Portuguese associations and cooperatives - Application for Public Utility Status

Portuguese associations or cooperatives (private non-profit legal persons) may request public utility status.

The Portuguese foundations and the permanent representations of foundations or other non-profit foreign legal persons must make the requests in the corresponding services.
 

Service channels

Procedure and requirements

Procedure

  • submission of the request in gov.pt portal and start of the process by the legal representative of the entity
  • analysis of the process by the SGPCM     
  • (possible) preliminary rejection 
  • (eventual) request for additional opinions from competent entities in the area of activity of the requesting entity 
  • (eventual) request for improvement of the request 
  • proposal for a decision 
  • decision by the competent Government member 
  • publication of the decision in the Official Gazette, when favourable.

Time of issue/decision

120 dias úteis desde o pedido de atribuição do estatuto de utilidade pública ou desde a notificação para completar o pedido.

How much

É gratuito.

Additional Data

Territorial Scope
Portuguese associations and cooperatives with a national, regional or local scope. Excludes associations and cooperatives that carry out their activity exclusively in one of the Autonomous Regions.

Legislation, refusals, contests, claims

Legislation

Lei n.º 36/2021, de 14 de junho.

Competent Entity

Centro Jurídico do Estado