About Taxbordr: founder-led IFICI advisory
Taxbordr is a Portugal tax advisory firm founded by Telmo Ramos, Ordem dos Economistas Cédula nº 16379, formerly KPMG Luxembourg and EY Lisbon. Every IFICI eligibility analysis, application file, and Anexo L election is signed by Telmo personally. The deliverable is a written Position Memo plus a defendable application file. We work with cases from the UK, Germany, Canada, South Africa, the United States, and beyond, where the activity needs to be mapped against EBF art 58-A and Portaria 352/2024/1.
What IFICI is
IFICI is the regime created by Lei 82/2023 of 29 December 2023 (OE 2024) under EBF art 58-A and operationalised by Portaria 352/2024/1 of 23 December 2024. It replaces NHR for new arrivals from 1 January 2024. NHR is closed to new applicants; the late-application window under Lei 82/2023 art 236 closed on 31 March 2025 (extended from 15 March 2025 by Despacho 24/2025-XXIV). Existing 10-year NHR registrations continue.
The seven eligibility paths
IFICI eligibility runs through one of seven paths, not a single profile: - Path 1: Roles in companies certified as innovative startups under Lei 21/2023 (Estatuto da Startup e da Scaleup) per the certification procedure of Portaria 401/2023. - Path 2: Roles in projects benefiting from RFAI (Regime Fiscal de Apoio ao Investimento) under CFI art 22-26. - Path 3: Highly qualified professions listed in Portaria 352/2024/1 Anexo I, when exercised through Cat A or Cat B income from a qualifying CAE-classified activity. - Path 4: Roles in projects with AICEP / IAPMEI recognition for productive investment. - Path 5: R&D personnel under SIFIDE (Sistema de Incentivos Fiscais à Investigação Científica e ao Desenvolvimento Empresarial) per CFI art 35-42. - Path 6: University teaching and scientific research roles under Lei 73/2014. - Path 7: Roles in companies operating in the Madeira and Azores autonomous regions with activity in the qualifying CAE list. The 7-paths framework appears in the references and AT FAQ. Headline shorthand around "EQF Level 6+ degree" or "PhD" misses paths 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 entirely.
The benefit: 20 percent on Cat A/B + foreign-source exemption
IFICI delivers two benefits in parallel under EBF art 58-A: - 20 percent flat on qualifying Portuguese-source Cat A (employment) and Cat B (self-employment) income, for the qualifying activity only. Non-qualifying side activities stay on the standard CIRS regime. - Exemption from Portuguese tax on foreign-source income in Cat A, B, E, F, and G under CIRS art 81 n.º 4. The exemption is the "exemption method" rather than the "credit method", meaning the foreign income is excluded from Portuguese taxation regardless of foreign tax paid. Pensions (Cat H) and blacklisted-jurisdiction income (35 percent aggravated) are explicitly excluded from the exemption per CIRS art 81 n.º 5.
What IFICI is not
IFICI is not the same as NHR. NHR was 10 years on a broader base (most foreign income exempt with conditions, pensions taxed at 0 percent pre-2020 or 10 percent from 2020) and required a different qualification process. IFICI is narrower: only specific activity-based roles qualify, and the Cat A/B activity has to fit one of the seven paths. IFICI is also not automatic on D7 visa, D8 visa, or any other immigration category. The activity decides, not the visa.
Application mechanics
The IFICI application is filed annually with AT by 15 January of the year after Portuguese tax residency starts. The 2024 first-year deadline was 15 January 2025, extended to 31 March 2025 by Despacho 24/2025-XXIV. The 2025 first-year deadline is 15 January 2026. The application file includes employment contracts, CAE classification evidence, employer letters or activity certifications (depending on path), Portuguese residency proof, and the Anexo L declaration on the year's Modelo 3.
Cross-links and next steps
For application support with a defendable evidence pack: see IFICI Portugal application. For the qualifying CAE codes and highly qualified professions list: see IFICI qualifying sectors. For the broader tax-incentive context: see Portugal NHR after 2024. For the headline regime comparison vs Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus / Malta / UAE: see the comparison pages.
What this overview is not
This page is general guidance, not advice on your specific situation. Eligibility under each path requires evidence that matches the activity you actually carry out. We model and apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IFICI?
Incentivo Fiscal a Investigação Científica e Inovação. It is the Portuguese tax regime created by Lei 82/2023 under EBF art 58-A, operationalised by Portaria 352/2024/1, that taxes qualifying Cat A and Cat B Portuguese-source income at 20 percent flat for 10 years and exempts foreign-source Cat A/B/E/F/G income.
Did IFICI replace NHR?
For new applicants, yes. NHR closed to new applicants from 1 January 2024 under Lei 82/2023. The late-application window closed on 31 March 2025 under Lei 82/2023 art 236 with extensions under Despacho 24/2025-XXIV. Existing 10-year NHR registrations continue.
Does IFICI cover pensions?
No. Pensions are excluded from the IFICI exemption method under CIRS art 81 n.º 4. Pensions in Portugal are taxed under standard CIRS brackets (Cat H) with treaty allocation.
How long does IFICI last?
10 consecutive years from the first year the regime applies, under EBF art 58-A.
Who qualifies for IFICI?
Residents who derive Cat A or Cat B income from one of the seven paths in Portaria 352/2024/1: certified startup roles, RFAI-eligible roles, highly qualified professions in Anexo I, AICEP / IAPMEI-recognised projects, R&D personnel under SIFIDE, university teaching / research, and Madeira / Azores qualifying activities.
When is the IFICI application due?
15 January of the year after Portuguese tax residency starts. For 2025 first-year residents, the deadline is 15 January 2026. The Anexo L election is filed on Modelo 3 by 30 June 2026.
Can a D7 or D8 visa holder use IFICI?
Only if their Cat A or Cat B activity falls within one of the seven paths. The visa does not create eligibility; the activity does. Most D7 holders do not qualify because their income is passive (pensions, dividends, rental).