Chapter III · Shares · Section III · Own shares

Article 316 Subscription. Involvement of third parties

Artigo 316.º · Subscrição. Intervenção de terceiros

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

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1. A company may not subscribe for its own shares and may acquire and hold own shares by any other means only in the cases and under the conditions laid down by law.

1 - Uma sociedade não pode subscrever acções próprias, e, por outra causa, só pode adquirir e deter acções próprias nos casos e nas condições previstos na lei.

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2. A company may not instruct another person to subscribe for or acquire shares in the company in that person’s own name but on the company’s behalf.

2 - Uma sociedade não pode encarregar outrem de, em nome deste mas por conta da sociedade, subscrever ou adquirir acções dela própria.

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3. Shares subscribed for or acquired in breach of the preceding paragraph belong for all purposes, including the obligation to pay them up, to the person who subscribed for or acquired them.

3 - As acções subscritas ou adquiridas com violação do disposto no número anterior pertencem para todos os efeitos, incluindo a obrigação de as liberar, à pessoa que as subscreveu ou adquiriu.

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4. The company may not waive repayment of the sums it has advanced to anyone for the purpose referred to in paragraph 2, nor fail to act with all due diligence to ensure that such repayment is made.

4 - A sociedade não pode renunciar ao reembolso das importâncias que tenha adiantado a alguém para o fim mencionado no n.º 2 nem deixar de proceder com toda a diligência para que tal reembolso se efective.

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5. Without prejudice to their liability under the general rules, the directors involved in the transactions prohibited by paragraph 2 are personally and jointly and severally liable for paying up the shares.

5 - Sem prejuízo da sua responsabilidade, nos termos gerais, os administradores intervenientes nas operações proibidas pelo n.º 2 são pessoal e solidariamente responsáveis pela liberação das acções.

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6. Acts whereby a company acquires the shares referred to in paragraph 2 from the persons mentioned therein are void, except in the enforcement of a claim where the debtor has no other sufficient assets.

6 - São nulos os actos pelos quais uma sociedade adquira acções referidas no n.º 2 às pessoas ali mencionadas, excepto em execução de crédito e se o devedor não tiver outros bens suficientes.

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7. The rights attaching to shares subscribed for by a third party on the company’s behalf in breach of this provision are deemed suspended until that third party has fulfilled the obligations to repay the company and to reimburse the sums paid by the directors to pay up those shares.

7 - Consideram-se suspensos os direitos inerentes às acções subscritas por terceiro por conta da sociedade em violação deste preceito, enquanto não forem por ele cumpridas as obrigações de reembolso da sociedade e de restituição das quantias pagas pelos administradores para a sua liberação.

What we checked in this article

The ban on subscribing for own shares, the attribution of shares acquired through an intermediary to that person, the non-waivable repayment claim, the directors' personal joint and several liability for paying up, nullity subject to the enforcement exception (both conditions) and suspension of rights until repayment and reimbursement are retained.

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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.

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