High-risk payment gateway and merchant accounts in Portugal

A social casino whose coins can never be cashed out falls outside Portugal's gambling licenses and follows consumer law. Prize draws and promotional contests are another matter: each needs the prior authorization of the mayor, may cost the player nothing beyond the product's price, may not borrow casino themes such as poker, roulette or fruit symbols, and may never pay prizes in cash.

Decree-Law 422/89 (Gambling Law), articles 159 to 161(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Portugal's food authority treats CBD and other cannabinoids in food as unauthorized novel foods, so CBD oils, edibles and supplements cannot be sold. Infarmed counts plant-derived CBD as a controlled cannabis preparation and bars it from cosmetics. Only hemp-seed oil, flour and protein from low-THC varieties are allowed, without health claims, and the drug law lists cannabis leaves and flowering tops whatever they are called.

ASAE: cannabis in food(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Portugal regulates food supplements under Decree-Law 136/2003. Each product must be notified to DGAV, the food authority, before it goes on sale, even if it is already sold elsewhere in the EU, and every change to the label or recipe must be notified again. DGAV approves nothing beforehand, and ASAE inspects products in retail. Novel ingredients and health claims follow EU rules.

DGAV: food supplements(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Selling courses, coaching or digital content to Portuguese consumers needs no license. Decree-Law 24/2014 gives buyers 14 days to withdraw from a distance contract; a client who expressly asks for coaching to begin sooner then owes only a proportional share if they withdraw. Income or results promises that mislead are banned under Decree-Law 57/2008.

Decree-Law 24/2014 (distance contracts)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

IT support and repair services sold online to Portuguese consumers need no license. Decree-Law 24/2014 gives 14 days to withdraw, with a proportional payment when the client asked for work to start sooner, and Decree-Law 57/2008 bans misleading and aggressive practices, with ASAE as the enforcement authority. Underwriting looks for the known risk: alarming pop-ups, remote access and paid sham repairs.

Decree-Law 57/2008 (unfair commercial practices)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Direct selling through independent distributors is lawful in Portugal. Decree-Law 57/2008 bans in all circumstances any pyramid scheme in which consumers pay for the chance of a reward that comes essentially from bringing in other consumers rather than from selling or using products. Sales concluded in the customer's own home carry 30 days to withdraw, not 14.

Decree-Law 57/2008, article 8(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Adult content and creator platforms are lawful for adults in Portugal, and no national age-verification law was in force in October 2026. A bill on protecting children in digital environments passed its first vote on February 12, 2026 and is still in committee. Meanwhile the EU Digital Services Act applies to platforms, including its duty to protect minors.

Assembleia da República: Projeto de Lei 398/XVII(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Dating sites and apps need no license in Portugal. Decree-Law 24/2014 applies: subscribers have 14 days to withdraw, owe only a proportional share if they asked for the service to start at once, and must be told before signing how long the contract runs, how it renews and how to end it. Fake profiles and pressure selling fall under the unfair practices law.

Decree-Law 24/2014 (distance contracts)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Timeshares, holiday clubs and long-term holiday products sold to consumers in Portugal follow Decree-Law 275/93. Buyers may cancel within 14 days without giving a reason, and until that period ends no payment, deposit, guarantee or reservation may be taken. Holiday club fees are paid in equal yearly installments, each requested in writing 14 days ahead, and resale services may charge nothing before the sale.

Decree-Law 275/93 (timeshare)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Portugal bans reselling event tickets bought with bots that bypass purchase limits. Ticket agencies may charge at most 10% above the public price, or 20% with home delivery, and show promoters register with IGAC, the culture inspectorate. Whether reselling above face value is criminal speculation is disputed: ASAE has investigated resales of concert tickets, so underwriting checks the pricing model.

Decree-Law 57/2008, article 8 (bot resale)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Dropshipping into Portugal needs no license, but EU VAT and product safety rules apply, and Decree-Law 238/86 requires information on the nature, characteristics and guarantees of goods offered to the Portuguese public, on labels, leaflets, catalogs and advertising, to be in Portuguese. Sellers active in Portugal must also link to the electronic complaints book, mandatory since July 2018.

