Banco de Portugal was established on 19 November 1846 and is the central bank of the Portuguese Republic.
According to its Organic Law, Banco de Portugal is a public-law legal person with administrative and financial autonomy and own property.
Banco de Portugal has its head office in Lisbon, a branch in Oporto, a number of agencies in mainland Portugal and two regional delegations (Madeira and Azores).
Banco de Portugal is part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) since its inception in 1998, which consists of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks of the European Union (EU).