Reassurance
Set up your company in Portugalwith peace of mind, on verifiable ground
Choosing who to trust with your move to Portugal is a sensitive decision. This page gives you concrete markers to recognise serious support, spot questionable practices, and verify for yourself who is behind Business Portugal. No magic promises, facts you can check.
75+ entrepreneurs supported since 2025 · Lisbon, Portugal
A useful marker
How to recognise serious support in Portugal
Before signing, check a few simple things. Reliable support has no trouble demonstrating them, a provider who dodges them should put you on alert. Here is a checklist you can use with any firm, including ours.
A verifiable legal entity
A NIPC (Portuguese company number) or a searchable registration number, a clear name, an address. You must be able to identify who you are committing to, not just a social media account.
Accounting handled by a Contabilista Certificado registered with the OCC
Every Portuguese company must appoint a Contabilista Certificado registered with the Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados. Their registration is in a public register. Ask for the name: it can be verified in minutes.
A clearly stated scope
What is done in-house and what goes through partners (accounting, tax, legal). An honest firm distinguishes what it does itself from what it coordinates, without claiming regulated titles it does not hold.
The right Portuguese terminology
Unipessoal Lda and Lda (not “EURL” or “SARL”), NIF for the individual, NIPC for the company, IRS/IRC/IVA. Someone using loose French jargon rarely masters the Portuguese ground.
A written quote, no hidden fees
The scope, the fees and what is not included, in writing, before any commitment. Administrative costs (registration, registers) should be separated from advisory fees.
Timelines and odds presented honestly
Opening a bank account always depends on the bank's compliance; no administrative deadline can be ordered. Be wary of “guaranteed” and “in 2 hours”.
Worth keeping in mind
Pitfalls and scams to avoid
These practices are documented across the Portuguese expatriation and company-formation market. Naming them accuses no one in particular: they are signals to know so you can decide with confidence, whatever provider you choose.
Fake “official” invoices
Letters such as “European Company Register” demand a payment while posing as a mandatory formality. Official company registration is free: these solicitations are optional commercial offers, not obligations.
Tax promises that are too good
“Zero tax”, “0 risk guaranteed”, IFICI (former NHR) “for everyone”. IFICI notably excludes retirees on their pensions and targets specific profiles. A promise of a tax outcome without studying your case is a warning sign.
The “set up in 2 hours” shell
A company rushed into existence and run from abroad with no real substance exposes you to banking friction and to a risk of French tax requalification. Speed alone is no guarantee of safety.
The “accountant” not registered with the OCC
Only a Contabilista Certificado registered with the OCC can legally handle the regulated accounting of a Portuguese company. Entrusting your accounts to someone unregistered exposes you to errors and penalties.
A mandate with no contract or written scope
Paying without a detailed quote or a precise description of the service makes any recourse difficult in case of disagreement. Always require something in writing before paying.
Purely fictitious domiciliation
A “mailbox” address with no economic substance can expose you to requalification. A compliant, substantial domiciliation is preferable to a purely fictitious registered office.
Note: naming these practices targets no provider in particular. Most French-speaking firms in Portugal are serious. Our aim is to give you objective criteria to compare, not to discredit anyone.
What you can verify
Why Business Portugal is a reliable base
We apply the checklist above to ourselves. Here are the elements you can check before we even speak, that is the best reassurance we can offer.
- A real, verifiable entity
- Lovelyparallel, Lda, a company under Portuguese law registered under NIPC 518354750. The number is publicly searchable.
- Accounting via an OCC-registered Contabilista Certificado
- Regulated accounting is handled by a Contabilista Certificado registered with the Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados, whose registration appears in the OCC's public register.
- Named partners, not anonymous ones
- Bank account opening with Millennium; accounting and advisory through identified partners such as Raly Conseils and Joongle. You know who is involved and in what capacity.
- Concrete experience
- More than 75 entrepreneurs supported since 2025 in company formation and bank account opening in Portugal.
- An honest positioning
- Audrey Marques is a consultant in company creation and setup, not an accountant, tax adviser or lawyer. For those regulated professions, she connects you with registered specialists.
The Contabilista Certificado title is protected and regulated by the OCC, whose register is public. It is something you can verify in minutes, for our partner as for any firm.
My commitments
What you can count on
No impossible result guarantee: simple, achievable commitments you can observe from the very first conversation.
Reviews
Client reviews, honestly
We have supported entrepreneurs since 2025. Rather than publishing anonymous, unverifiable testimonials, we prefer to wait and display real, named reviews.
The first verifiable Google reviews will be published here soon. In the meantime, the best way to form your own opinion is a free first conversation, with no commitment.
Your questions
Reliability, seriousness, scams: your questions
The questions that come up when choosing. Factual answers, no overselling.
Is setting up a company in Portugal remotely a scam?
Not in itself: it is a perfectly legal process, possible without residing in Portugal. The risk comes not from distance but from providers who oversell, from substanceless shells, and from running the company from abroad without support, which can lead to French tax requalification. Hence the importance of real support and a verifiable entity.
How do I check that a firm in Portugal is reliable?
Check its legal entity (NIPC or registration number), ask for the name of the OCC-registered Contabilista Certificado handling the accounting (public register), require a written quote with no hidden fees, and listen to the terminology used. A provider who distinguishes what it does itself from what it coordinates, and who does not promise “0 risk”, is more reassuring than a too-perfect pitch.
Is Business Portugal a verifiable entity?
Yes. Business Portugal is run by Lovelyparallel, Lda, a company under Portuguese law registered under NIPC 518354750. Regulated accounting is handled by an OCC-registered Contabilista Certificado, and the partners (Millennium for banking, Raly Conseils and Joongle for accounting and advisory) are named.
Why are there no reviews shown yet?
Out of honesty. We have supported entrepreneurs since 2025, but we prefer to publish real, named and verifiable Google reviews rather than anonymous, unverifiable testimonials. The first verifiable reviews will appear on this page soon.
What guarantees do you offer?
A free first conversation with no commitment, transparency on scope and partners, responsiveness and a single point of contact. However, we do not guarantee an absolute administrative deadline, nor the opening of a bank account, which always depends on the bank's compliance. Promising otherwise would be dishonest.
Is Audrey Marques an accountant or tax adviser?
No. Audrey is a consultant in company creation and setup in Portugal. She handles company formation and banking support, then connects you with registered specialists (Contabilista Certificado for accounting, partners for tax and legal). This honest positioning protects you.
This page is for information only and does not constitute personalised legal, accounting or tax advice. Every situation depends on your individual case and on the France-Portugal tax treaty. For an analysis of your project, book a meeting. Information up to date in 2026, subject to change.
Make up your own mind
A free first conversation, with no commitment, is worth more than any argument. We look at your project, answer your doubts, and you decide with full knowledge of the facts.
No commitment · Quick reply · Lisbon, Portugal