Moving to Portugal

Everything you need to move to Portugal in 2026: your first steps in order, tax at a glance, Portugal emergency numbers and the address book for AIMA, Finanças, Segurança Social and the SNS – plus what changed for anyone living in Portugal as a foreigner.

If you are moving to Portugal in 2026, you arrive just after the biggest rewrite of the immigration rules in years. Since 11 September 2026 (Lei 62/2026) AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF in 2023) must decide on a residence permit within 90 days, extendable once by 30, and a worker can change employer by simply notifying AIMA – but AIMA's own pages and FAQs had not been updated on 24 September 2026. Before that, the in-country manifestação de interesse route ended on 4 June 2024, the general job-seeker visa was abolished on 23 October 2025 (its skilled successor is still not available), and family reunification now normally waits two years. Since 19 May 2026 citizenship by naturalisation takes seven years of legal residence for EU and Portuguese-speaking nationals and ten for everyone else.

This hub is for anyone who wants to move to Portugal or is already living in Portugal as a foreigner: EU citizens who only register at the câmara municipal (town hall), non-EU employees, Blue Card holders, remote workers, researchers, students, families, retirees, entrepreneurs, nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries, UK citizens and people seeking protection. Choose your profile below, then read the 15 guides in order. This page gives you the first steps, the 2026 numbers, the Portugal emergency numbers and the address book. A rule is national unless we say that a câmara municipal decides – Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Coimbra are our examples.

Comparing countries or new to Europe? Moving to Europe lists every country guide and explains the rules that apply across Europe – Schengen, EES, ETIAS, the EU Blue Card and free movement.

Who are you? Choose your guide

Choose what fits you best and get your own step-by-step path, the rules that apply to you and which guides to read.

EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

The 2024–2026 tightening of the Foreigners Law does not touch you: you still live in Portugal under Lei 37/2006 – three months on your ID card or passport, then the CRUE (certificado de registo de cidadão da União Europeia) from the câmara municipal (town hall). What has changed is the end of the road: since 19 May 2026 citizenship takes seven years of legal residence instead of five.

Step	What to do
Arrive with your ID card or passport	For the first three months you need nothing else (Lei 37/2006 art. 6). No entry declaration at the police is needed under EU free movement. – Where: None – national rule
Get your tax number first	NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number): needed to rent, sign contracts and open a bank account. Book at Finanças (tax office) or a Loja de Cidadão (citizen shop); non-residents need no tax representative. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)
Register at the câmara within 30 days after three months	Bring ID and a declaration on honour that you work, study or have means and health insurance. €18 at the counter (€15 digital, Portaria 13/2024); valid five years; missing the deadline is fined €400 to €1,500. – Where: Câmara municipal (in Lisbon at the Loja de Cidadão do Saldanha counter)
Porto issues the CRUE on the spot – other câmaras differ	Deadline and fee are national; câmaras set appointments and proof of address. Porto issues it on the spot by appointment (online in 10 working days) with a lease, deed or junta de freguesia (parish council) certificate. – Where: Câmara Municipal do Porto
Collect NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the CRUE you get the NIF, NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) user number together, free, at one of 12 Espaço Cidadão counters – Lisbon Saldanha, Porto Cedofeita and Braga among them. – Where: Espaço Cidadão
Tell Finanças you are now resident	Update your tax address within 60 days with ID and the CRUE; as an EU resident you may choose electronic notifications instead of a tax representative. You are tax resident after 183 days or with a habitual home. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)
Register at the centro de saúde (health centre)	Take the CRUE, NIF and proof of address; the SNS user number is issued at your first visit. A family doctor is not automatic: 1,672,130 mainland users had none in June 2026. – Where: Centro de saúde
Driving licence: register with IMT within 60 days	Your EU licence stays valid until it expires, but you must register your residence with IMT (free) within 60 days of moving; a voluntary exchange costs €30. – Where: IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes)

Rules that apply to you
Non-EU family apply to AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) for a Cartão de Residência within 30 days after three months.
After five years' legal residence ask AIMA for the Certificado de Residência Permanente – since 1 July 2026 only via the Portal de Renovações, decided within three months.
Nationality: seven years' legal residence (Lei Orgânica 1/2026, in force 19 May 2026), a language and culture test, €250; the level stays A2 until the amended regulation appears.
Lisbon's CRUE procedure could not be read on 24 September 2026; Braga and Coimbra publish no CRUE page – there only the national rule (30 days after three months, €18) is certain.
Checks on whether you still meet the conditions are allowed only in cases of reasonable doubt; using Portuguese social security does not automatically end your right of residence.

Source: Lei 37/2006, AIMA, Câmara Municipal do Porto, Autoridade Tributária, ACSS, read 24 September 2026

From the UK

Two tracks. If you lived in Portugal by 31 December 2020 and have stayed since, the Withdrawal Agreement protects you and AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) issues your residence card for €15. Newcomers are third-country nationals: 90 days visa-free in any 180, then a residency visa before travelling; since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System logs visits.

Step	What to do
Withdrawal Agreement: write to AIMA's Caixa BREXIT	Ask to swap your CRUE (certificado de registo de cidadão da União Europeia) or old SEF certificate for the new permit, or to be documented if never registered; prove continuous residence since 2020 and income. – Where: AIMA (Brexit Line)
Pay €15 or €18 at the biometrics appointment	AIMA books you into the Loja AIMA nearest your home: €15 for the temporary permit (five years), €18 for the permanent one (ten years), Portaria 1/2022. After five years' residence you can move to the permanent card. – Where: AIMA
Newcomers: choose a residency visa before you travel	Work (D1), self-employment (D2), highly qualified (D3), study (D4), family (D6), retirement or passive income (D7), remote work (D8). Consulate fee €110, decision within 60 days; two entries and four months. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Prove means at the 2026 rate	Consulates measure means against the €920 minimum wage: 100% for you, 50% per extra adult, 30% per child. Travel insurance can be waived if the UK–Portugal health arrangement (form S1) covers you. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Apply to AIMA for the permit within four months	By appointment at any Loja AIMA with passport, visa, proof of address and NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number) and NISS (social security number) registration. Fees €133.00 plus €114.30, 25% less digitally. – Where: AIMA
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With a residence permit or the AIMA receipt you get all three – SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) is the health number – free at one of 12 Espaço Cidadão counters, such as Lisbon Saldanha, Porto Cedofeita and Braga. – Where: Espaço Cidadão
Keep driving on your UK licence	Since 1 August 2022 a UK licence stays valid after you become resident if issued or renewed within the last 15 years and you are under 60 (Decreto-Lei 46/2022); exchanging needs a medical exam but no driving test. – Where: IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes)
Plan for citizenship at ten years	Under Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (in force 19 May 2026) UK nationals need ten years' legal residence, a language and culture test and a €250 fee; periods count within a 12-year window. AIMA certifies residence time (Modelo 7). – Where: IRN (Balcão da Nacionalidade)

