Is the NHR regime still available in Portugal?

The original NHR closed to new applicants in 2024. Its successor is IFICI (often called NHR 2.0): a 20% flat rate on qualifying Portuguese employment and self-employment income plus exemption on most foreign-source income for up to 10 years, limited to new residents working in eligible high-value activities.

Do I need a Portuguese accountant or an international tax advisor?

Usually both, in order. The international advisor decides whether Portugal fits your case, sequences your exit from the previous country, checks IFICI eligibility and designs the structure. A local contabilista certificado then handles Portuguese registrations and annual filings.

How much do tax advisors charge in Lisbon?

Big-firm private client work starts in the thousands of euros; expat-focused boutiques typically charge 2,000 to 10,000 euros for relocation packages; local accountants from a few hundred euros per year for filings. Zero Tax charges $449 USD for a strategy consultation with a written signed opinion, with implementation quoted per project.

What income stays taxable in Portugal under IFICI?

Portuguese-source income (taxed at the 20% flat rate if it qualifies), pensions (taxed at standard progressive rates, unlike the old NHR), and income from blacklisted jurisdictions. Most other foreign-source dividends, interest, capital gains, rents and royalties are exempt.

Advisory · Portugal

International tax advisor in Portugal / Lisbon: what to look for (and what it costs)

Zero Tax · Updated July 2026 · 7 min read

Two designers moved to Lisbon the same spring. One asked an international advisor a single question before signing anything: "does my work qualify for IFICI, and what happens to my German exit position if I register in March versus January?" The other found a cheap accountant after arriving. Three years later the first pays 20% and sleeps well; the second is untangling a rejected IFICI application and a German residency claim covering her best earning year. In Portugal, the expensive mistakes happen before the first tax return.

Portugal after NHR: still a deal, but a conditional one

The famous NHR closed to new applicants in 2024. What exists now is IFICI, commonly called NHR 2.0:

Feature	IFICI (2026)
Portuguese employment / self-employment in eligible activities	20% flat rate, versus progressive rates up to 48%
Foreign dividends, interest, capital gains, rents, royalties	Generally exempt (non-blacklisted jurisdictions)
Pensions	Standard progressive rates; the old NHR pension advantage is gone
Duration	Up to 10 consecutive years
Eligibility	New residents (not Portuguese tax resident in the previous 5 years) in qualifying high-value activities: tech and science roles, higher education, certified startups, export-oriented companies and related categories

The catch is the word "eligible". IFICI is a regime for specific professional profiles, not an automatic expat discount. Whether your exact activity code qualifies, and whether your employer or company structure supports the claim, is precisely the analysis to buy before you move, not after.

The two-country problem nobody prices in: your Portuguese outcome is only half the equation. The German Wegzugsteuer, the UK temporary non-residence rules, US citizenship taxation, Nordic exit taxes: what your previous country does when you leave routinely moves more money than the difference between 20% and 28% in Portugal. A Lisbon accountant will not model that side. An international advisor starts there.

What a good international tax advisor in Portugal actually does

1. Confirms IFICI eligibility before you commit

Maps your activity against the qualifying categories, checks the 5-year non-residence condition, and structures your employment or company so the claim holds. A rejected application is usually a sequencing failure, not bad luck.

2. Designs the exit from your previous country

Split-year rules, exit taxes, trailing residency and treaty tie-breakers between Portugal and the country you leave. The move date is a tax decision.

3. Structures your income map

What should be Portuguese-source at 20%, what stays foreign and exempt, how your existing LLC or Ltd interacts with Portuguese CFC and permanent establishment rules, and whether a Portuguese entity makes sense at all.

4. Handles the special cases

US citizens (savings clause, PFICs, FEIE coordination), crypto (Portugal taxes short-term gains at 28% since 2023; holdings over 365 days remain generally exempt), and property (IMI, IMT and rental taxation).

5. Hands off to local compliance

Once the strategy exists, a contabilista certificado files your IRS returns, social security and VAT. Strategy and compliance are different professions; paying strategy prices for filings, or expecting strategy from a filing service, both end badly.

Is Portugal your right move? Find out free

Our AI co-founder checks your IFICI profile, your exit exposure and your income map, free. If your case warrants it, the strategy consultation with a written signed opinion is $449 USD, implementation quoted per project.

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What the market charges in 2026

Provider	Typical pricing	Best for
Big firms (Lisbon offices)	EUR 5,000+ engagements; hourly in the hundreds	Corporate moves, 8-figure wealth
Expat relocation boutiques	EUR 2,000-10,000 packages (visa + NIF + tax registration)	Turn-key movers who already know their strategy
Local accountants	EUR 300-1,500 per year	Annual filings once the structure exists
Zero Tax	Free AI diagnosis; $449 USD strategy consultation with written signed opinion; implementation quoted per project	Professionals who want the strategy verified before spending on execution

Red flags in the Lisbon advisory market

They promise IFICI approval without reviewing your activity code and employment structure.
They still quote old-NHR benefits (10% pensions, blanket exemptions) that ended for new applicants in 2024.
They never ask what country you are leaving or what it does to leavers.
The "tax plan" is a visa package with a spreadsheet attached, and nothing is signed in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Is NHR still available?

The original NHR closed to new applicants in 2024. IFICI (NHR 2.0) replaced it: 20% flat on qualifying Portuguese professional income and exemption on most foreign income, for up to 10 years.

Do I need a Portuguese accountant or an international advisor?

Both, in order: the international advisor for strategy and eligibility, the contabilista for registrations and filings.

How much do advisors charge in Lisbon?

Big firms from EUR 5,000; boutiques EUR 2,000-10,000; local accountants from EUR 300 per year. Zero Tax: $449 USD for the strategy consultation with a written signed opinion.

What stays taxable under IFICI?

Portuguese-source income (20% if qualifying), pensions at progressive rates, and income from blacklisted jurisdictions. Most other foreign income is exempt.

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This content is informational and educational. It is not legal or tax advice. Verify current regulations and consult a specialist about your case before making decisions.