For most services we offer — including NIF issuance, bank account setup, etc — you’ll need to provide a document that confirms your residential address OUTSIDE of Portugal.
There are specific rules around acceptable documents, name matching, and when translations are required.
Note: A passport or national ID card is accepted as your photo ID, not as proof of address. Your proof of address must be one of the documents listed below.
🌍 Supported Languages & Translation Rules
We accept documents in the following languages:
✅ English
✅ Portuguese
✅ Spanish
✅ French
For a NIF application: if your document is in any other language, you still don't need a translation, as long as both of these are true:
The document is written in the Roman alphabet (Latin characters)
Your address is clearly visible and easy to read
A certified translation is only required if the document is not written in the Roman alphabet (for example Japanese, Arabic, Greek, or Cyrillic).
For a bank account application: the bank's requirements are stricter. If your document is not in English, Portuguese, Spanish, or French, you must provide a certified English translation, even if it's written in the Roman alphabet.
✅ Accepted Proof of Address Documents
Submit one of the following, as long as it shows your full name and residential address:
1. Driver’s License (NIF applications only)
Must be valid (not expired)
Submit front and back
Must show your residential address and expiration date
No translation needed if it's in the Roman alphabet
2. Residence Permit (NIF applications only)
Must show your name and residential address
Submit front and back
No translation needed if it's in the Roman alphabet
3. Bank Statement (First Page Only)
Must show your name, residential address, and issue date
Must be issued within the past 6 months
Bank letters or certificates are not accepted
Accepted for both NIF and bank account applications
Translation: see the language rules above (the requirement differs for a NIF and a bank account)
4. Utility Bill
Must show your name and address
Issued within the past 6 months
Accepted: electricity, water, internet, and similar
Accepted for both NIF and bank account applications
Translation: see the language rules above (the requirement differs for a NIF and a bank account)
If requesting a NIF on behalf of a minor, please include a proof of address of one of the minor’s parents.
The proof of address document should satisfy the following criteria:
Address:
Must be a residential address outside of Portugal
Must match the “Residential Address” submitted in the intake form
P.O. boxes and business addresses are not accepted
Name:
If you are purchasing NIF only, the first name and surname on your proof of address must match your passport. For example, if your passport says "John Apple Smith":
✅ John Apple Smith
✅ John A Smith
✅ John Smith
❌ J Smith
❌ Johnny Smith
❌ Any other variations
If you are purchasing NIF and a bank account, the bank's requirements are stricter and your full name must match your passport exactly. For example, if your passport says "John Apple Smith":
✅ John Apple Smith
❌ John A Smith
❌ John Smith
❌ J Smith
❌ Johnny Smith
❌ Any other variations
Image quality:
Text is legible
No shadows
No light reflections
All four corners of the document are visible