A suitable business plan that might attract investors from abroad is related to opening a hotel in Portugal and discovering the opportunities in this field. In matters of documents, licenses, and permits, our company formation agents in Portugal are at your disposal if you want to set up a hotel or open a company in Portugal.
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Steps in setting up a hotel in Portugal
If you have decided on a particular company form for opening a hotel in Portugal, it is suggested to reserve a name and perform a check-up to see if it is available. Besides preparing the articles of association, details about the business address, and about the company’s shareholders, you should also know that:
- At the time of commercial registration, the electronic card (Cartão da Empresa/Pessoa Coletiva) is automatically available in physical and electronic format.
- The company receives an NIPC (corporate person identification number/business ID).
- You must apply for a Certificate of Admissibility with the IRN (Registries and Notaries).
- You should open a bank account to deposit the minimum share capital (for sociedade por quotas and sociedade unipessoal por quotas, the minimum value of a share is 1 euro).
- After the company is incorporated, the Declaration of Commencement of Activity must be filed on the Portal das Finanças within 15 days, and this must be filed by a certified accountant.
- You must register the hotel business with the Trade Register in Portugal.
Most hotels are operated through an LDA (private limited liability company) in Portugal, the equivalent of a limited liability company. This form is preferred because it offers limited liability for partners and can be set up quickly, even with minimal share capital.
All the conditions and rules set for registering a company in Portugal can be explained by our specialists in company incorporation in Portugal. The same team can provide you with support and guidance for the company registration procedure in Portugal.
Licenses and permits for a hotel in Portugal
There are numerous business fields in which particular licenses and permits are necessary to start activities. They are mandatory in cases where a hotel in Portugal needs to be set up.
To open a hotel in Portugal, an aparthotel or pousada, you must first obtain from the Câmara Municipal (local town hall) a valid permit or title to use the building for tourism and to open it to the public. The establishment must then be registered in the Registo Nacional de Empreendimentos Turísticos (RNET), managed by Turismo de Portugal.
For opening a hotel in Portugal, the following licenses and permits are required:
- The authorization or valid title of use/opening issued by the Câmara Municipal;
- After obtaining the legal right to operate, the hotel must register with RNET within 30 days to be officially recognized as a tourist unit;
- The mandatory classification of certain types of tourism ventures is carried out by Turismo de Portugal.
If you plan to open a hotel, we recommend that you consider the services of our specialists in company incorporation in Portugal, who will guide you through the entire process of obtaining the proper licenses and permits for your business.
Important facts about opening a hotel in Portugal
- Hotels in Portugal are officially classified from 1 to 5 stars, depending on the infrastructure, services, and facilities offered to tourists. The classification procedure is managed by Turismo de Portugal.
- To operate legally, hotel establishments must comply with specific fire safety, hygiene, and public health requirements, verified by the competent authorities before opening. Access to the standard is mandatory as part of the licensing and classification process.
- Hotel operators are required to periodically submit statistical data on their activity (number of tourists, overnight stays, etc.) to Statistics Portugal. These reports are essential for the official monitoring of the tourism sector.
- Portugal offers funding programs for the development of tourism infrastructure, including the modernization or construction of hotels. These schemes are managed at the national level by Turismo de Portugal, sometimes in addition to European funds.
Therefore, if you intend to open a hotel in this country, our specialists in company formation in Portugal are at your disposal to help you go through the entire bureaucratic process in an organized, structured, and correct manner.
Statistics on the hotel sector in Portugal
The latest official data published by Statistics Portugal (INE) shows that the tourism and accommodation sector in Portugal continues to grow, confirming the high interest in investments in the hotel industry:
- In January 2026, the tourism accommodation sector in Portugal registered 1.7 million tourists, up 3.8% compared to January 2025.
- Total accommodation revenues reached EUR 276.8 million in January 2026, up 5.6% from the same month in 2025. Of this total, revenue from accommodation alone was EUR 199.5 million in January 2026.
- Also for 2025, the tourism accommodation sector generated EUR 7.2 billion in total revenues, and accommodation revenues were EUR 5.5 billion.
- Portugal recorded 32.5 million tourists and over 82 million overnight stays in 2025, record figures for the tourism sector. These results confirm the country’s attractiveness for investment in hotels and other accommodation structures.
If you are looking for business consulting before opening a hotel in Portugal, our specialists in company formation can guide you through the entire process.
Opening a hotel in Portugal can prove successful if a proper business plan, complete guidance, and information are provided. Our team of company formation representatives in Portugal can offer ample support and details; therefore, we invite you to contact us.