Can they do it online without having to visit the country? Can they also get a tax payer’s number, also known as the NIF, online?
It is possible to open the bank account from abroad. Necessary documents are the passport, utility bill, local tax or SS number, foreign bank account identification, income certificate, POA and tax representative in Portugal that will obtain your NIF (Portuguese tax number).
To open a bank account, they must come to Portugal. Regarding the NIF, it can be done at distance if you have a fiscal representative in Portugal.
In order to get a tax ID in Portugal (NIF), you’ll need to grant a power of attorney to someone – either a physical person or a company – to represent you in Portugal before the Portuguese Tax Authorities. Once appointed, your tax representative will be able to submit a NIF request on your behalf and, therefore, have it issued. After the NIF is issued, you’ll be able to open a bank account in Portugal, provided you appoint a legal representative for that purpose (opening an account online is limited to Portuguese and EU citizens). Both actions are possible to perform without the need for your presence in Portugal, but not online by yourself.
There are banks in Portugal that allow a foreigner to open a bank account without having to be physically present. Lawyers can represent you in that process. The same is applicable in the NIF application. You don't need to be physically present in Portugal for this purpose; you just need to have a lawyer handling these matters for you in Portugal.
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