How to activate electronic notifications on Portal das Finanças

Once you receive your password for Portal das Finanças, it’s essential to log in and update it to something known only to you.

Step 1: Log in to Portal das Finanças

1. Visit https://www.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/

2. Locate and click on the “Iniciar Sessão” button at the top right corner of the page.

3. Select the “NIF” tab.

4. Enter your NIF number.

5. Input your password.

6. Click the “Autenticar” button.

Step 2: Navigate to your notification settings

1. Search for the keyword Gerir Canais using the search bar at the top of the page.

2. Find “Gerir Canais” and click Aceder.

Step 3: Activate electronic notifications

Under the section “Canais de Notificação”, find the “Portal das Finanças” row and click the Ativar button. The status should change from “Inativo” (inactive) to “Pendente Ativação” (pending activation).

Your request will be approved based on the following schedule:

Date Of Request	Activation Date	Example
On or before the 10th of the month	1st of the following month	Requests made on January 7 will be activated on February 1
After the 10th of the month	1st of the month after the next	Requests made on January 11 will be activated on March 1

Here’s a sample of what you’ll see after you click the Ativar button.

Step 4: Confirm activation

‍Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to log back in to the Portal based on the schedule above.

Once the status of your electronic notifications has been updated to “Ativo” (Active), you’ll see the example below.

Congrats! Your activation is confirmed! 🎉

What can I use as Proof of Address?

When ordering your NIF, you will need to provide proof of address that satisfies the following criteria:

Address

Must be a residential address outside of Portugal
Must match the “Residential Address” submitted in the intake form
P.O. boxes and business addresses are not accepted

Name

If purchasing NIF only

First name and surname on your Proof of Address must match your passport exactly
For example, say that the name on your passport is “John Apple Smith”
✅ John Apple Smith
✅ John A Smith
✅ John Smith
❌ J Smith
❌ Johnny Smith
❌ Any other variations

If purchasing NIF and Bank
The bank requirements for Proof of Address are stricter than the NIF requirements. Because of this, the full name on your Proof of Address must match your passport exactly, otherwise, it will be rejected.
For example, say that the name on your passport is “John Apple Smith”
✅ John Apple Smith
❌ John A Smith
❌ John Smith
❌ J Smith
❌ Johnny Smith
❌ Any other variations

Document language

If purchasing NIF only
If the document is not written in the Roman alphabet, you need to provide an English translation. The translated document needs to be certified.

If purchasing NIF and Bank*
The document must be in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, or French.
If your Proof of Address is not in any of the languages above, please provided a translation to English. This translation needs to be certified.

For customers from the Schengen area: Documents can be certified by a lawyer or a notary outside of Portugal
For customers from other countries or residents outside the Schengen Area: Documents can only be certified by an authorized entity (Portuguese Consulate/Embassy or any other entities with the Hague Apostille).

*Schengen Areas:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Image quality

Text is legible
No shadows
No light reflections
All four corners of the document are visible

Acceptable Documents

Any of the following documents are acceptable:

1.Driver’s license

Must be valid (i.e. not expired)
Provide photos of both the front and back
Residential address must be visible
Expiration date must be visible

2. First page of bank statement

Issue date must be visible
Issued within the past 3 months
Must be an actual bank statement. Other documents from the bank (e.g. confirmation letter or bank certificate) will not be accepted.

Utility bill

Issue date must be visible
Issued within the past 3 months
Can be from any of the following providers: electricity, water, mobile sim, internet, cable, etc

For Minors

If requesting a NIF on behalf of a minor, please include a proof of address of one of the minor’s parents.