Demand for Portuguese-language content is growing. Here are the steps, opening your activity, rates in euros and secure payment.
Why this market is interesting
Three reasons stack up. The fabric of small and medium companies produces plenty of video and has modest but regular budgets, which matches this format exactly. International brands based here look for local voices for their campaigns. And the language opens beyond the borders, provided the question of variants is treated seriously rather than assuming one version suits everywhere.
The concrete steps to get started
Seven steps, in order.
Choosing two product categories you already use.
Shooting three complete videos, with no client.
Opening your activity, dealt with above.
Preparing a compliant invoice template.
Setting a rate card, written and dated.
Creating a profile on a specialised marketplace.
And writing to ten local brands, with a link to your three videos.
The paperwork, simply explained
Opening your activity
That is the declaration allowing you to trade and to invoice. It is done with the tax administration, and the choice of activity code affects what follows. That choice is made with an accountant, once, and it saves you correcting it later.
Issuing compliant invoices
Each job gives rise to a numbered document carrying your identifiers, the client's, the nature of the work and its date. The exact form depends on the regime chosen and is checked with an accountant, this remaining general information.
Understanding the basics of value added tax
Depending on your turnover and your regime, you may or may not be liable for this tax, and voluntary registration is sometimes worthwhile. The calculation depends on the make-up of your clientele and your professional purchases, and it is done with an accountant.
Social contributions
They follow their own calendar and their own rules, with possible exemption periods at the start depending on the situation. It is the item beginners most often leave out of their price.
What rates to charge in euros
Seven markers for building a readable rate card.
Separating the production price and the usage rights price.
Providing a systematic supplement for paid advertising.
Charging each additional format per unit.
Counting preparation time, often underestimated.
Building contributions and tax into the price, not after.
Providing a travel rate, even a symbolic one.
And setting a minimum order below which you do not work.
What to have before the first order
Seven items ready, all within a day.
One link to three videos, with no sign-up.
A dated rate card, in euros.
An invoice template approved once by an accountant.
Your professional and tax identifiers.
A quote template containing the due date.
A sentence saying what you film best.
And your availability for the next three weeks.
What local brands ask for most often
Six recurring requests, worth anticipating.
A vertical version and a square version, delivered together.
Burnt-in subtitles, proofread by hand.
Two different openings for the same video.
A version with no music.
Delivery within five working days.
And the option of reshooting one shot, at a rate agreed in advance.
How to work with foreign brands
Six points to settle before accepting.
The language and variant expected, written explicitly.
The invoicing currency and who bears the conversion fees.
The applicable tax treatment, checked with an accountant.
The payment term, often longer than locally.
The time difference for approvals.
And how the product is shipped, with any customs charges.
Where local brands find their creators
Six channels, from the most productive to the slowest.
Specialised marketplaces, which settle trust and payment.
Production agencies, which subcontract in volume.
Recommendations from other creators.
Professional groups by sector.
Businesses you are already a customer of, with proof of purchase.
And written outreach, effective if short and precise.
How to get paid safely
Seven precautions, in the order they are useful.
Having the scope and the price written down before shooting.
Asking for a deposit from a first client.
Using secure payment, where the funds are authorised before the shoot and released on approval.
Not delivering the source files before full payment.
Writing the payment term in days, with a date.
Issuing the invoice on the day of delivery.
And keeping all written approvals.
The four weeks of starting up
| Week | What you do | The deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| The first | Set up the shooting corner and the sound | A ready set |
| The second | Film three products you own | Three videos |
| The third | Write the profile, the rate, the lead time | A complete profile |
| The fourth | Answer five listings | A first order |
What sets this market apart
Its size. Local demand alone rarely fills a book, so a profile legible in English and a visible price range open export from the first weeks.
What is put in order from the first income
The activity's filing framework and the invoicing. The activity code, the contributions and the invoice format are confirmed with an accountant before you collect regularly.
The most frequent starting mistakes
Six reflexes that cost months.
Waiting for a first order to open your activity, dealt with above.
Setting prices by looking at beginner creators rather than at your own costs.
Accepting an unlimited licence to land a first assignment.
Delivering without having agreed the number of corrections.
Working with no written agreement for an acquaintance, which ends badly two times out of three.
And neglecting sound quality, the one flaw audiences do not forgive.
One last marker: in this trade, the first year turns on two things. Being able to invoice properly, and delivering exactly what was agreed, a day before the date. The rest, equipment included, comes afterwards.
Sources
Checked on 27 August 2026. Thresholds and rates change: where this guide and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
