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Open a Resident Bank Account at a Portuguese Big-Three Bank
Document Checklist
NIF (tax identification number)
Documento com o Número de Identificação Fiscal (NIF)
Required: Original (proof-of-NIF letter or tax-portal printout)
Cost: Free if already issued
Santander Totta's checklist requires Documento com o Número de Identificação Fiscal (NIF) dos titulares for every account holder. All three banks treat NIF as a structural prerequisite for the resident-account flow. If you do not yet have a NIF, complete that step first — see the sister NIF guide.
Citizen Card (Portuguese national ID)
Cartão de Cidadão
Accepted at Millennium BCP digital onramp: Cartão de Cidadão português (with active Chave Móvel Digital)
Accepted at CGD digital onramp: Apenas com o seu cartão de cidadão (Cartão de Cidadão only)
Required: Original; must be valid (not expired)
Cartão de Cidadão is the digital fast-lane key at all three banks. CGD's Caixadirecta APP accepts only Cartão de Cidadão for the under-10-minute remote opening. Foreign nationals without a Cartão de Cidadão are routed to a video call (Millennium BCP, Santander Totta) or to a branch (CGD).
Passport or residence authorisation
Passaporte ou Autorização de Residência (foreign nationals)
Accepted at Santander Totta: Cartão de Cidadão, Bilhete de Identidade ou passaporte
Accepted at Millennium BCP video call: Cartão de Cidadão, Cartão de Autorização de Residência ou Passaporte
Required: Original; passport must be valid
Santander Totta requires Autorização de Residência (caso tenha nacionalidade fora do Espaço Schengen e Reino Unido) — the residence authorisation is required for nationals from outside the Schengen Area and the United Kingdom. Millennium BCP's video-call alternative explicitly accepts the Cartão de Autorização de Residência alongside passport.
Proof of address
Comprovativo de morada
Where to get: Recent utility bill, lease, or rental contract
Required: Original or printed copy, no more than 12 months old
All three banks list a comprovativo de morada (proof of address) in their checklists for the resident-account flow. Millennium BCP specifies the utility-bill format; Santander Totta lists Documentos comprovativos de morada, profissão e entidade patronal as one bundle for foreign-national applicants.
Proof of profession and employer
Comprovativo de profissão e entidade patronal
Accepted at Santander Totta: Documentos comprovativos de morada, profissão e entidade patronal
Required: Original or printed copy
Santander's foreign-national checklist bundles proof of address with proof of profession and employer. Millennium BCP asks for equivalent professional documentation, or proof of student or unemployed status. Self-employed applicants should bring recibos verdes (green receipts) or activity-registration proof.
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