Rules that apply to you
Withdrawal Agreement absences: up to six months a year (or 12 months for work abroad) do not break residence; permanent status is lost only after five consecutive years away.
If you are also the family member of an EU citizen you must pick one status – Withdrawal Agreement (Brexit Line) or EU family member (Lei 37/2006 residence card).
The job-seeker visa was abolished on 23 October 2025 and its skilled successor was still unavailable on 24 September 2026 – you need a job, income or a course before you come.
Newcomers' family: reunification after two years on a permit (15 months for a spouse after 18 months' cohabitation), none for minors – or apply together for accompanying visas.
Since 11 September 2026 AIMA must decide a permit within 90 days (+30); ETIAS was not yet in operation, and the Entry/Exit System replaced passport stamps from 10 April 2026.

Source: AIMA (Brexit pages), Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal, IMT, Lei Orgânica 1/2026, read 24 September 2026

Employee from outside the EU

Be hired before you come: the manifestação de interesse route closed on 4 June 2024, the job-seeker visa ended on 23 October 2025 and its skilled successor was still unavailable on 24 September 2026. Since Lei 62/2026 (11 September 2026) AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) must decide your permit within 90 days (+30); you may change employer by notifying it.

Step	What to do
Get a contract or promise of contract	The D1 visa needs a work contract, promise of contract or individualised expression of interest from the employer, plus proof of qualification if the profession is regulated. The contract counts as proof of means. – Where: Employer / Portuguese consulate
Apply for the D1 residency visa at the consulate	Form, two photos, passport valid three months beyond the stay, travel insurance, a police certificate issued less than 90 days earlier (apostilled) and proof of means. Fee €110; decision within 60 days; appeal €75. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Travel within the visa's four months	The visa allows two entries and four months and comes with a pré-autorização de residência carrying provisional tax, social-security and health numbers (art. 58(6) Lei 23/2007). – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Apply for the work permit at AIMA (art. 88)	At any Loja AIMA by appointment: Modelo 1, passport, visa, the employer's declaration on honour, address declaration (landlord declaration or land-registry certificate), proof of tax and social-security registration. – Where: AIMA
Pay the fees – cheaper digitally	€133.00 to receive and analyse the application (€99.80 digitally) plus €114.30 for the card (€85.80 digitally); in-person delivery €29.90. The permit lasts two years, then renews for three. – Where: AIMA
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters. SNS cover needs NIF and address. – Where: Espaço Cidadão / centro de saúde (health centre)
Check your first payslip	Minimum wage 2026: €920. You pay 11% social security, the employer 23.75%; 40 hours a week, 22 working days' holiday plus holiday and Christmas subsidies. Your contract must be in writing and name your visa or permit. – Where: ACT (labour inspectorate)
Sort your tax within 60 days	Report your address to Finanças (tax office) within 60 days. IRS 2026 runs from 12.5% to 48%; under 35, IRS Jovem exempts 100/75/50/25% of pay; jobs on the IFICI list get 20% for ten years if registered by 15 January. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)

Rules that apply to you
Since 11 September 2026 you can change employer by notifying AIMA without a new card; switching to self-employment still means replacing the card (€123.50, or €92.60 digitally).
Family reunification after two years on a permit (15 months for a spouse who lived with you 18 months before you came); minors and a co-parent spouse need not wait (Lei 61/2025).
AIMA's means page still cites the 2025 wage of €870 – consulates use €920 for 2026; a family needs 100% for you, 50% per further adult and 30% per child.
Permanent residence after five years needs basic Portuguese (an A2 certificate counts); citizenship needs ten years (seven for CPLP and EU nationals) since 19 May 2026.
A permit-application receipt is not a travel document – you cannot use it to travel in the Schengen area; AIMA issues no travel declarations. Visa and permit rules are national.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal, AIMA, Lei 23/2007 as amended by Lei 61/2025 and Lei 62/2026, read 24 September 2026

Highly qualified (EU Blue Card)

The EU Blue Card (cartão azul UE) is the family-friendly route: your family is exempt from the two-year reunification wait of Lei 61/2025 and can apply with you. The salary threshold is a rule, not a figure – at least 1.5 times the national average gross annual salary (1.2 times for shortage professions); the published reference amounts refer to 2023 and 2024, so there is no official 2026 figure.

Step	What to do
Secure a qualifying contract of six months or more	A contract or binding offer for highly qualified work of at least six months at 1.5 times the average gross annual salary (1.2 times for ISCO group 1–2 shortage jobs), plus a degree or professional certification. – Where: Employer
Apply via the D3 visa, or at AIMA if already in Portugal	Via the residency visa for highly qualified work (art. 61-A), or directly at AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) if already legally in Portugal. Visa fee €110. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) / AIMA
Lodge the Blue Card file at AIMA within four months	Passport, visa (or a Blue Card from another Member State), address declaration, proof of tax and social-security registration, authenticated criminal record, contract, health cover, qualifications; attend for biometrics. – Where: AIMA
Pay the Blue Card fees	€169.20 for reception and analysis (€126.90 digitally) plus €160.50 for the card (€120.40 digitally); with a consular-visa waiver the issue costs €354.30. Since 11 September 2026 AIMA must decide within 90 days (+30). – Where: AIMA
Bring your family at the same time	Family of Blue Card holders are exempt from the two-year wait (art. 98(3)(c)); applications may be lodged and decided together, and residence in other Member States counts towards the family's own permit. – Where: AIMA
Register for IFICI by 15 January	Listed jobs (managers, doctors, ICT specialists, university teachers – PhD, or degree plus three years' experience) get 20% for ten years if not resident in the past five; register at Finanças (tax office) by 15 January. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt or your card: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters. – Where: Espaço Cidadão

