Got it. Appreciate your time and reply. 
So is there any way to do this with power of attorney and a Portuguese lawyer? USian currently in the US and travel is… well… it’s not going to happen for a while.
I’d like to get started even so. Does anyone have any information or ideas how it might happen?
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Hi,
My name is Ben and I lived in Portugal between 2002 and 2006. In those years I got my NIF.
I am aware that this number is for life and that I do not need to apply for it again, however how do I retrieve the number? Is it possible to do online or do I physically need to be in an office in Portugal?
It would be handy if i could just retrieve it somehow, before I return to Portugal in the future.
I have Googled it and read many articles, but they all seem to inform about applying, non about retrieving it.
Hopefully someone has an answer,
Thanks in advance! 
Hi there!
The regulations have changed from May 2020 something. That much, that you have to re-write the whole article. In March 2020 that was all true, in August 2020 they asked for a bunch of papers including tax representation appointed (I am an EU citizen).
@nadineg2003 and did you also register with an EU address?
Technically the law has always said that anyone living outside Portugal needs a tax representative, however due to EU rules Portugal hasn’t been able to require this for anyone living in the EU/EEA.
Will i be able to cash out my crypto profits tax free if i have my NIF?
Hi Bob, I also have completely left Portugal but the tax representative wants me to continue making payments. How did you resolve the issue? Thanks!
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Do you guys know if each D7 applicant needs NIF or just main applicant needs one to open bank account?
Ola! This is Amita. I love Portugal and have visited often for the last 6 years. I love to meditate and to enjoy the present moment.
Thank you so much for this amazing website!
When getting a NIF via email, is it necessary to have a Portuguese home address or will a US address also be fine? 
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You don’t need a Portuguese address yourself. I used my US address for my NIF application.
If you are not an EU citizen, you will need to appoint a Portuguese fiscal representative; the government will send correspondence to the representative’s address in Portugal. I hired nifonline to provide a representative; the company scans and forwards all tax agency correspondence.
Hi Guys,
Did anyone rceently go with NIFONLINE? If so, how long did it take you after you sent them the POA? I know they say 20 working days, but just wondered if the avg. time is sooner or later than that.
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Hi Amita,
You do not need a Portuguese home address. The US Address should suffice.
I used nifonline in Q4 of last year. It took two months from submission to fulfillment. That was an uncomfortably long delay, but it was compatible with my needs. I was planning far ahead so it was not the long pole in the tent; I wasn’t going to fund my investment before the new tax year.
On a positive note, they are responsive and helpful via email. I gunked up my NIF web site access and they helped me to get it restored.
I saw someone posted the other day that they were still waiting since May 4th, i.e. over 20 days…
By the way, another online service called Bordr was off for a couple of weeks in June, but now they have re-opened and quote 1 week turnaround.
Yes, possibly they do, but they have a very poor website, not even disclosing their prices.
Nifonline is terribly painful, I committed the mistake of applying for my daughter’s NIF with them and I’m still waiting after a month.
It took two months from submission to fulfillment.
I was uneasy while I was waiting, since I didn’t know when it would be resolved, but the two month delay was not a problem for my application timeline. I was planning ahead before my investment funds became available.
Other than the lack of clarity about the initial processing timeline, the service has been fine. They were helpful about restoring my access when I bungled the sign-up process for the Finance department web site.
I am satisfied with nifonline. You get what you pay for, if you’re lucky. If you are in a great hurry, it may be better to hire one of the firms that charges 1000€ for premiere service.
So far I have been quite satisfied with NIFonline. They delivered my NIF exactly as advertised on the 20th business day after submission of the signed application form. It’s always nice to see a service fulfilling their SLA.
Also I was pleased with the application process itself, it was very simple and did not require signing any Power of Attorney (unlike some other NIF online services that I researched).
If you have been waiting for a month that roughly translates to 20 business days. Perhaps you can email them to check the status, I found them quite responsive.
I thought that by law you have to sign a Power Attorney, that is why you actually pay for, the tax representation on your behalf. The application of the NIF itself it’s free.
I will contact them today again