What Does "Lda." Mean? The Portuguese Limited Company Explained

If you've seen a Portuguese company called something like Sol Nascente, Lda. and wondered what the letters mean, this guide explains — and what they tell you about the company.

"Lda." stands for "Limitada"

Lda. (sometimes written Ltda. in Brazil, or simply LDA) is the abbreviation of Limitada, Portuguese for "limited". Portuguese law requires a private limited company's name to end in "Limitada" or "Lda." so that anyone dealing with it knows its owners have limited liability.

The legal name of this type of company is Sociedade por Quotas — literally a "company by quotas", because its capital is divided into quotas rather than shares.

What an Lda. is, in one table

Lda. vs Unipessoal Lda.

A company with one partner must say so in its name: Sociedade Unipessoal por Quotas, shortened to Unipessoal Lda. (for example, Terra e Raiz, Unipessoal Lda.). It works the same way as an Lda. with two or more partners. Read more in our Unipessoal Lda. guide.

Lda. compared with LLC, Ltd and GmbH

These are rough equivalents: each country's rules on capital, management and tax differ, so don't assume an Lda. is taxed like your home-country company.

Lda. vs S.A.

Portugal's other common company type is the S.A. (Sociedade Anónima), a public limited company with shares, higher capital and more formal governance. Most small and medium-sized businesses — and almost all foreign founders — choose an Lda. See Lda. vs S.A..

How to check a Portuguese Lda.

Every Lda. is registered with the Portuguese Commercial Registry and has a tax number (NIPC). You can look up its registered details for free — see how to search the Portuguese company registry.

Opening your own Lda.

Foreigners and non-residents can own and manage an Lda. Registration usually takes 2–4 weeks once documents are ready, and our partner lawyers handle the whole process for you, 100% online. See how registration works or start your registration.