Rules that apply to you
The card is valid two years, renewable for three; if the contract is shorter, contract length plus three months. Ask for renewal up to 30 days before expiry.
Moving from another EU state: after 18 months on a Blue Card there, apply in Portugal within 30 days of entry (fees €175.70 plus €368.50, less digitally).
Not eligible: asylum applicants, family of EU citizens, researchers under art. 90(1), seasonal or posted workers, and long-term residents of another Member State.
Alternatives: the highly qualified permit (art. 90) with the same thresholds, or the Tech Visa for IAPMEI-certified firms (at least 2.5 times IAS, 12-month contract, ISCED 6).
After five years you can take EU long-term resident status (basic Portuguese, A2); citizenship needs ten years (seven for CPLP nationals) under the law in force since 19 May 2026.

Source: Lei 23/2007 arts. 121-A to 121-I, AIMA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular checklists, Autoridade Tributária (IFICI), read 24 September 2026

Digital nomad

The income test is the whole game: an average over the last three months of at least four times the minimum wage (€3,680 a month at the 2026 rate), plus a certificate of your current tax residence. Mind the tax trap: the NHR regime closed on 1 January 2024 and its replacement, IFICI, covers only listed jobs, so ordinary remote work for a foreign employer earns no special rate.

Step	What to do
Choose: temporary stay (under a year) or residency (D8)	Temporary stay: under one year, multiple entries, return ticket needed. Residency: leads to a permit from AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF). – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Prove four times the minimum wage	Show three months of income averaging at least four times the minimum wage (€3,680 a month at the 2026 rate), a tax-residence certificate and your contract or employer declaration – or service contracts if freelance. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Complete the consular file	Form, two photos, passport valid three months beyond the stay, travel insurance with repatriation, police certificate issued less than 90 days before, apostilled. Fee €110; decision in 60 days (30 for temporary stay). – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Apply to AIMA within the visa's four months	At any Loja AIMA by appointment: Modelo 1, passport, D8 visa, a declaration on honour from your foreign employer or client, address declaration (landlord declaration or land registry). Fees €133.00 plus €114.30. – Where: AIMA
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters; the NISS is also available online. – Where: Espaço Cidadão / Segurança Social
Sort your tax position by 15 January	Tax resident after 183 days or with a habitual home, you pay 12.5% to 48% on worldwide income. Check that job and employer fit an IFICI category before counting on 20%; register at Finanças (tax office) by 15 January. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)
Bring family on an accompanying-family visa	Spouse or partner, dependent children and parents apply with you for an accompanying visa, showing the family tie and stable resources for 12 months; later reunification means two years' wait (15 months for a spouse). – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Rules that apply to you
The permit is valid two years and renews for three; AIMA's own page still quotes the 2025 wage of €870 as its reference – the consulates apply €920 for 2026.
Since 11 September 2026 AIMA must decide within 90 days, extendable by 30 in justified cases; a refusal must state its reasons and how to challenge it.
Permanent residence after five years on temporary permits (basic Portuguese required); citizenship after ten years for most nationalities under the law in force since 19 May 2026.
Budget: median new leases in early 2026 were €9.46 per m² nationally, €17.42 in Lisbon and €14.29 in Porto; deposits are capped at two months' rent and a lease must be in writing.
Visa and permit rules are national; the câmara municipal (town hall) only decides local matters such as waste collection hours, parking and low-emission zones.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal and consular checklists, AIMA, Autoridade Tributária (IFICI), read 24 September 2026

Researcher or highly qualified

Researchers at an officially recognised centre are exempt from proof of means and from health and travel insurance, pay no visa fee and – unlike students since Lei 62/2026 – may still apply to AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) without a visa after a legal entry (art. 91-B(9)). Research and teaching also qualify for the 20% IFICI tax rate.

Step	What to do
Get the hosting agreement, contract or grant letter	A work contract or hosting agreement with the centre or university, or an acceptance letter plus proof of a scholarship or grant, or the institution's statement that it covers admission and living costs. – Where: Host institution / Portuguese consulate
Apply at the consulate – no visa fee for research	Research applications pay no €110 visa fee; decision deadline 60 days. Grant holders who tell the consulate skip proof of admission and means; recognised-centre researchers also skip health and travel insurance. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
University teachers: the D3 route (art. 61)	Teaching or highly qualified activity uses the D3 visa (art. 61) with a contract or invitation letter from a higher-education or research institution; the consulate decides in 30 days; permit two years, then three. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) / AIMA
Apply to AIMA for the researcher permit (art. 91-B)	At any Loja AIMA by appointment: passport, visa (or proof of legal entry if applying without one), address declaration, criminal record, contract, grant or hosting agreement, and health cover. Fees €133.00 plus €114.30. – Where: AIMA
Applying without a visa? Budget €307.20	If you entered legally you may skip the residency visa (art. 91-B(9), not revoked by Lei 62/2026), but AIMA charges €307.20 (€230.40 digitally) to assess the waiver on top of the ordinary fees. – Where: AIMA
Register for IFICI by 15 January	Research and university teaching are IFICI activities: 20% on Portuguese earnings for ten years, most foreign income exempt, if not resident in the previous five years. Register at Finanças (tax office) by 15 January. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters. – Where: Espaço Cidadão, then centro de saúde (health centre)

Rules that apply to you
The researcher permit lasts two years (or the hosting agreement's length), renewable, and you may take other employed or self-employed work alongside the research (art. 97).
Family: researchers may reunify but lack the art. 98(3)(c) exemption – two years' wait (15 months for a spouse) unless the family are minors or the co-parent spouse.
Mobility from another EU state: up to 180 days of research in Portugal without a Portuguese permit; longer stays need the art. 91-C mobility card (declaration fee €39.70).
After the project or a master's or PhD you can get a one-year permit to look for work matching your qualifications (art. 122(1)(p)).
Since 11 September 2026 AIMA must decide within 90 days (+30); citizenship needs ten years (seven for CPLP or EU nationals), with periods added up within a 12-year window.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal, AIMA, Lei 23/2007 arts. 62, 91-B and 97, Autoridade Tributária (IFICI), read 24 September 2026

Student

The 2026 change matters most: since 11 September 2026 (Lei 62/2026) a higher-education student can no longer enter legally and then ask AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) for a permit without a visa – you must get the D4 residency visa at the consulate before you travel. AIMA's own page still mentioned the old visa-free application on 24 September 2026.

