Free tool
Portugal NIF checker: is this NIF valid?
Type a Portuguese NIF or company number. You’ll see if the format is right, and whether it belongs to a person, a company or something else.
Free · runs on your device · nothing is sent to us
The check runs on your device. The number isn’t sent to us or stored anywhere.
What the check tells you, and what it doesn't
It tells you the number has 9 digits, the last digit matches the other eight, and it starts with a range Finanças uses.
That catches most typos. A single wrong digit, or two digits swapped, almost always fails.
It doesn’t tell you whether the number has been issued, who holds it, or whether their tax affairs are in order.
No public tool does that for a person. If it matters, for example with a tenant or a seller, ask to see the NIF document.
What the first digits mean
The first one or two digits tell you what kind of taxpayer the number belongs to.
| Starts with | Belongs to |
|---|---|
| 1, 2 or 3 | A person. 3 has been in use since 2019, so newer NIFs often start with it. |
| 45 | A person who isn't resident and only has Portuguese income taxed at source. |
| 5 | A company or other organisation (NIPC). |
| 6 | A public body: central, regional or local government. |
| 70, 74, 75 | An undivided estate (herança indivisa), before the heirs share it out. |
| 71 | A foreign company whose Portuguese income is taxed at source. |
| 72 | An investment fund. |
| 77 | A number Finanças assigned itself, to someone not in the companies register. |
| 78 | A non-resident claiming back Portuguese VAT. |
| 79 | An old special range from Expo 98. |
| 8 | An old sole-trader number. No longer used. |
| 90, 91 | A building's condominium (condomínio), an informal partnership or an estate. |
| 98 | A foreign entity with no branch or office in Portugal. |
| 99 | A civil partnership without legal personality. |
How the last digit is worked out
The last digit is a check digit. It’s calculated from the other eight, which is how a typo gets caught.
Multiply the first eight digits by 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2, and add them up. Divide by 11 and take the remainder.
If the remainder is 0 or 1, the check digit is 0. Otherwise it’s 11 minus the remainder.
Sample number: 123 456 789
| 1 | × 9 | = 9 |
| 2 | × 8 | = 16 |
| 3 | × 7 | = 21 |
| 4 | × 6 | = 24 |
| 5 | × 5 | = 25 |
| 6 | × 4 | = 24 |
| 7 | × 3 | = 21 |
| 8 | × 2 | = 16 |
| Total | 156 |
156 divided by 11 leaves 2.
11 − 2 = 9, which matches the last digit. So the format is valid.
Where to find your own NIF
If you’re a Portuguese citizen: it’s on the back of your Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão).
If you’re a foreigner: it’s on the NIF document you got when it was issued, and at the top of every page once you log in to the Portal das Finanças.
Need official proof of it? You can download a NIF certificate from the Portal. Our help article shows how to request your NIF certificate.
If you got your NIF with us: it’s in your Novomove account.
What your NIF document shows
When Finanças issues your NIF, you get a document headed Registo Central de Contribuinte. It’s in Portuguese only.
Here’s what each section means in English.
- Fiscal identification number and full nameNúmero de Identificação Fiscal e Nome CompletoYour 9-digit NIF and your name, exactly as Finanças holds it.
- Fiscal residenceDomicílio FiscalWhere Finanças treats you as living for tax. If you live abroad, it says so and names the country.
- Address abroadResidência (Morada no Estrangeiro)Your foreign address, plus the Finanças office that holds your record (Serv. Finanças).
- BirthplaceLocal de NascimentoThe country you were born in. Parish and municipality only fill in if you were born in Portugal.
- Nationality, date of birth and sexNacionalidade, Data Nascimento, SexoCopied from the ID you applied with.
- Identification documentDoc. IdentificaçãoThe ID you used to apply, usually your passport.
- Tax representativeRepresentanteYour representative's NIF, name and Portuguese address. Empty if you don't have one.
Don't have a NIF yet?
You can get one free at a Finanças office, by appointment, if you’re in Portugal.
From abroad, someone has to apply for you under a power of attorney. That’s what we do.
€79. Usually 3 to 7 business days after you sign the power of attorney online. A tax representative for 12 months is included. 6,200+ NIFs so far.
Comparing options first? See NIF services compared, or read how to get a NIF in Portugal.
Questions people ask
Nine digits, often written in three groups: 123 456 789 is a sample, to show you the format. A person’s NIF starts with 1, 2 or 3. A company’s number (NIPC) usually starts with 5.
Yes. NIF, número de contribuinte and número de identificação fiscal are the same number. For companies it’s called the NIPC, in the same 9-digit format.
Not for a person. Finanças doesn’t publish who holds a NIF. If you need to be sure, ask for the NIF document or the Portuguese Citizen Card. For a company registered for VAT, the EU’s VIES service confirms whether PT plus its number is a valid VAT number.
Yes. Finanças started giving out NIFs beginning with 3 in 2019, once the 1 and 2 ranges ran out. Newer NIFs, including most foreigners’ ones, often start with 3.
That’s the VAT format. A business registered for VAT shows its number as PT followed by the 9 digits. Paste it in with or without the PT.
No. You get one NIF for life, and it stays the same if you move country or come back years later.
Usually, yes. Landlords, employers, banks and shops (for an invoice) ask for it all the time. Never share your Portal das Finanças password, though. That’s what lets someone act on your tax account.
Not on its own. What matters is the address on your NIF and where you actually live. Our guide on whether a NIF makes you tax resident explains it.
No. Spain’s NIE is an identity number for foreigners in Spain. Portugal’s NIF is a tax number, and you need a separate one for Portugal.
You can apply in person at a Finanças office for free, by appointment. From abroad, someone has to apply for you under a power of attorney. We do that for €79, usually 3 to 7 business days after you sign it.
More on tax residence: does a NIF make you tax resident?
Sources · checked 11 November 2026
- Autoridade Tributária, 8 April 2019, new range of NIFs for individuals (starting with 3)
- Decreto-Lei n.º 14/2013, the NIF: one number per taxpayer, for life
- European Commission, VIES, checks EU VAT numbers, including PT ones