Who should be my first call?

A local specialist IT partner, Employer of Record or BOT provider. They can often have a core team working in around two weeks while your legal entity and other advisers are set up in parallel.

Do I need a lawyer to open a tech hub in Portugal?

Yes, eventually. A lawyer supports legal-structure decisions, incorporation documents and sector-specific licensing. However, this does not need to happen before first hires begin through a partner.

How much does an accountant cost, and do I need one from day one?

English-speaking accountants serving foreign founders commonly charge €100 to €250 per month. Involve one early because they will support registration, payroll and tax filings once you have employees.

What is the fastest way to register a company in Portugal?

Empresa na Hora or Empresa Online, using standard articles of association, can complete registration in one to two days.

When should I speak to IAPMEI?

When you need Tech Visa certification to bring in non-EU specialists or when you are applying for the SIFIDE II R&D tax credit. IAPMEI handles both processes.

When should I speak to AICEP instead of IAPMEI?

AICEP typically supports larger investment or R&D projects seeking co-financing. IAPMEI is the usual contact for SME-scale projects and Tech Visa or SIFIDE administration.

Can one partner handle legal, accounting and team setup?

Rarely at the same level of depth in all three areas. Specialist IT and BOT partners usually focus on team build-out and employment-law compliance. You should still appoint a dedicated accountant and lawyer, although a good partner can often recommend trusted contacts.

Do I need a notary to open a tech hub in Portugal?

Company-name reservation and registration run through the IRN and Commercial Registry. Most founders manage this through their lawyer or accountant rather than handling the process directly.

What government filing is required within 30 days of incorporation?

The RCBE, or Beneficial Owner Register, filing. Banks typically require it as part of corporate-account due diligence.

Should I speak with more than one BOT or IT partner before choosing?

Yes. Contract terms, including transfer timing, governance clauses and fee structures, vary substantially. Comparing at least two or three proposals is sensible.

Is there a local industry community worth joining?

Yes. APINFO, Portugal’s IT association, and the Web Summit community are common ways to connect with the local technology ecosystem once the hub is operational.

Aubay blog

Tech Hub

I Want to Open a Tech Hub in Portugal. Who Should I Talk To?

Setting up a tech hub in Portugal requires a number of partners. The order in which you engage them can either speed up or delay your team’s entry into the market.

Aubay Portugal

Quick answer

Speak to a local specialist IT partner or Build-Operate-Transfer provider first, before contacting a lawyer, accountant or government body. A good partner can have a core team working in around two weeks while the remaining steps are handled in parallel, instead of waiting roughly two months for legal incorporation alone. You will then need an accountant, a lawyer familiar with Portuguese corporate and employment law and several public bodies. None of these needs to delay your first hire. The following stakeholder map sets out the most practical order in which to engage them.

The stakeholder map

Why the order matters

The most common mistake is to follow the sequence in reverse by waiting for full legal incorporation before hiring anyone. Since incorporation alone can take around two months, that delay compounds quickly. You may lose candidates to competing offers, while your accountant and lawyer have no operating team to support. Starting with a specialist partner means that your legal, accounting and public-registration work is built around a team that is already working, rather than becoming a prerequisite for that team.

How to shortlist an IT or BOT partner

Because this is the first and most consequential decision, it is worth comparing partners carefully. Look for:

A written governance split in the contract that identifies which decisions, including technical direction, hiring approval and salary approval, remain with you and which are handled administratively by the partner.
A record of completed transfers, not only active Operate-phase clients, if eventual ownership of the entity matters to you.
Local recruitment reach beyond LinkedIn-visible candidates, as many of Portugal’s most experienced engineers are not actively job hunting.
Experience in the relevant location: Lisbon for software and data science depth, Porto for hardware and industrial engineering, Braga for semiconductors and Coimbra for research-intensive hiring.
Familiarity with SIFIDE, IAPMEI and AICEP processes if R&D incentives form part of your plan. Not every generalist provider has this expertise.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to make the first call?

If you want to begin with a specialist-partner conversation, Aubay Portugal can discuss what a first-hire timeline, governance split and transfer plan could look like for your team size before you have a lawyer, accountant or legal entity in place.