How to Get a MAKRO Card in Portugal
The practical expat and freelancer guide to eligibility, documents, registration and using your digital customer card.
Editorial illustration of a MAKRO-style store, not a documentary photograph of a specific branch.
You know those enormous blue-and-yellow MAKRO stores you pass while driving around Portugal? If you’ve ever wondered how to get inside one, you’re not alone. At first glance, MAKRO looks like Portugal’s version of Costco: industrial-sized ingredients, commercial kitchen equipment and enough bulk groceries to keep a small café running.
But there’s an important catch: MAKRO isn’t a warehouse club where anyone can simply buy a membership. Its physical wholesale stores are for registered professional customers. The good news for expats is that eligible freelancers and independent workers can qualify, too.
To get a MAKRO card in Portugal, you must qualify as a professional customer. Eligible self-employed residents may apply using their Portuguese Finanças activity documentation, identity documents and proof of fiscal address. MAKRO currently states that registration is free. Check MAKRO’s official requirements.
Can Anyone Get a MAKRO Card in Portugal?
No. MAKRO operates primarily as a business-to-business wholesaler. Its published eligibility categories include:
- Registered companies and other businesses
- Empresários em Nome Individual (sole traders)
- Freelancers and independent professionals working por conta própria
- Public institutions and certain other organizations
- Students and teachers at hospitality schools
You do not have to own a restaurant or hotel. But a regular shopper with no qualifying professional activity generally cannot sign up merely by paying an annual fee.
Can Expats and Freelancers Get a MAKRO Card?
Yes, provided you meet the professional requirements. Portuguese nationality is not required. Your registration status is more important than your passport.
For many independent workers in Portugal, the relevant documents include personal identification, the declaração de início de atividade from Finanças (or alternative tax filings accepted by MAKRO) and proof of fiscal address. Companies may need additional registration records.
If you operate a business established abroad, MAKRO publishes separate routes for some overseas companies. Confirm exactly which documents apply before paying for translations or certifications.
Apparently, dealing with Portuguese tax paperwork can eventually earn you access to industrial-sized cheese. Bureaucracy does occasionally have its rewards.
How to Get a MAKRO Card: Step by Step
Once you know you are eligible, the process is much less mysterious.
Create your online account
Begin at the official MAKRO registration page. Be aware that creating a basic digital account is not the same as registering as a professional wholesale customer.
Register your business or professional activity
Choose the category that matches your actual work, whether that is a company, sole trader or independent professional.
Provide your documentation
Prepare your identification, evidence of Portuguese professional activity or business registration, and address documentation. Always consult MAKRO’s latest document checklist.
Wait for account validation
MAKRO must approve your professional registration before your account provides access to physical wholesale stores.
Use your digital MAKRO card
Once approved, access your customer card through MAKRO’s mobile app. You can use the digital card for store identification without carrying another piece of plastic.
How Much Does a MAKRO Card Cost?
The customer card is free for eligible applicants. MAKRO Portugal does not currently charge an annual registration fee for professional customers.
MAKRO also states that one professional customer registration can have up to five authorized users to purchase in physical stores — useful when you run a business with several people buying supplies.
What Can You Buy at MAKRO Portugal?
Expect a wholesaler designed for cafés, restaurants, hotels and other professional customers: bulk food, fresh products, beverages, cleaning products, cookware, professional appliances and restaurant supplies.
Don’t assume everything is cheaper. Compare prices including IVA with regular supermarkets, and remember that buying twelve kilograms of something is no bargain when half of it turns into a biology experiment in your refrigerator.
Where Are MAKRO Stores in Portugal?
MAKRO has stores serving the Lisbon area, Porto area, Coimbra, Braga, Leiria and the Algarve. You can find locations and services through the official store directory.
MAKRO Coimbra
For anyone living in Central Portugal, the MAKRO in Eiras is especially convenient. The store is at Rua Adriano Lucas, 205, 3020-430 Coimbra and offers parking, Click & Collect and MAKRO Go services. Check the MAKRO Coimbra store page for current hours.
Is a MAKRO Card Worth Getting?
For eligible customers, it’s certainly worth considering: there’s no current registration fee. It makes the most sense when you buy supplies regularly, operate a business or have enough storage space to benefit from larger quantities.
For someone living alone in a tiny apartment? Maybe you don’t need 48 rolls of kitchen paper just because you can buy them. Compare unit prices, storage space and how much you will actually use.
MAKRO Card Portugal: FAQ
Can anyone shop at MAKRO Portugal?
No. Its physical wholesale stores are mainly for eligible registered professional customers rather than anyone willing to pay a consumer membership fee.
Can a freelancer get a MAKRO card in Portugal?
Yes. Qualifying independent professionals can apply with the required proof of their work and tax registration.
Can a foreigner apply for a MAKRO card?
Yes. Eligibility depends on professional status and documentation, not Portuguese nationality.
Do I have to own a Portuguese limited company?
No. A qualifying independent worker registered with Finanças may be eligible without forming a limited company.
Is MAKRO registration free?
Yes. MAKRO Portugal currently describes professional customer registration as free.
Does an online MAKRO account let me enter a store?
Not automatically. Your business or professional registration must be validated for physical-store access.
Can I use a digital MAKRO card?
Yes. Eligible registered customers can use MAKRO’s mobile app for a digital customer card.
Atypical Last Thoughts
Getting a MAKRO card in Portugal is one of those things that sounds complicated until you understand the rules. This isn’t simply Portugal’s Costco. It’s a wholesaler built for professional customers.
But if you’re a freelancer or independent worker who already opened activity with Finanças, you may have the documentation needed to apply — and registration itself is currently free.
Before assuming those giant blue doors are off-limits, check your paperwork. Portuguese bureaucracy might finally have earned you something fun.