atividade
Published 30 October 2026, 20:39
Registering as self-employed (início de atividade, trabalhador independente), the local equivalent of registering as a sole trader. It is free and is done on the Portal das Finanças or at a Finanças office; after that you can issue recibos verdes. For the first 12 months after your very first registration of this kind you pay no Segurança Social contributions: the 12 months are counted from the following month, and you can waive the exemption if you want to build up your contribution record.
Where you come across it. The tax authority's online account, in the section for starting an activity (Início de Atividade).
Opening an atividade and registering with Segurança Social are separate steps. You do not have to open an atividade to get a NISS: you request it separately on the Segurança Social website, and for employees the employer does it. The same word turns up in immigration papers with a different meaning: exercício de atividade profissional refers to the type of residence permit for work, not to tax status.
Guides
How to open an atividade and work on recibos verdes How to open an account with a Portuguese bank How to file your first IRS return in Portugal How to choose a visa for moving to Portugal How to get a D2 visa for business and freelancing in Portugal How to get a D8 visa to work remotely from Portugal How to pay Segurança Social contributions as a self-employed worker Working as a ride-hailing driver in Portugal: Uber, Bolt and the TVDE certificate How banking works in Portugal How to buy a home in Portugal How to pay tax on cryptocurrency in Portugal How to reduce IRS with e-Fatura, receipts and tax deductions Right to work and employment contracts: which documents you need and what to check before you sign