Portugal NIF, NISS and NIB Validator and Generator

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Portuguese NIF first digit meaning

What the first digit of the Portuguese NIF means

A NIF is not just a number: its start says what kind of holder received it. The reading below follows the table in the Tax Authority manual, plus range 3 and two prefixes listed by Wikipedia. Paste the number into the tool and the type appears by itself.

Prefix table

For people, the prefixes 1, 2 and 3 apply. The AT manual lists 1 and 2 as individuals and treats 3 as a range not yet assigned; in April 2019 the AT announced it would move from range 2 to range 3 NIFs around June or July that year, so a NIF starting with 3 is now an individual. Prefix 45 designates non-resident individuals with final withholding tax, for example on securities. It is a special range, quite different from the ordinary NIF a resident foreigner receives.
For entities, 5 is a legal entity, also called NIPC, and 6 is a central, regional or local public administration body. 70 and 74 are undivided estates (Wikipedia adds 75), 71 is a non-resident entity with final withholding and 72 is an investment or pension fund. 77 and 78 are ex officio assignments, and 78 covers non-residents in the VAT refund process. 90 and 91 are condominiums and irregular companies, 98 is a non-resident with or without a permanent establishment and 99 is a civil company without legal personality.
Two caveats. Prefix 8, for sole traders, is obsolete, and 79 was the Expo 98 exceptional regime, so the tool validates them but flags a warning. And a prefix not in the table, such as 4 not followed by 5, does not make the NIF invalid on its own: validity comes from the check digit, and an unknown prefix only raises a warning, because the AT may open new ranges, as it did with 3.

Valid NIFs of each type

Individual, range 3

Input: 300000006
Expected output: Pessoa singular

Prefix 3.

Legal entity

Input: 501234560
Expected output: Pessoa coletiva

Prefix 5, the NIPC.

Public administration

Input: 600000001
Expected output: Administração pública

Prefix 6.

Non-resident individual

Input: 450000001
Expected output: Não residente singular (retenção na fonte)

Prefix 45.

Undivided estate

Input: 700000003
Expected output: Herança indivisa

Prefix 70.

Condominium

Input: 900000007
Expected output: Condomínio ou sociedade irregular

Prefix 90.

Full tool FAQ

How does the NIF check digit work?

Each of the first 8 digits is multiplied by the weights 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and the products are added. The remainder of the division by 11 decides the ninth digit: 0 or 1 gives 0, and any other remainder r gives 11 minus r. For 204716624 the sum is 139, the remainder is 7 and the digit is 4.

What does the first digit of a NIF mean?

Does a NIF that passes validation really exist?

How does a Brazilian get a NIF in Portugal?

Are NIF, NIPC and número de contribuinte the same thing?

How is the NISS digit calculated?

What is the difference between NIB and IBAN?

Can I use the generated numbers on forms?

Does the tool validate the Cartão de Cidadão number?

Why do some NIFs start with 3 and with 8?

Frequently asked questions

Is a NIF starting with 5 always a company?

Yes, 5 is the range for legal entities, which the AT and the RNPC assign to companies, associations and similar bodies. Sole traders use the NIF of the individual.

Why does my NIF start with 2 and my friend's with 3?

Because the AT exhausted range 2 and started issuing in range 3 from 2019. Both are for individuals, and the first digit does not reveal nationality or residence.

Is the type shown guaranteed?

It is a reading of the published table. The tool does not query the AT, so only the AT confirms the real holder of a number.

Next steps

Prefix table

For people, the prefixes 1, 2 and 3 apply. The AT manual lists 1 and 2 as individuals and treats 3 as a range not yet assigned; in April 2019 the AT announced it would move from range 2 to range 3 NIFs around June or July that year, so a NIF starting with 3 is now an individual. Prefix 45 designates non-resident individuals with final withholding tax, for example on securities. It is a special range, quite different from the ordinary NIF a resident foreigner receives.

For entities, 5 is a legal entity, also called NIPC, and 6 is a central, regional or local public administration body. 70 and 74 are undivided estates (Wikipedia adds 75), 71 is a non-resident entity with final withholding and 72 is an investment or pension fund. 77 and 78 are ex officio assignments, and 78 covers non-residents in the VAT refund process. 90 and 91 are condominiums and irregular companies, 98 is a non-resident with or without a permanent establishment and 99 is a civil company without legal personality.

Two caveats. Prefix 8, for sole traders, is obsolete, and 79 was the Expo 98 exceptional regime, so the tool validates them but flags a warning. And a prefix not in the table, such as 4 not followed by 5, does not make the NIF invalid on its own: validity comes from the check digit, and an unknown prefix only raises a warning, because the AT may open new ranges, as it did with 3.

Valid NIFs of each type

Individual, range 3

Input: 300000006
Expected output: Pessoa singular

Prefix 3.

Legal entity

Input: 501234560
Expected output: Pessoa coletiva

Prefix 5, the NIPC.

Public administration

Input: 600000001
Expected output: Administração pública

Prefix 6.

Non-resident individual

Input: 450000001
Expected output: Não residente singular (retenção na fonte)

Prefix 45.

Undivided estate

Input: 700000003
Expected output: Herança indivisa

Prefix 70.

Condominium

Input: 900000007
Expected output: Condomínio ou sociedade irregular

Prefix 90.

Full tool FAQ

How does the NIF check digit work?

What does the first digit of a NIF mean?

Does a NIF that passes validation really exist?

How does a Brazilian get a NIF in Portugal?

Are NIF, NIPC and número de contribuinte the same thing?

How is the NISS digit calculated?

What is the difference between NIB and IBAN?

Can I use the generated numbers on forms?

Does the tool validate the Cartão de Cidadão number?

Why do some NIFs start with 3 and with 8?

Frequently asked questions

Is a NIF starting with 5 always a company?

Yes, 5 is the range for legal entities, which the AT and the RNPC assign to companies, associations and similar bodies. Sole traders use the NIF of the individual.

Why does my NIF start with 2 and my friend's with 3?

Because the AT exhausted range 2 and started issuing in range 3 from 2019. Both are for individuals, and the first digit does not reveal nationality or residence.

Is the type shown guaranteed?

It is a reading of the published table. The tool does not query the AT, so only the AT confirms the real holder of a number.