Law No. 5-A/2026 of 28 January — in force since 27 July 2026.
representacaodeinteresses.pt is the training and knowledge portal for the Portuguese interest representation regime. Our full catalogue is delivered in Portuguese; international organisations will find services and training in English at our international portal.
Law No. 5-A/2026 of 28 January — in force since 27 July 2026 (Article 21). The 60-day registration period runs from the date on which the register starts operating (Article 19(2)) — [date to be announced by notice of the Portuguese Parliament — Article 18(3)].
Law No. 5-A/2026 of 28 January (Lei n.º 5-A/2026, de 28 de janeiro) establishes the Portuguese regime of legitimate interest representation (representação legítima de interesses, Article 2) — the activities carried out in accordance with the law to influence, directly or indirectly, public policies, legislative, regulatory or administrative acts and public contracts. Six features define how it works in practice.
The law creates the Transparency Register of Interest Representation (Registo de Transparência da Representação de Interesses — RTRI), a single, public, free and open register operating at the Portuguese Parliament (Articles 1 and 4). Registered entities are organised into five categories of representatives (Article 13(3)), and registered data must be kept up to date within 30 days of any change (Article 5(4)).
Entities subject to registration must appear in the RTRI before being granted a hearing (audiência) by any of the public entities covered by the regime (Article 8(1)) — a list that spans eight categories of public entities, from Parliament and the Government to local authorities and independent administrative bodies (Article 3).
Public entities must disclose, at least quarterly, the meetings held with entities listed in the RTRI (Article 8(3)); the Portuguese Parliament discloses its meetings monthly (Article 8(4)). Each public entity also keeps a dedicated web page listing all public consultations in progress (Article 9).
At the end of each legislative procedure, all consultations and interactions that took place during the preparatory phase are identified — the legislative footprint (pegada legislativa, Article 10). Public entities are required to create specific mechanisms to record it.
A code of conduct (código de conduta) with five articles is annexed to the law and forms an integral part of it, binding both the public entities covered and registered representatives (Article 15(1)). Public entities may densify it in their own codes, notably on gifts and hospitality (Article 15(2)).
Breaches may lead to suspension of registration or of institutional contacts for up to two years, limitations on access and exclusion from public consultations (Article 11(1)), with decisions published (Article 11(2)) and open to challenge before the administrative courts (Article 11(3)). Former political office-holders and senior officials face a three-year cooling-off period (Article 12(1)).
This portal is the technical school of the regime. Our training catalogue — technical sessions, practical workshops, in-company programmes and a documentary toolkit — is designed and delivered in Portuguese, for teams operating in Portugal.
Progressive learning paths — from initiation to advanced workshops and in-company programmes — with supporting materials and a certificate of attendance.
View training plans (in Portuguese) →Technical sessions, workshops on registration and declarative duties, the code of conduct and the legislative footprint, plus the compliance documentary toolkit.
View the catalogue (in Portuguese) →If your organisation operates from outside Portugal and needs the Portuguese regime explained — and applied — in English, our international portal provides dedicated services and training in English: regime briefings, registration support and compliance guidance for foreign entities engaging with Portuguese public bodies.
For enrolment, proposals or general enquiries, use our contact page and single enquiry form — our team replies in English on request. You can also write directly to info@representacaodeinteresses.pt.
This page is provided for information purposes only and does not replace specialised legal or professional advice. References to Law No. 5-A/2026 are unofficial translations: only the Portuguese text published in the Diário da República is authentic.
Training and documentary content is pedagogical in nature and does not constitute legal advice.