Guides
Guides for foreign investors in Portugal
These guides answer the questions investors ask before they commit money to Portugal: what a company pays in tax, whether the country pays you to move, how a grant reaches your bank account, what a consultant costs, and which EU rules decide the rate you get.
Each guide gives the answer first, then the rules behind it, with the figures checked against the official Portuguese and European sources and the date of the check. The sources are in Portuguese for the most part, and each guide links to them.
Last reviewed on 19 September 2026. We never promise approvals.
All guides
Start with the tax rate and the difference between a grant and a loan if you are new to Portugal. The guides on SME status and de minimis matter most to companies that belong to a group.
Guide · Corporate tax
Portugal's corporate tax rate in 2026, and what a company pays
Portugal taxes company profits at 19% in 2026, 18% in 2027 and 17% from 2028. SME rate, surtaxes and the credits that cut the bill.
Read more →Guide · Moving to the interior
Does Portugal pay you to move there? The Emprego Interior MAIS grant
Portugal pays EUR 3,759.91, plus family and moving top-ups, to workers who move to the interior for a job or to start a business. Who qualifies and how.
Read more →Guide · Cash flow
How grants are paid in Portugal: refunds, advances and the cash you need first
Portuguese grants refund costs you have already paid. How payment claims, advances and the final balance work, the legal deadlines, and the cash you need.
Read more →Guide · The basics
Grant, loan or tax credit? What fundo perdido means in Portugal
Fundo perdido is money you keep. Much of what is sold as a grant in Portugal is a loan or a tax credit. How to tell them apart, programme by programme.
Read more →Guide · Eligibility
SME status when the parent company is foreign: what counts in Portugal
A Portuguese subsidiary is an SME only if the whole group fits the EU limits. How partner and linked companies count, and what changes in grants and tax.
Read more →Guide · State aid
The de minimis rule: the EUR 300,000 ceiling on small state aid, explained
De minimis aid is capped at EUR 300,000 per company over three years, and a group in one country shares it. What counts and how to check.
Read more →Guide · Hiring a consultant
Grant consultant fees in Portugal: how consultants charge and what to ask
How grant consultants charge in Portugal: fixed fee, success fee or both. What the fee is calculated on, when it falls due and what to ask first.
Read more →Guide · Hiring from abroad
IFICI: what a company in Portugal needs so its qualified staff pay 20% income tax
IFICI taxes qualified staff at 20% for 10 consecutive years, if the employer qualifies. The employer routes, from RFAI and SIFIDE II to startup status.
Read more →Have a question these guides do not answer?
Tell us about your project. We check what your company can apply for, and we answer in English.
Free eligibility check →