Legal Deposit

The responsibility for applying for a Legal Deposit Registration Number pertains to the printer. Numbers can only be attributed to monographs and serial publications. Applicants must complete the online form at least a week in advance. The attribution of Legal Deposit Registration Numbers is entirely free of charge.

Who must deposit?
The owners, managers or equivalent persons in charge of printing workshops or factories are legally required to make the deposit, whatever reprographic process they use and even if they only print occasionally. In the case of works that are printed abroad, but list a publisher that is domiciled in Portugal, the responsibility to deposit lies with the publisher. The applicable Higher education establishments are responsible for depositing Master’s and Doctoral theses.

What publications must be deposited?
The Legal Deposit is obligatory for: works that are printed or published anywhere in the country, regardless of their nature and whatever the reproduction system used; works that are printed abroad by a publisher that is domiciled in Portugal; and Master’s and Doctoral theses and dissertations, and other works related to university or polytechnic teaching careers. There is an exemption for printed materials that have no value as bibliographic publications, such as: calling cards and headed or personalised paper and envelopes; commercial invoices, financial securities, labels, and calendars; colouring albums; coupons and equivalents; models for commercial forms; and other similar materials.

When must the deposit be made?
Except in the case of serial publications, the deposit must be made long enough in advance of the date on which the reproduced work is scheduled for delivery to the publisher for the latter to be able to verify it.

How many copies must be deposited?
11 copies of each publication must be deposited, except in the case of editions of 100 copies or less, luxury editions of up to 300 copies, theses and equivalents, cartographic and iconographic documents, and reprints of works that were published less than a year ago, when only one item example or copy is required.

Note: these general indications do not dispense with consultation of the applicable legislation.