Buying a Business in Portugal

Buying a business in Portugal usually means either a trespasse, the transfer of a running shop, café or restaurant with its premises and goodwill, or buying the shares of the company that owns it. English-speaking lawyers check the lease, licences, staff and debts before anything is signed.
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About Buying a Business in Portugal

Buying a business in Portugal — a café in Lisbon, a restaurant or shop in the Algarve, a guesthouse, a small services firm — is done in one of two ways. The first is a trespasse (trespasse de estabelecimento comercial): the running business changes hands as a whole, with its premises or lease, equipment, stock, customers and goodwill. The second is a compra de quotas: you buy the shares of the company that owns the business, and the company itself, with its history and its debts, becomes yours. Expats search for buy a business in Portugal, business for sale Portugal or simply trespasse, a word many first meet in a listing. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Buy Business”.

Who it concerns

Foreigners who have found a business for sale and want to take it over, people moving to Portugal who prefer a working business to starting from zero, and owners of a company abroad buying a Portuguese competitor or supplier.

How a purchase usually goes in Portugal

  1. Deciding what is actually for sale: the establishment (trespasse) or the company (quotas). The price, the risks and the paperwork are different.
  2. Checking the business: the lease and its conditions, the licences and the licença de utilização of the premises, the employees, the suppliers, the tax and social security position, pending claims.
  3. A written agreement, often with a deposit, setting out what is included, what is excluded and who answers for which debts.
  4. Signing, notifying the landlord where a lease is involved, registering the change where the company is sold, and dealing with the taxes the transfer attracts.
  5. After closing: your own registrations, accounts and permissions, see business set-up.

Points to watch

  • In a trespasse the landlord generally does not have to agree, but has to be told and in many cases has a right of first refusal; changing the kind of business run in the premises can put the lease at risk. A lawyer reads the lease first.
  • Employees usually come with the establishment, with their existing contracts.
  • A licence does not always follow the business, and some activities need a new licence or notification in the buyer's name.
  • When you buy the company, you buy its past: unpaid taxes, disputes and guarantees included. Stamp duty and other taxes apply differently to the two routes.
  • A Portuguese tax number (NIF) is needed before signing or paying.

What a lawyer does

The lawyer tells you which route fits, obtains the documents of the business and of the company, reads the lease and the licences, negotiates the purchase agreement in English and Portuguese, prepares a power of attorney if you cannot attend, and handles the notifications and registrations after signing.

Questions and answers

Can a foreigner buy a business in Portugal?

Yes. There is no general requirement to be resident or to have a Portuguese partner. A tax number and a bank account are needed, and a residence permit is a separate matter: owning a business does not by itself give one.

Trespasse or buying the company: which is better?

A trespasse leaves the seller's company and its debts behind; buying the shares keeps contracts, licences and history in place but brings the liabilities too. A lawyer compares both for your case.

What if the business has debts?

In a trespasse the buyer normally does not take over the seller's debts unless the agreement says so; in a share purchase the debts stay with the company you now own. Either way, the agreement should state who pays what.

Can I sign from abroad?

Usually yes, through a power of attorney given to your lawyer.

1 lawyer who provides Buying a Business in Portugal

Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.

  • Jorge, lawyer in Porto

    Jorge

    Lawyer · Porto, Portugal

    • 116 cases handled · 1 in this service
    • 9+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English, Portuguese
    • Law, Coimbra
    • 5.00(6 reviews)
    Contact Jorge
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Talk to a lawyer about Buying a Business

1 registered lawyer provide this service in Portugal. Describe your situation in a short chat — what happened, where, and how to reach you. Your enquiry is reviewed and passed to a lawyer who handles exactly this kind of case, with no obligation.

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Enquiries are answered by lawyers of AdvocateAbroad. This site provides legal information, not legal advice.