Step	What to do
Get admitted, then apply for the D4 visa	Show admission (or that you meet the criteria), funds for the programme and health insurance. Students of officially recognised institutions skip insurance, admission proof and means; scholarship holders skip means. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Budget on the 2026 minimum wage	Means are measured against €920 a month; grants count, a sponsorship letter with legalised signature is accepted, and for study visas the consulate may waive the minimum in view of your circumstances (art. 62(9)). – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Pay €110 and allow 60 days	Visa fee €110 (free with a Portuguese study scholarship or under 6); decision within 60 days. The visa gives two entries and four months to apply to AIMA. Police certificate issued less than 90 days before, apostilled. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Apply to AIMA for the student permit (art. 91)	At any Loja AIMA by appointment: passport, visa, address declaration, proof of means, criminal record, enrolment and tuition proof (or the institution's declaration) and health cover. Fees €133.00 plus €114.30. – Where: AIMA
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters; AIMA can vouch for a NISS request. – Where: Espaço Cidadão / Segurança Social
Work alongside your studies	Student permit holders may work, employed or self-employed, alongside their studies (art. 97) – the law sets no hour limit. Minimum wage €920 a month; you pay 11% social security, deducted by the employer. – Where: Employer / ACT (labour inspectorate)
Use the free pass up to age 23	Monthly passes are free up to and including age 23 under national rules – navegante in Lisbon (loaded with ID and a Portuguese NIF), Andante in Porto, TUB in Braga; the Green Rail Pass costs €20 for 30 days. – Where: Metro de Lisboa / Metro do Porto / TUB / CP
Stay on after graduating	After a master's or PhD you can get a residence permit of up to one year to look for work matching your qualification (art. 122(1)(p)), with the institution's declaration that your study plan is complete. – Where: AIMA

Rules that apply to you
The student permit lasts three years, renewable, or the programme's length if shorter; public-university fees for 2025–2026 were capped at €697 a year for bachelor's degrees.
Family: only a spouse and minor children count for reunification of students (art. 99(3)), and the two-year wait of Lei 61/2025 applies except for minors and a co-parent spouse.
EU/EEA students need no visa or permit: they register at the câmara municipal (town hall) for the EU registration certificate 30 days after three months, declaring enrolment.
Mobility students with a permit from another EU state may study up to 360 days in Portugal by notifying AIMA 30 days ahead (declaration €39.70).
Language: CIPLE (A2, €95) is the CAPLE exam currently accepted as the minimum for nationality; universities ask for DIPLE (B2) to complete a degree.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal, AIMA, Lei 23/2007 arts. 62, 91 and 97 (Lei 62/2026), DGES, CAPLE, read 24 September 2026

Joining a partner or family

Lei 61/2025 (in force 23 October 2025) rewrote the rules: the sponsor must have held a permit for two years – 15 months for a spouse after 18 months' cohabitation – with no wait for minor children, a co-parent spouse or the family of highly qualified, investor and Blue Card holders. AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) must decide within nine months.

Step	What to do
Check who counts and when	Spouse (both at least 18), minor or dependent children, adopted minors, adult children studying in Portugal, dependent parents, minor siblings under guardianship, and an unmarried partner after two years together. – Where: AIMA
The sponsor applies to AIMA first	By appointment at any Loja AIMA (Modelo 1) with their permit, an authenticated copy of your passport, authenticated proof of the family tie (translated by a Portuguese notary or consulate), address declaration and means. – Where: AIMA
Show housing and income without social support	Housing (owned or rented) normal for a comparable family in the region, and means for all without social support: 100% of the minimum wage for the first adult, 50% per further adult, 30% per child (€920 in 2026). – Where: AIMA
Wait for AIMA's decision – nine months	Fees €133.00 plus €114.30, 25% less digitally. AIMA must decide within nine months; in complex cases it may add nine more, except in the ordinary two-year and 15-month cases. Tacit approval no longer exists. – Where: AIMA
Get the visa at the consulate within 90 days	Once approved, apply for the reunification visa within 90 days or the decision lapses; only spouses and ascendants pay the €110 fee. The consulate must issue within 10 days, with tax, social-security and health numbers. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Collect your permit at AIMA and start the training	After entry, AIMA issues a permit of the same length as the sponsor's (art. 107). Family members must attend Portuguese-language and constitutional-values training; minors must attend school – checked at renewal. – Where: AIMA
Already in Portugal, or moving together?	Only minors, a co-parent spouse and family of art. 90, 90-A and Blue Card holders may apply from inside Portugal after legal entry. Family moving with a visa applicant apply together for accompanying visas. – Where: AIMA / Portuguese consulate
Family of EU citizens: residence card at AIMA	Non-EU family of an EU or Withdrawal Agreement citizen apply to AIMA for a Cartão de Residência within 30 days after three months, with the EU citizen's CRUE (certificado de registo de cidadão da União Europeia); €18. – Where: AIMA

Rules that apply to you
The Constitutional Court (ruling 785/2025) struck the first decree's harshest provisions; the amended law of 23 October 2025 applies to procedures started after that date.
Refugees' families are exempt from the housing and means conditions and may be in or outside Portugal; other evidence is accepted when official documents cannot be obtained.
In exceptional situations – divorce, widowhood, a domestic-violence prosecution, reaching majority – a family member can get an autonomous two-year permit earlier.
AIMA runs a dedicated online channel for reunification of children under 18; all other applications are made by appointment at a Loja AIMA.
A child born here to permit holders gets a permit without a visa (apply within six months); since 19 May 2026 it is Portuguese by origin only if a parent has five years' residence.

