not grant residence or work rights.
Is a NIF the same as a NISS? No. NIF is the tax number; NISS is the Social Security number. If you also need Social Security registration, use our NISS guide.
Does a NIF make you tax resident? Not by itself. The NIF is an identifier. Your tax-residency position depends on the applicable residency rules and the status registered with AT.
Do you need a new NIF after moving to Portugal? No. Update the existing record. If you will then file Portuguese income tax, continue with our IRS Portugal for foreigners guide.