Decree-Law 238/86 (information in Portuguese)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Subscriptions sold to Portuguese consumers follow Decree-Law 24/2014: 14 days to withdraw, a proportional charge only when the subscriber asked for an early start, an order button that states the obligation to pay, and clear information before signing on duration, automatic renewal, termination and any early-exit charges. Portugal had not notified its transposition of the EU online withdrawal button by October 2026.

Decree-Law 24/2014 (distance contracts)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Portugal has banned selling or supplying any alcoholic drink to under-18s in places open to the public since Decree-Law 106/2015, with identity checks whenever age is in doubt, and bans alcohol sales from vending machines and in shops between midnight and 8 am. No specific license is needed to sell alcohol at retail, and sellers shipping from other member states pay Portuguese excise duty.

Decree-Law 50/2013, article 3(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Only operators licensed by SRIJ, the regulator within Turismo de Portugal, may offer online games and bets to players in Portugal. Decree-Law 66/2015 licenses fixed-odds sports betting, horse racing betting and a closed list of casino games, for three years at a time. SRIJ listed 19 licensed brands in October 2026, and internet providers must block unlicensed sites within 48 hours of its notice.

SRIJ: licensed entities(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Selling CFDs or rolling spot forex to Portuguese consumers is an investment service that needs MiFID II authorization, in Portugal or passported from another member state. CMVM Regulation 5/2019 caps retail leverage from 30:1 on major currency pairs to 2:1 on crypto, closes positions at half the initial margin, bars bonuses and losses beyond the deposit, and bans binary options for retail clients.

CMVM Regulation 5/2019(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Crypto-asset services to Portuguese clients need MiCA authorization as a crypto-asset service provider, or a passport from another member state. Law 69/2025 makes Banco de Portugal the authorizing authority, with the CMVM covering white papers and market abuse. Providers registered under the old virtual asset regime could continue only until July 1, 2026, and that registration gives no shortcut to authorization.

Law 69/2025 of December 22(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Presenting credit offers to consumers, preparing their applications or advising them on credit agreements is regulated in Portugal: intermediaries and advisers need Banco de Portugal authorization and registration. Tied intermediaries may take nothing from consumers, independent ones only under a written contract, and none may handle the loan money. The Bank publishes frequent warnings against unauthorized lenders and intermediaries.

Decree-Law 81-C/2017(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Any health care provider operating in mainland Portugal must register with the ERS, the health regulator, before the first consultation, and that includes telemedicine services, registered with their server address and a named technical lead. Registration carries one fee per provider, scaled by its number of health professionals, plus a yearly regulatory contribution. Practitioners need their own professional license; pure wellness services sit outside the regime.

ERS: registration procedure manual (2025, PDF)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Medicines may be sold online in Portugal only from the websites of pharmacies and of non-prescription outlets registered with Infarmed, showing the EU common logo. Outlets sell non-prescription medicines only; prescription medicines need a prescription and a pharmacy. Infarmed limits home delivery to the seller's municipality and those bordering it, under a pharmacist's supervision, and rules out ordinary post or couriers.

Infarmed: medicines and the internet(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Travel agencies selling packages and travel services in Portugal must register with Turismo de Portugal in the RNAVT and pay €2,500 into the Travel and Tourism Guarantee Fund, which repays travelers when an agency fails. The contribution is never refunded, and agencies top it up by turnover band when the fund drops below €3 million.

Turismo de Portugal: Travel and Tourism Guarantee Fund contribution(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Selling firearms, parts and ammunition in Portugal requires a dealer license from the PSP, the public security police, and buyers must hold the license for each class of weapon. Licensed dealers may sell online, except class A weapons and their ammunition and essential parts, and the buyer's original documents still have to be checked. Transfers from other member states need prior PSP authorization.

Law 5/2006 (weapons and ammunition)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Moving vehicles for customers by road in Portugal is haulage for hire: the carrier needs an IMT license for the business and a license for each vehicle, and since 2007 Portugal has applied that to vans between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes as well as heavier trucks. International carriage needs an EU Community license. Brokers and exporters who do not carry the cars need no sector license.

IMT: new rules for 2.5-tonne goods vehicles(opens in a new tab)Sector page