Source: Lei 61/2025 and Lei 23/2007 arts. 98–107, AIMA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal, Tribunal Constitucional ruling 785/2025, read 24 September 2026

Refugee or protection status

Lei 62/2026 (in force 11 September 2026) rewrote the Asylum Law to apply the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum: cases pending on that date continue under the old rules, and the FAQ of AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) still describes the old timelines. You can only apply inside Portugal – never at an embassy – and the procedure and the permits are free.

Step	What to do
Apply in Portugal, without delay	Ask orally or in writing at CNAR/AIMA (Centro Nacional de Asilo e Refugiados) in Lisbon, at a border post or airport, or at any police station (PSP, GNR, Maritime Police), which must pass it to CNAR within 48 hours. – Where: AIMA (CNAR)
Fill in the questionnaire and give biometrics	You complete a preliminary questionnaire (several languages, phone interpretation) and give biometric data – from age 6 under the new Eurodac rules. You get a declaration proving your application; carry it at all times. – Where: AIMA (CNAR)
Know your rights while you wait	Stay in Portugal, free legal advice from the Portuguese Refugee Council (CPR) at all stages, an interpreter, SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) health care, education and – once the claim is accepted for examination – work. – Where: AIMA / CPR
Accommodation and food if you have no means	AIMA's reception network (NGOs, solidarity institutions, municipalities) provides a place in a centre, collective housing or a shared room, food and health care until the final decision; families stay together. – Where: AIMA reception entities
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number with your AIMA receipt	Your application receipt opens the free one-stop service at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters for the NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS number; you pay no SNS user fees. – Where: Espaço Cidadão
After acceptance: a provisional permit of six months	If your application is accepted for examination, AIMA issues a provisional residence permit valid six months, renewable until the final decision. Keep CNAR informed of your address or the file may be closed (art. 32). – Where: AIMA (CNAR)
Recognised: a five-year or three-year permit, no fee	Refugee status: a five-year permit; subsidiary protection: three years, renewed after a review of your country's situation. Permits are free; you also get a refugee travel document valid five years and social security. – Where: AIMA / Segurança Social
Bring your family without the usual conditions	Recognised beneficiaries get an extraordinary permit for their family with the same validity, exempt from Foreigners-Law requirements; refugees' reunification needs no housing or means proof, and other evidence counts. – Where: AIMA

Rules that apply to you
New deadlines (Lei 62/2026): two months (extendable by two) for inadmissible applications, three months for accelerated procedures, court challenge within eight days.
Another Member State may be responsible for your claim (transfer about six months on average); three working days to comment after the interview, eight days to challenge in court.
Ukrainians under temporary protection apply on the SEFforUkraine platform; titles were extended to 4 March 2027 and NIF, NISS and SNS numbers come with the certificate.
After a refusal: court challenge within 15 days, otherwise leave within 30 days (AIMA FAQ); voluntary return is supported by the International Organization for Migration in Lisbon.
Citizenship follows your nationality: seven years' residence for CPLP and EU nationals, ten for others, four for stateless people; no Blue Card while your claim is pending.

Source: AIMA (international-protection and reception FAQs), Lei 27/2008 as amended by Lei 62/2026, read 24 September 2026

From Brazil or another CPLP country

Since 23 October 2025 (Lei 61/2025) the CPLP permit (art. 87-A) is issued only to holders of a residency visa – a tourist stay or visa-free entry no longer converts, so Brazilians too must get the visa first. The file is lighter: no travel insurance or return ticket, a sponsorship letter replaces proof of means. AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) issues it.

Step	What to do
Get a residency visa for your purpose at the consulate	Work, study, self-employment, retirement or remote work; AIMA's prior opinion is waived and the fee is €110. Your AIMA appointment date is printed in the visa's observations field – if missing, contact AIMA. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Use the CPLP exemptions	No travel insurance or return ticket; means are waived with a term of responsibility from the employer or a Portuguese citizen or legal resident (last IRS return, three months' bank statements); students need none. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Travel within four months and keep your appointment	The visa allows two entries and four months and comes with a pré-autorização de residência carrying provisional tax, social-security and health numbers. Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System records your entry. – Where: Border / AIMA
Present the CPLP permit file at AIMA	Passport, the form authorising a Portuguese criminal-record check, your country's criminal-record certificate, and proof of means (IRS return, work or service contract) or a Modelo 4 term of responsibility. – Where: AIMA
Fees and the card	AIMA's CPLP FAQ quotes €56.80 (updated each 1 March); its fee table exempts CPLP nationals (except Timor-Leste) from the grant and renewal fee, leaving reception and card costs. The card is EU format, valid two years. – Where: AIMA
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters. SNS cover needs NIF and address. – Where: Espaço Cidadão / centro de saúde (health centre)
Old paper CPLP certificate? Wait for AIMA's e-mail	Old paper certificate holders are e-mailed in order of issue to register on a platform, pay a DUC reference within 10 working days and attend biometrics; permits from expressions of interest need a criminal record. – Where: AIMA (Estrutura de Missão)
Keep driving on your licence	Licences from Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe stay valid after residence if issued or renewed within 15 years and you are under 60 (Decreto-Lei 46/2022); exchange needs no driving test. – Where: IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes)

Rules that apply to you
Citizenship: seven years' legal residence under the law in force since 19 May 2026, periods added within a nine-year window; CPLP nationals are presumed to know Portuguese; €250.
Children born in Portugal are Portuguese by origin only if a parent had five years' legal residence at birth; naturalising a minor born here is free with five years and schooling.
The Constitutional Court's ruling 785/2025 left the CPLP provisions intact – the visa requirement applies since 23 October 2025; the manifestação de interesse ended on 4 June 2024.
Family reunification follows the general rule: two years on a permit (15 months for a spouse with 18 months' cohabitation), none for minors or a co-parent spouse.
Renewed CPLP cards last three or two years depending on whether the previous title fully ran its course; since Lei 9/2025 CPLP permits have the same validity as any other.

