What Is the Certidão Permanente?
If you're hearing about the "certidão permanente" for the first time — whether because you just opened a company, bought a house, or dealt with a bank in Portugal — the confusion is normal. The name sounds bureaucratic, but the concept is simple.
Two Versions, the Same Concept
There are mainly two permanent certidões:
- Permanent commercial certidão — shows a company's registry: shareholders, registered office, share capital, management. See the full guide →
- Permanent property certidão — shows a property's registry: owner, area, any mortgages or seizures. See the full guide →
Why It's Called "Permanent"
A traditional paper certidão is a snapshot of a single moment — as soon as something changes in the registry, it's out of date. The permanent certidão works differently: when you request it, you receive an access code that any authorized person can use to check the up-to-date registry, on the official portal, during the validity period shown on the receipt. You don't need to request a new one every time someone needs to confirm it.
Where to Request It
In Portugal, the official service is the Conservatória Virtual, run by the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) — the same platform handles commercial, property, civil, and vehicle registries. You can also request it in person at a Conservatória or Loja de Cidadão.
conservatoria.justica.gov.pt — Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN)