RCBE: Portugal's Beneficial Ownership Register Explained

The RCBE (Registo Central do Beneficiário Efetivo) is Portugal's central register of beneficial owners, created under EU anti-money-laundering rules. It applies to almost every company, including a brand-new Lda.

Who is a beneficial owner?

A beneficial owner is always an individual (never a company). For an Lda. it is typically anyone who:

• owns, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the capital or voting rights; or
• controls the company by other means.

If the company is owned through a holding company, you look through the chain to the people at the top. If no individual meets the criteria, the company's senior managers are declared instead.

What has to be filed and when

The declaration is made online. When you register with GetLDA.pt, our partner lawyers file the first declaration for you, and your accountant keeps it up to date afterwards.

What information is declared

For each beneficial owner: full name, date of birth, nationality, country of residence, identification document and tax number, and how they own or control the company. Partners and managers are also identified.

Penalties

Failing to file or keep the RCBE up to date is an offence punishable by fines from €1,000 to €50,000. Non-compliant companies are also flagged publicly in the register, which can block bank operations, public contracts and access to public funding.

RCBE when a foreign company is the partner

If your Lda. is owned by a foreign holding company, the RCBE must identify the individuals behind that holding. Have the holding's shareholder register and structure chart ready — banks ask for the same information. See our holding company guide.

Do we handle it?

Yes — the initial RCBE filing is included in every GetLDA.pt package. After that, your accountant usually takes care of updates and the annual confirmation.