Source: AIMA (CPLP FAQs and fee table), Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal, Lei 23/2007 arts. 75 and 87-A (Lei 61/2025), Lei Orgânica 1/2026, read 24 September 2026

Retiring or living on passive income

Two things have changed: the NHR regime that taxed many foreign pensions at 10% closed on 1 January 2024 and its successor IFICI does not cover pensioners, so plan on ordinary IRS of 12.5% to 48%; and citizenship takes ten years (seven for EU and CPLP nationals) since 19 May 2026. The D7 visa itself is unchanged: show 12 months of income measured against the 2026 minimum wage of €920 a month.

Step	What to do
Document your pension or passive income	A certificate of the pension amount, or documents proving income from property, intellectual property or financial investments, plus proof that the money is available to you in Portugal. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Meet the 12-month means test	€920 a month for you (€11,040 for 12 months), 50% more per further adult (€1,380 a month for a couple), 30% per child; halved if you have secured accommodation, up to 90% off if food is also secured. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Complete the D7 file: €110, 60 days	Form, two photos, passport valid three months beyond the stay, travel insurance (waivable for UK S1 or Brazil PB4 beneficiaries), police certificate under 90 days old, apostilled. Fee €110; decision in 60 days. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Apply to AIMA within four months (art. 77)	At AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF): Modelo 1, passport, visa, pension certificate, address declaration, health cover. Fees €133.00 plus €114.30. – Where: AIMA
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters. – Where: Espaço Cidadão, then centro de saúde (health centre)
Report your tax residence within 60 days	Tax resident after 183 days or with a habitual home, you pay tax on worldwide income; report your address to Finanças (tax office) within 60 days. Before that, as a non-resident, you need no tax representative for a NIF. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)
Health on a budget	Emergency fees are €18, €16 or €14 plus up to €40 for tests unless you were referred by SNS 24 (808 24 24 24), a health centre or INEM; households with average income up to €805.70 a month can be exempted from user fees. – Where: SNS 24 / centro de saúde
Bring your spouse on an accompanying-family visa	Spouse or partner and dependent relatives apply with you for a visa to accompany you (€110 each unless exempt) with stable resources for 12 months; later reunification means two years' wait (15 months for a spouse). – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Rules that apply to you
EU/EEA/Swiss pensioners skip the D7: register at the câmara municipal (town hall) for the EU registration certificate 30 days after three months; form S1 goes to Segurança Social.
The permit lasts two years and renews for three; permanent residence after five years needs basic Portuguese (A2); a temporary permit can lapse after six consecutive months away.
Golden visa (ARI): no real estate since 2023; €500,000 in funds or research, €250,000 in culture or 10 jobs; 7 days' stay in year one, 14 a year after; fees €842.80 plus €8,418.90.
Renting: deposit at most two months' rent, rises capped by the 2026 coefficient 1.0224; median new leases were €9.46 per m² nationally and €17.42 in Lisbon in early 2026.
Transport: the navegante +65 pass costs €20 a month in the Lisbon area, the Green Rail Pass €20 for 30 days; residents aged 65 or over with tax domicile in Lisbon ride free.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal and consular checklist (D7), AIMA, Autoridade Tributária (NHR and IFICI pages), ACSS, read 24 September 2026

Entrepreneur or self-employed

Three doors: freelancer with a contract, entrepreneur with funds or investment in Portugal, or the Startup Visa via an IAPMEI-certified incubator; the fourth closed on 4 June 2024 with the manifestação de interesse. Since 11 September 2026 AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – the immigration agency that replaced SEF) must decide within 90 days (+30); a change of activity needs only a notification.

Step	What to do
Choose your D2 profile and paperwork	Freelancer: a service contract or written proposal, plus the professional body's declaration if required. Entrepreneur: investment made or funds in Portugal and a declaration of the plan. Start-up: IAPMEI's declaration. – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Apply at the consulate: €110, 60 days	Add the general file – form, photos, passport valid three months beyond the stay, travel insurance, police certificate under 90 days old, apostilled – and means at the 2026 wage of €920 a month (12 months if investing). – Where: Portuguese consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Start your activity with the tax office and social security	Within the visa's four months declare the start of activity at Finanças (tax office) and register with social security, or incorporate a company; AIMA wants proof of both plus a contract, company certificate or receipts. – Where: Finanças / Segurança Social
Apply to AIMA for the self-employment permit (art. 89)	At any Loja AIMA by appointment: passport, D2 visa, proof of activity start with tax and social security, service contract or company certificate or invoices, address declaration. Fees €133.00 plus €114.30. – Where: AIMA
Startup Visa: no consular visa, but €307.20	The start-up permit (art. 89(4), Lei 61/2025) waives the residency-visa requirement for projects in a certified incubator; AIMA charges €307.20 (€230.40 digitally) to assess the waiver, plus the ordinary fees. – Where: AIMA
Watch the tax-representative rule	A non-resident from outside the EU with a self-employed activity in Portugal must appoint a VAT representative before starting (fines €75 to €7,500), even with electronic notifications. Once resident, report the address. – Where: Finanças (Autoridade Tributária)
Check IFICI and pay your contributions	Founders, board members and research staff of start-ups certified under Lei 21/2023 qualify for IFICI (20% for ten years; register by 15 January). Self-employed contributions are due 10th–20th of the next month. – Where: Finanças / Segurança Social
Get NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit	With the AIMA receipt: NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), NISS (social security number) and SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) number, free, at 12 Espaço Cidadão counters. – Where: Espaço Cidadão, then centro de saúde (health centre)

