From Morocco · Trip to Lisbon
Set up your company in Portugalfrom Morocco
You are in Morocco and considering a company in Portugal? Only the NIF is obtained remotely, via a tax representative; signing the articles and opening the bank account are done in person in Portugal, during a trip to Lisbon — which is consistent anyway with a relocation project. And the decisive issue is not Portuguese tax: it is Moroccan exchange control and, if you plan to settle, the residence visa. The distinction between a Moroccan resident and an MRE (non-resident) changes everything. Here are the 2026 markers, to validate with a professional.
75+ entrepreneurs supported since 2025 · Service in French · Lisbon, Portugal
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The real obstacle is Moroccan exchange control
For a Moroccan national, the decisive obstacle is neither Portuguese tax nor a controlled-foreign-company regime — that mechanism does not exist here. The obstacle is exchange control: in Morocco, the Office des Changes frames foreign-currency operations, through the General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Operations.
Everything rests on one distinction: RESIDENT versus non-resident. A Moroccan resident cannot freely hold a company or accounts abroad, nor transfer currency, without operating within the regulatory framework — authorisations or limits may apply. MREs (Moroccans residing abroad, non-resident for exchange purposes) largely escape these restrictions.
The regime is gradually liberalising — a 2026 reform refers to « controlled liberalisation » — but authorisations and limits remain for residents, and the situation is evolving. It is therefore the first point to date and verify with a professional, before any incorporation.
- The principle: a Moroccan resident must operate within the Office des Changes framework (General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Operations) to hold a company or accounts abroad and transfer currency — authorisation or framing depending on the operation.
- The RESIDENT vs MRE distinction is decisive: a non-resident (MRE) largely escapes exchange restrictions; a resident does not. Your status for exchange purposes must be clarified before anything else.
- No precise capped figure is published here: amounts and thresholds evolve and must be dated then confirmed with a professional.
- No controlled-foreign-company regime (such as art. 209 B): the logic is not the European one. The subject is exchange control, not anti-avoidance tax rules.
- Moroccan tax residence is assessed under the Moroccan General Tax Code: permanent home, centre of economic interests, length of stay.
The Moroccan markers
Residence, visa and exchange, in brief
Moroccan tax-residence test
Under the Moroccan General Tax Code, you are a tax resident if you have your permanent home, the centre of your economic interests in Morocco, or if your length of stay there exceeds the legal threshold over the year.
D2 visa: to live and run the business in Portugal
The company is set up by coming to Lisbon to sign the articles; only the NIF is handled remotely. Living and running the activity from Portugal additionally requires a residence permit: the D2 visa (non-EU entrepreneur / self-employed). Indicative 2026 conditions, to be confirmed.
Specificity: exchange control
A Moroccan resident cannot freely hold a company or accounts abroad nor transfer currency without operating within the Office des Changes framework. MREs are largely exempt. This is the blocking point to settle first.
Resident vs MRE (non-resident)
All feasibility depends on your status for exchange purposes: an MRE enjoys far greater freedom than a resident. Clarifying this status is the prerequisite to any decision.
Your process
Setting up from Morocco, with a trip to Lisbon
As a non-EU national, your process differs from a European's: only the NIF is obtained remotely, while signing the articles and opening the bank account are done in person during a trip to Lisbon. Exchange control and, where applicable, the visa must be framed in parallel. We coordinate the Portuguese formalities from Portugal and point you to the right partners.
Obtain the NIF (non-resident, via a tax representative)
As a non-resident of a country outside the EU, the NIF (individual Portuguese tax number) is obtained via a tax representative in Portugal. Not to be confused with the NIPC, the future company's tax number.
Register the company (articles signed in Lisbon)
Signing the articles is done in person in Portugal, during your trip to Lisbon. The company obtains its NIPC and its Certidão Permanente; right after (24-48 h after incorporation), the partner lawyer files the RCBE (beneficial owner).
Frame exchange control / authorisations
If you are a Moroccan resident, check how to hold the company and transfer funds within the Office des Changes framework (authorisations, limits). If you are an MRE, confirm your non-resident status. A point to date and validate with a professional before committing funds.
D2 visa if you want to live and run the business in Portugal
To reside and run the activity from Portugal, the D2 visa (non-EU entrepreneur / self-employed) is required. Indicative 2026 conditions, to be confirmed: means of subsistence of the order of the Portuguese minimum wage, proof of deposit / savings, a credible business plan.
Open the bank account (in branch, on site)
The business account is opened in person, in branch, during your trip to Lisbon — not remotely — depending on the bank and your profile (resident or MRE). Accounting is then handled by a partner Contabilista Certificado.
To go further
Useful pages before you decide
Frequently asked questions
Moroccan national: what people ask me
- Can I hold a company in Portugal while remaining a resident in Morocco?
- It is technically possible, but it is not only a Portuguese question. If you are a Moroccan resident, the Office des Changes frames the holding of a company and accounts abroad: you must operate within the regulatory framework (General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Operations), with possible authorisations or limits. MREs (non-residents) are largely exempt. This point must be dated and validated with a professional first.
- Do I need a visa to set up or run a company in Portugal?
- To set up the company, no: no residence permit is required — you simply come to Lisbon to sign the articles and open the account (the NIF itself is handled remotely). However, to live in Portugal and run the activity there, the D2 visa (non-EU entrepreneur / self-employed) is required. Its 2026 conditions are indicative and to be confirmed: means of subsistence of the order of the Portuguese minimum wage, proof of deposit / savings, a credible business plan.
- Can I freely transfer funds or currency to Portugal?
- Not freely if you are a Moroccan resident: the transfer of currency and the holding of assets abroad are framed by the Office des Changes, with authorisations or limits depending on the operation. The regime is gradually liberalising (2026 reform, « controlled liberalisation »), but restrictions remain for residents. MREs enjoy far greater freedom. No amount is guaranteed here: to date and verify with a professional.
- What can be done remotely, and what requires a trip?
- Only the non-resident NIF is obtained remotely, via a tax representative. Signing the articles and opening the bank account, however, are done in person in Portugal, during a trip to Lisbon — a presence consistent with a relocation project. After incorporation and the Certidão Permanente, the partner lawyer files the RCBE (24-48 h). It remains to frame, in parallel, exchange control (if you are a resident) and, if you plan to settle, the D2 visa. Accounting is then handled by a partner Contabilista Certificado.
Disclaimer
This page is for general information only; it does not constitute personalised legal, accounting, tax or exchange-regulation advice. The existence and date of a Morocco-Portugal double-taxation treaty are to be confirmed: no date is published here. The exchange-control rules (Office des Changes, General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Operations) are evolving — a controlled liberalisation is announced for 2026 — and must be dated then verified case by case. The D2 visa conditions (income of the order of the Portuguese minimum wage, deposit of means of subsistence, business plan) are indicative for 2026 and to be confirmed. All these points must be validated with a professional (tax adviser, exchange-control adviser, lawyer). Business Portugal is a consultant in company formation and setup, not an accounting, tax or law firm: we guide you and connect you with the right partner. Book a meeting to frame your project.
Let's talk about your project, from Morocco
A first free conversation, with no commitment, by video and in French, to frame your Portuguese incorporation and, above all, your situation regarding exchange control and the visa. If a tax adviser or an exchange-control adviser is needed, we connect you with the right partner.
No commitment · By video · Service in French · Lisbon, Portugal