Liaison Office in Portugal
Companies from overseas interested in establishing their presence on the market in business activities in Portugal without carrying out independent commercial activities have the possibility to register liaison offices or representative offices in the country. In other words, such office will represent the major communication channel between the parent enterprise and the clients in Portugal. If you want to open a liaison office in Portugal, we invite you to solicit complete information and guidelines in this matter from our company formation specialists in Portugal. They can also help you register a company in Portugal, where the needed documents must be provided in accordance with the local law.
What are the main responsibilities of a liaison office in Portugal?
A liaison office in Portugal strongly relates with the foreign company or business that wants to set up the presence in the Portuguese market. A representative office in Portugal will not make money transactions or activities in this matter, but the accent will be put on promoting the products or the services of the parent company. The marketing activities will also be part of the liaison offices in Portugal, with no restrictions in this matter. Moreover, a liaison office in Portugal will pretty much depend on a local representative, once the office has been registered.
If you want more details about how to set up a liaison office in Portugal, you may ask our company formation agents in Portugal. Our advisors can help you with the registration procedure in Portugal.
How to set up a liaison office in Portugal
The Portuguese Commercial Registry deals with registering the liaison or representative offices in the country, where the documents of the company from overseas are necessary besides the following:
- • Articles of Association;
- • details about the type of business;
- • the certificates which provide the foreign company is registered for tax purposes;
- • the name and the address of the liaison office in Portugal;
- • the name of the representative of the liaison office in Portugal.
The attributes of a liaison office in Portugal
Company owners and investors in Portugal know about the importance and the attributes of a liaison office. This is an important structure in Portugal that allows you to concentrate more on the business market and the ways in which you can get in touch with potential clients. The representative agent of your liaison office in Portugal needs to have residency in this country before commencing any operations. With a liaison office in Portugal, you can develop numerous marketing strategies, promotional and advertising activities that describe the operations of your business abroad. A representative office in Portugal cannot act like a normal business structure, with financial operations and contracts to sign, but the main advantage is that such structure might represent the proper option to develop a preliminary business plan before thinking of establishing a limited liability company or a partnership, for example. In most of the cases, a representative office can be an ideal choice for small and medium entrepreneurs from overseas who want to test the Portuguese market before starting a business from scratch. Let one of our company formation agents in Portugal tell you more about how to set up a liaison office in Portugal and about the formalities involved.
Making connections with future clients in Portugal
Foreign company owners who need to be represented in Portugal can think of registering a liaison office in Portugal. This kind of structure can be an excellent choice for creating business connections with local partners or future clients in Portugal. A foreign company will have to create a business plan and agree on the promotion and marketing strategies that can be established and developed with the help of a representative agent and a liaison office in Portugal. Contacting potential clients and collaborators will represent the main step before setting up a traditional office. In most of the cases, if the liaison office is a success, a limited liability company in Portugal can be taken into consideration as part of the business plan for this country. We remind that our company formation specialists in Portugal can offer support for foreigners who want to set up companies in Portugal, regardless of the chosen structure. We are at your disposal if you want to establish branches and subsidiaries or register a sole proprietorship.
FAQ about liaison office
1. Is a liaison office the same thing with a representative office?
Yes, liaison offices are representative offices for foreign companies that need to develop marketing and promotional activities in Portugal.
2. Who can set up liaison offices in Portugal?
Any foreign entrepreneur or representative of overseas companies with interests in the business field in Portugal can think of opening a liaison office in this country. It would be a lot easier to test the market and create business contacts.
3. What are the activities of a liaison office in Portugal?
The main activities of a liaison office in Portugal are strictly related to the promotional and marketing strategies, in order to get in touch with potential collaborators and clients. Your company from abroad can be well represented with the help of a liaison office in Portugal.
4. Are there any financial operations with a liaison office?
No, there cannot be financial operations when having a liaison office in Portugal. This is a simple structure that has strict activities without involving money transfers, invoices, and related operations. One of our agents can tell you more about a representative office in Portugal.
5. Can I change a liaison office into a company in Portugal?
Yes, if you believe that a liaison office successfully represented your interests in Portugal, you may consider the next business step for your future operations. You can register a company from scratch with the Portuguese Trade Register and the support of our company formation agents.
Making investments in Portugal
Portugal is an appealing investment destination for a large number of foreign entrepreneurs interested in placing their activities and enlarge their portfolios in this part of Europe. The great connections by air, sea, and land are among the solid advantages of the business climate of this country, alongside prolific sectors like tourism, agriculture, real estate, manufacturing, etc. Here are some facts and numbers that sustain more the business in Portugal:
- The 2020 Doing Business report ranks Portugal 39th out of 190 economies in the world;
- 27% of the total FDI stock for 2018 in Portugal was directed to the financial services sector;
- Approximately USD 135 million was the total FDI stock for Portugal in 2018;
- Citizenship by investment can be granted to foreigners who make investments of at least EUR 350,000 in Portugal.
Any information about how to register a liaison office in Portugal can be obtained from our company incorporation agents in Portugal, so please feel free to contact us.