Rules that apply to you
Switching to employed work means replacing the card (€123.50, €92.60 digitally); changing the nature of your independent activity needs only a notification since 11 September 2026.
Cash is capped: no cash payments of €3,000 or more (€10,000 for non-residents); invoices of €1,000 or more between businesses must be paid by traceable means.
Golden visa (ARI): no visa, no real estate since 2023; €500,000 in a company creating five jobs or in qualifying funds, €250,000 in culture, or 10 jobs; fees €842.80 and €8,418.90.
EU, EEA and Swiss self-employed need no visa: they register at the câmara municipal (town hall) for the EU registration certificate within 30 days after three months.
Citizenship needs ten years' legal residence (seven for CPLP and EU nationals) under the law in force since 19 May 2026; permanent residence after five years with basic Portuguese.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal and consular checklist (D2), AIMA, Lei 23/2007 arts. 60 and 89, Autoridade Tributária, read 24 September 2026

The 15 guides

Move

1. Part 1The first 30 days in Portugal
2. Part 2Residence permits in Portugal 2026
3. Part 3NIF Portugal, NISS and the CRUE certificate
4. Part 6Working in Portugal
5. Part 7IFICI (NHR 2.0), IRS 2026 and IRS Jovem

Live

1. Part 4Bank account in Portugal
2. Part 5Renting or buying a home in Portugal
3. Part 8SNS user number (número de utente) in Portugal
4. Part 10Schools in Portugal
5. Part 11Learning Portuguese for citizenship
6. Part 12Driving licence in Portugal
7. Part 13Electricity and gas in Portugal

Settle

1. Part 9NISS and social security in Portugal
2. Part 14Public holidays in Portugal 2026
3. Part 15Portuguese citizenship 2026

Portugal in numbers

Official statistics, fetched from the source. Each figure shows where it comes from and which period it covers.

Figure	Latest	Source and period
Population	10.75 million	Eurostat · 1 January 2025
Economy (GDP)	€307 billion	Eurostat · 2025
GDP per person	$32,082	World Bank · 2025
GDP growth	+2.5%	Eurostat, compared with a year earlier · Q2 2026
GDP growth, full year	1.9%	World Bank · 2025
Unemployment	5.7%	Eurostat, seasonally adjusted · July 2026
Employment rate	80.7%	Eurostat, age 20–64 · Q2 2026
Inflation	3.6%	Eurostat, EU-harmonised (HICP) · August 2026
Central bank rate	2.50%	European Central Bank deposit facility rate · 23 September 2026
Median income	€14,465 a year	Disposable, per adult equivalent · Eurostat · 2025
Price level	85	EU = 100 · Eurostat · 2024
Born abroad	16.0%	Eurostat · 1 January 2024

Source: Eurostat, World Bank and European Central Bank, read 24 September 2026, 23:35 Stockholm time.

Pros
The least expensive of the four new countries: consumer prices 15% below the EU average, housing and energy 20% below, eating out 24% below (Eurostat, 2024).
Growing faster than the EU: +2.5% in Q2 2026 compared with a year earlier, against +1.4% in the EU (Eurostat).
A high employment rate: 80.7% of 20–64-year-olds are in work, against 76.4% in the EU (Eurostat, Q2 2026).
Unemployment below the EU average: 5.7% in July 2026, against 6.1% (Eurostat).

Cons
Low incomes: median disposable income €14,465, against €22,939 in the EU – the lowest of the countries in this guide even after adjusting for prices (Eurostat, 2025).
Inflation above the EU average: 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.2% (HICP, Eurostat).
A long usual working week for full-time employees: 40.5 hours, against 39.5 in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).
Food is not cheap: food prices are 2% above the EU average even though the overall price level is well below it (Eurostat, 2024).

Your first steps in Portugal, in order

Almost everything in Portugal hangs on three numbers: the NIF (número de identificação fiscal – tax number), the NISS (número de identificação da Segurança Social – social security number) and the SNS user number (número de utente of the Serviço Nacional de Saúde – the national health service). Foreigners with a Portuguese address can now get all three in one free visit at 12 Espaços Cidadão (citizen desks), and the Chave Móvel Digital (digital mobile key) that you activate at the same kind of counter becomes your login to almost every public service. Times below are only the ones an agency publishes.

Step	What	Where	Typical time
1	Settle your right to stay. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need only a valid ID card or passport for the first three months. Everyone else needs a residence visa from a Portuguese consulate before travelling (fee €110): work (D1), remote work (D8 – income of four times the minimum wage, €3,680 a month at the 2026 rate), study, research, family, retirement or passive income (D7), business (D2) or the EU Blue Card (a contract of at least six months at 1.5 times the national average gross salary, 1.2 times for shortage professions – no official 2026 figure is published). UK citizens who were not resident by 31 December 2020 count as non-EU.	Portuguese consulate (the Foreign Ministry's visa portal)	Consular decision within 60 days for a residence visa, 30 days for a temporary-stay visa (national rule)
2	Non-EU citizens who arrive over a land border from another Schengen country and do not stay in a hotel must make an entry declaration (declaração de entrada).	PSP or GNR police station	Within 3 working days of entry
3	Get your NIF – you need it to sign a lease, open a bank account or start a job. With a Portuguese address you can ask for NIF, NISS and SNS number together, free of charge; otherwise book Finanças (tax office) or use the e-balcão on the Portal das Finanças. A non-resident does not need a tax representative just to get a NIF.	Espaço Cidadão (12 counters, including Lisbon Saldanha and Laranjeiras, Porto Cedofeita and Braga) or a Serviço de Finanças by appointment	See the agency's website
4	Get your NISS. Foreigners apply online only, and your employer can request it for you once the contract is signed; since August 2025 the number is issued fully online with a biometric check.	Segurança Social Direta (Segurança Social online service)	No fixed deadline is set for Social Security to assign the number
5	Open a bank account with your NIF. Every bank that takes deposits must offer the basic account (conta de serviços mínimos bancários), capped at 1 % of the IAS a year in fees.	Any bank	Basic account opened within 10 working days of a complete request
6	Sign your lease – in writing, with a NIF. The deposit is capped at two months' rent and advance rent at two months; stamp duty is 10 % of one month's rent. Check the agency in the IMPIC register before you pay anything.	Landlord or a licensed agency; IMPIC register	–
7	Register your residence. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: the CRUE (certificado de registo de cidadão da União Europeia) at the câmara municipal within 30 days after the first three months, €18 in person for adults (Portaria 13/2024). Non-EU citizens: the residence permit at a Loja AIMA, by appointment, within the four months of your visa.	Câmara municipal (in Lisbon at the Loja de Cidadão do Saldanha counter; Porto: Gabinete do Munícipe) or any Loja AIMA	Porto issues the CRUE on the spot, or within 10 working days online; AIMA must decide within 90 days, plus 30 in exceptional cases (since 11 September 2026)
8	Tell Finanças that you are now tax resident: EU citizens show the CRUE, non-EU citizens the residence permit or the AIMA receipt.	Portal das Finanças (e-balcão) or a Serviço de Finanças by appointment	Within 60 days of becoming resident
9	Register at your centro de saúde (health centre). The SNS user number is issued on your first visit to any public health unit; your record only gives full SNS cover once it holds your ID, NIF, Portuguese address and residence document. A family doctor is not automatic.	The centro de saúde of your area – call SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 if you do not know which	Number issued on the spot; in June 2026, 1,672,130 mainland users still had no family doctor
10	Driving: an EU or EEA licence stays valid but you must register your residence with IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes – mobility and transport institute); licences from the CPLP and the non-EU OECD countries stay valid while you are under 60 and the licence is less than 15 years old; other licences have their own exchange deadlines.	IMT online or an IMT desk	EU licence registration within 60 days; a Portuguese licence is delivered on average within 60 days, with a provisional guia meanwhile
11	Enrol the children and start Portuguese. School is compulsory from 6 to 18 and enrolment is online; adults from 16 join a Português Língua de Acolhimento course (levels A1 to B2), which also counts for permanent residence and nationality at A2 or above.	Portal das Matrículas; public schools, IEFP centres and Centros Qualifica	Enrolment for pre-school and year 1 ran 22 April–1 June for 2026/2027; late enrolment is still possible at the school