What our clients say about our service in Portugal

  • The lawyer is always very responsive and quick to jump on a call to explain any question I have. He often goes the extra mile and has helped me navigate the complicated Portuguese tax system, which has been extremely helpful. His English is perfect, so I always understand him.
    — Sam
    14 Feb 2022
    Tax Services for Freelancers & Self-Employed, Portugal
  • Excellent service in many ways.
    — Gulsume
    09 Aug 2021
    Personal Tax Consultation, Portugal
  • All my questions were answered and followed up as promised.
    — Gerardo
    09 Oct 2020
    Personal Tax Consultation, Portugal
  • I am as satisfied as a client can be with the service I received. From beginning to end he was great: he laid out the rules, gave me options to weigh against each other and explained what the variables would be. He had done plenty of work in advance, so by the time I physically arrived in Portugal we managed to have my company and bank account arranged within a single day. His preparation and follow-up spared me an unimaginable amount of hassle. Besides that, he is a very nice man, working with him was a pleasure, and his English is perfect. His fees are surprisingly low, and I still believe he charged me too little, which matches my impression of his character and his commitment to the best possible experience. I strongly recommend him to anyone needing assistance with starting a business in Portugal.
    — Phil
    27 Jul 2020
    Personal Tax Consultation, Portugal
  • The lawyer is thoroughly professional, reliable and friendly. He helped me online with a lot of patience and answered every one of my questions. His service was excellent, I am very satisfied, and I highly recommend him.
    — Nora
    08 Jun 2020
    Personal Tax Consultation, Portugal
  • The professionalism far exceeded what I have been used to with similar practices in other European countries. The lawyer was very caring and sensitive in assisting with a very emotional family bereavement in the Algarve.
    — Ian
    07 Sep 2026
    Assistance with Motor Vehicle Processes, Portugal
  • Her service was first class, the best I could have hoped for. She was helpful at every turn and happily explained whatever I had not understood, and I was completely satisfied with the outcome. The survey cannot capture the extent of what she did for my family. Her grasp of her field, and explaining everything in both Portuguese and English, is amazing. I am deeply grateful.
    — Sonia
    07 May 2026
  • He is an excellent lawyer and a true professional. I used his services on two occasions: first a consultation in the summer of 2025 about the best way for a US citizen like me to get a Portuguese visa, and then, most recently, to get a marriage license in Portugal. Since my wife and I left it quite late, we took him on in a rush, close to the deadline, and he finished everything extremely quickly and helped us collect and translate the required documents. His English is flawless, so we never had trouble understanding him, and communication was great throughout. The whole process was incredibly smooth. He even gave us additional service beyond what we had hired him for, and he made the entire thing stress-free. If you need any legal assistance, I highly recommend him; he is our lawyer of choice in Portugal.
    — Ryan
    19 Mar 2026
  • The lawyer was very supportive and helpful. I feel lucky to have chosen her to assist with what turned out to be a very complicated sale, and her English was perfect. I am very grateful for all her work, help and advice and would highly recommend her to anyone.
    — Louise
    26 Feb 2025
  • Real expertise in her field, good understanding and great communication, finding what works best for her clients. Honest, well spoken, and perfect English.
    — Fernando
    30 Nov 2023
  • The lawyer pulled me out of trouble quickly. What I badly needed was exactly what I got: prompt answers, understanding, good value for money, and the ability to explain matters and propose fitting solutions. His English is flawless as well. For approachability and professionalism he cannot be beaten. For comparison, I have been through three other accountants since settling in Portugal, and none of them achieved much. Two of them gave me wrong advice that ended in fines, and their communication was dreadful. Thanks.
    — John
    02 Nov 2022
    Fiscal Advice, Portugal
  • The lawyer was quick to respond and an effective communicator, and his English was perfect. He sent good email replies to clarify after the call. I am happy with the value and appreciated his straightforwardness. Hopefully the solution works, but it seems the best and easiest option I have been given so far.
    — James
    20 Oct 2022
    Non-Habitual Residency (NHR) Tax Status Application, Portugal