Who can sell on TugaFreela? The answer has changed — for the better. Here is what you need today, who needs it, and when we ask for each thing.

Hiring is free. It always was, and still is

If you are here to hire a professional or post a project, nothing changes. Anyone, from any country, can create an account and hire — no checks, no documents, no paperwork.

To sell: your own country's tax number

To publish services as a freelancer you need a valid tax identification number. In most cases your own country's number is enough — a freelancer in Spain uses the Spanish NIF, in Germany the German one, and so on.

You do not need to be Portuguese, nor to live in Portugal.

The exception: Portuguese-speaking countries

There is one exception, and it is worth explaining. If you are from Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe or Timor-Leste, you need a Portuguese NIF to sell here.

The reason is simple: in these cases there is no language barrier, and the competition with local talent is direct. TugaFreela exists to give a market to people working in Portugal and for Portugal. You are welcome to sell — as long as you have a real tax link to the country, like any professional issuing invoices here.

A CPF or a NUIT does not replace the Portuguese NIF. The NIF itself is required.

What about the identity document?

Here is the change many people asked for: the document is only requested when there is money to withdraw.

Publish your services, take orders, do the work. Only when you want to transfer your earnings to your bank account do we ask for identity verification. Before that, nobody asks you for any paperwork.

It makes sense: verification exists to protect money — yours and your client's. Before there is money, there is nothing to protect.

Documents accepted at verification

When the time comes, one of these is enough:

• Portuguese Citizen Card; or
• Portuguese Residence Permit or Card; or
• NIF certificate from the Tax Authority; or
• Passport; or
• Your country's ID document, if you sell with that country's tax number.

Already have services published?

They keep working normally. If your profile has no tax number yet, it will be requested the next time you publish or edit a service. Just the number — no documents at that stage.

Why we do this

For trust. Whoever hires is handing money to someone they do not know. Knowing there is a professional with verified tax identification on the other side gives buyers confidence — and gives serious freelancers an edge.

It is also compliance: anyone providing services professionally has tax obligations, and the platform has to respect them.

Hiring is free for everyone. Selling requires a tax number — a Portuguese one, if you are from a Portuguese-speaking country.

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