Authorised credit intermediaries

Access to the credit intermediary activity depends on authorisation and registration with Banco de Portugal.

However, natural and legal persons that:

• already acted as credit intermediaries on 1 January 2018; and

• submitted to Banco de Portugal, until 31 December 2018, the application for authorization to exercise the activity as credit intermediaries

may continue to carry out these functions until they have been notified of the Banco de Portugal's decision on the application for authorization and registration until 31 July 2019. They are, however, required to comply with all applicable legal and regulatory rules regarding to the exercise of this activity.

Credit intermediaries authorised to carry on business in Portugal are listed in two lists published by Banco de Portugal:

• The list of entities authorised to act as credit intermediaries;

• The list of credit institutions, financial companies, payment institutions and electronic currency institutions that provide credit intermediation or advisory services for credit agreements in which they do not act as lenders.

The list of competent authorities for authorization and supervision of credit intermediaries in the other Member States of the European Union is available here.