What the invoice must show
Compare your draft with this checklist. What applies depends on the parties, the transaction, your tax status and the document type.
- Issuer and customer identity: the full name or company name, registered seat or domicile, and tax identification number (NIF) of both the supplier and the customer. These particulars let the AT tie each invoice to the taxpayers involved.
- Date and sequential number: the invoice must be dated and numbered in a sequential series, and the series is communicated to the AT. Each document also carries its ATCUD, which combines the series validation code with the document number.
- Description and quantity: the quantity and usual name of the goods or the services supplied, with enough detail to determine the applicable VAT rate. Returnable packaging that is not sold must be listed separately, with a note that its return was agreed.
- Taxable amounts and rates: the price excluding VAT and any other items in the taxable amount, plus the applicable VAT rate and the VAT amount due. Where one invoice covers several rates, the quantity, price and VAT must be shown separately for each rate.
- Reason for no VAT: where VAT is not charged (for example, under the Article 53 small-business exemption or a reverse-charge or exempt supply), the invoice must state the legal reason. Exempt businesses must also carry the exemption wording required by Article 53.
- Supply or payment date and QR code: if the date the goods were made available, the services performed or an advance payment was made differs from the invoice date, that date must be shown. Invoices issued by AT-certified software must also show the QR code.
Key numbers
- Invoice issue deadline
- 5 working daysSource ↗Latest issue date is the 5th working day after the VAT becomes chargeable (Article 36(1)(a) CIVA).
- ATCUD on invoices
- MandatorySource ↗Required on invoices and other fiscally relevant documents for all VAT-registered taxpayers; the QR code is required on documents from AT-certified software.
- Record retention
- 10 yearsSource ↗Invoices and records must be kept for 10 civil years (Article 52(1) CIVA).
Tax notes
Issue deadline: an invoice must be issued no later than the 5th working day after the VAT becomes chargeable (Article 36(1)(a) CIVA). Summary invoices may cover a period but must be issued within 5 working days of its end.
Small-business exemption: businesses with no export activity and national turnover of no more than EUR 15,000 in the previous calendar year are exempt under Article 53 CIVA. They cannot charge or deduct VAT, and they must state the exemption on their invoices.
Electronic invoices: an invoice may be issued electronically only with the recipient's acceptance (Article 36(10) CIVA). Until 31 December 2026, PDF invoices are accepted as electronic invoices under the 2026 state budget law.
Electronic invoicing
Portugal has no general B2B e-invoicing mandate, so businesses may still issue paper or PDF invoices if the buyer accepts them. Invoice data must nonetheless be reported to the AT through certified software and the SAF-T(PT) file, and AT-certified software must add the ATCUD and QR code to the document. Ofício-Circulado 25101/2026 (2 January 2026) confirms that PDF invoices are accepted as electronic invoices only until 31 December 2026; from 1 January 2027, PDF e-invoices are expected to need a qualified electronic signature. Suppliers under public contracts must issue electronic invoices through eSPap.
Late payment
Statutory B2B late-payment interest under Decree-Law 62/2013 is the ECB main refinancing rate in force on 1 January or 1 July plus 8 percentage points: 10.40% for the second half of 2026 (Aviso 16623/2026/2). A fixed EUR 40 recovery compensation applies. Where no payment date is agreed, payment is due 30 days after receipt of the invoice, and agreed B2B terms may not exceed 60 days.
Record keeping
Invoices, supporting documents and accounting records must be kept, in good order, for 10 civil years after the year to which they relate (Article 52(1) CIVA). For some records, the period instead runs from the last regularisation under Articles 24 and 26 (Article 52(2)).
Watch out for
- The qualified-electronic-signature requirement for PDF invoices from 1 January 2027 rests on the 2026 extension and the general e-invoicing rules in Decree-Law 28/2019. Check the latest AT guidance before relying on the exact start date.
- Regional rates in Madeira and the Azores are set by regional decree and change from time to time. Check the current rate before invoicing customers located there.
Official links & tools
Go straight to the source for the latest rules, rates and registers. Non-English pages are tagged with their language.
Invoice rules4
The article listing required invoice particulars and the deadlines for issuing invoices.
ATCUD - scope of application (FAQ)Explains which documents need the unique document code (ATCUD) and who must include it.
QR code on invoices (FAQ)Explains when the QR code must appear on invoices produced by AT-certified invoicing software.
Small business VAT exemption (Article 53 CIVA)The current text of the small-business exemption with its EUR 15,000 turnover threshold.
Number & company lookup1
Tax rates2
Text of the VAT Code article that sets the 23%, 13% and 6% rates and the regional rate power.
Regional VAT rates for Madeira and the Azores (Ofício-Circulado 25045/2024)AT circular listing the reduced regional VAT rates in the Azores (4%) and Madeira (4% from 1 October 2024).
E-invoicing3
Portal for issuers and buyers to communicate, consult and validate electronic invoices and transport documents, and to send SAF-T files.
e-Fatura - software producers panelArea for invoicing software producers to register and manage AT-certified programs.
Electronic invoicing for suppliers to public administration (eSPap)Explains that suppliers under public contracts must issue electronic invoices through the eSPap platform.
Late payment2
Official notice giving the 9.40% commercial and 10.40% Decree-Law 62/2013 late-payment rates for July to December 2026.
Decree-Law 62/2013 - late payment in commercial transactionsStatute setting the EUR 40 compensation, the 30-day default term and the 60-day cap on B2B payment terms.
Official tools1
Sources for this guide
Reviewed against these references on . Rules change, so check the current text before relying on it.