Chapter XVI · Limitation

Article 174 Limitation

Artigo 174.º · Prescrição

Código das Sociedades Comerciais · Decree-Law No. 262/86 · consolidated text checked 26 October 2026

#

1. The rights of the company against the founders, members, managers, directors, members of the supervisory board and of the general and supervisory board, statutory auditors and liquidators, as well as the rights of those persons against the company, become time-barred after five years from the occurrence of the following events:

1 - Os direitos da sociedade contra os fundadores, os sócios, os gerentes, os administradores, os membros do conselho fiscal e do conselho geral e de supervisão, os revisores oficiais de contas e os liquidatários, bem como os direitos destes contra a sociedade, prescrevem no prazo de cinco anos contados a partir da verificação dos seguintes factos:

#

a) The start of default, in respect of the obligation to make capital contributions or supplementary contributions;

a) O início da mora, quanto à obrigação de entrada de capital ou de prestações suplementares;

#

b) The end of the wilful or culpable conduct of the founder, manager, director, member of the supervisory board or of the general and supervisory board, statutory auditor or liquidator, or its discovery if that conduct was concealed, and the occurrence of the loss, without the loss needing to have materialised in full, in respect of the obligation to compensate the company;

b) O termo da conduta dolosa ou culposa do fundador, do gerente, administrador, membro do conselho fiscal ou do conselho geral e de supervisão, revisor ou liquidatário ou a sua revelação, se aquela houver sido ocultada, e a produção do dano, sem necessidade de que este se tenha integralmente verificado, relativamente à obrigação de indemnizar a sociedade;

#

c) The date on which the transfer of quota interests or shares becomes effective as regards the company, in respect of the transferors’ liability;

c) A data em que a transmissão de quotas ou acções se torne eficaz para com a sociedade quanto à responsabilidade dos transmitentes;

#

d) The maturity of any other obligation;

d) O vencimento de qualquer outra obrigação;

#

e) The performance of the act, in respect of acts performed in the name of a company that is irregular for lack of form or registration.

e) A prática do acto em relação aos actos praticados em nome de sociedade irregular por falta de forma ou de registo.

#

2. The rights of members and third parties arising from the liability to them of founders, managers, directors, members of the supervisory board or of the general and supervisory board, liquidators and statutory auditors, as well as of members in the cases provided for in Articles 82 and 83, become time-barred after five years from the time referred to in point (b) of the preceding paragraph.

2 - Prescrevem no prazo de cinco anos a partir do momento referido na alínea b) do número anterior os direitos dos sócios e de terceiros, por responsabilidade para com eles de fundadores, gerentes, administradores, membros do conselho fiscal ou do conselho geral e de supervisão, liquidatários, revisores oficiais de contas, bem como de sócios, nos casos previstos nos artigos 82.º e 83.º

#

3. Claims of third parties against the company that are enforceable against the former members, and claims enforceable by the former members against third parties, under Articles 163 and 164, become time-barred after five years from registration of the company’s extinction, unless by virtue of other provisions they become time-barred before the end of that period.

3 - Prescrevem no prazo de cinco anos, a contar do registo da extinção da sociedade, os direitos de crédito de terceiros contra a sociedade, exercíveis contra os antigos sócios e os exigíveis por estes contra terceiros, nos termos dos artigos 163.º e 164.º, se, por força de outros preceitos, não prescreverem antes do fim daquele prazo.

#

4. The rights to compensation referred to in Article 114 become time-barred after five years from the date of definitive registration of the merger.

4 - Prescrevem no prazo de cinco anos, a contar da data do registo definitivo da fusão, os direitos de indemnização referidos no artigo 114.º

#

5. If the unlawful act giving rise to the obligation constitutes a criminal offence for which the law lays down a longer limitation period, that longer period applies.

5 - Se o facto ilícito de que resulta a obrigação constituir crime para o qual a lei estabeleça prescrição sujeita a prazo mais longo, será este o prazo aplicável.

What we checked in this article

The five-year periods, the persons covered, the five starting events in paragraph 1, the references to Articles 82, 83, 114, 163 and 164, the earlier-expiry proviso in paragraph 3 and the longer criminal limitation period in paragraph 5 are retained.

Is Article 174 relevant to a company you run or plan to set up?

We advise on Portuguese company law in English every day: formation, capital, members’ resolutions, managers’ liability and restructuring. A written answer and a fixed quote within one working day.

Unofficial English translation prepared by BCA Portugal for reference. Only the Portuguese text published in the Diário da República has legal force. Editorial notes are ours and are not part of the statute.

Applying the law

Portuguese company law, explained in English by the people who apply it

Reading the statute is the first step. Applying it to your articles of association, your capital and your board is where mistakes cost money. Tell us what you are deciding and we will set out the rules that apply and what it costs to get it done.

Get a quote