Keep your address current with AIMA, Social Security and the Tax Authority: AIMA updates it within two working days of a message through its contact form, and tax-address changes must be reported within 15 days (60 days when your residence status changes). AIMA does not accept a junta de freguesia (parish council) certificate as proof of accommodation – it wants a sworn address declaration with the lease and last rent receipt or the land-registry certificate.

Tax at a glance for 2026

You are tax resident once you spend more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12-month period, or from the day you keep a home here as your habitual residence. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The old NHR regime is closed to newcomers since 1 January 2024 (Lei 82/2023, transitional cases apart) – the Government's own migrants' tax guide still describes it, so do not rely on that page. These are the national figures for an employee.

Item	Value for 2026	Note
Minimum wage	€920 a month	Decreto-Lei 139/2025, from 1 January 2026; paid 14 times a year (€12,880)
IAS (social support index)	€537.13	Reference for benefit thresholds and caps
IRS income tax brackets	12.5 % up to €8,342; 15.7 % to €12,587; 21.2 % to €17,838; 24.1 % to €23,089; 31.1 % to €29,397; 34.9 % to €43,090; 43.1 % to €46,566; 44.6 % to €86,634; 48 % above €86,634	Lei 73-A/2025; taxable income per taxpayer
Mínimo de existência	€12,880	Employees and pensioners at or below this pay no IRS
Employee deduction	8.54 times the IAS, or your compulsory social security contributions if higher	Deducted from gross salary
Social security contributions	11 % employee, 23.75 % employer	Withheld by the employer; the self-employed pay their own
Meal allowance	Exempt up to €6.15 a day (€10.46 by card or cash)	Since January 2026
IRS Jovem (up to 35)	100 % exempt in year 1, 75 % in years 2–4, 50 % in years 5–7, 25 % in years 8–10	Capped at 55 times the IAS; not with NHR or IFICI
IFICI (the successor to NHR)	20 % flat rate for 10 years on eligible Portuguese work income	Register by 15 January of the year after you become resident; listed professions and employers only
Tax credits (2025 return, filed 2026)	€600 per dependant; 15 % of health costs up to €1,000; 30 % of education up to €800; 15 % of rent up to €700	Residents only
Filing	1 April–30 June	Refund or payment by 31 August 2026 for returns filed on time

A salary calculator for Portugal is coming to Relocate in Europe; until then, remember that IRS is withheld monthly by your employer and settled in the spring return.

Emergency and health numbers in Portugal

Save these Portugal emergency numbers before you land. Calls to 112 are free from any phone; SNS 24 costs the same as a call to a landline.

Number	For what
112	The single European emergency number – police, fire and medical, free, 24 hours a day; medical calls are transferred to INEM
808 24 24 24	SNS 24 – clinical triage and advice 24 hours a day; administrative questions 8:00–22:00; the line tells you which centro de saúde is yours
144	Linha Nacional de Emergência Social – urgent social situations (children at risk, homelessness, domestic violence), free, 24 hours a day
800 202 148	Domestic violence victim support (CIG), free, 24 hours a day; SMS line 3060
800 250 250	Centro de Informação Antivenenos – poison centre, free, 24 hours a day
808 211 311	Linha Saúde Pública – public health line, 8:00–24:00
116 000	Missing children, free, 24 hours a day
116 111	Child support line, free, 24 hours a day

Hospital emergency departments charge a user fee of €18, €16 or €14 depending on the unit, plus up to €40 for tests, unless you were referred by your health centre, SNS 24 or INEM or are admitted – so call first. All other user fees were abolished in 2022, and households with an average monthly income of at most €805.70 per person can ask for a full exemption, decided within 10 working days.

The address book

Portugal's country code is +351. Portuguese offices largely still work in person, but most now demand an appointment – book before you go. Where an official page could not be read on 24 September 2026, we say so rather than guess.

Residence and identity

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – immigration agency)	Residence permits and renewals, family reunification, permanent residence, the EU citizens' permanent residence certificate after five years, residence cards for non-EU family of EU citizens, asylum, certificates of residence time	+351 217 115 000, Monday to Friday 08:00–20:00; BREXIT line +351 214 236 709, working days 08:00–14:00	AIMA portal and Portal de Renovações (the contact form was offline for maintenance on 20 September 2026)	35 Lojas AIMA, by appointment. Lisboa I: Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar 20 (working days 09:00–17:00); Lisboa II: Rua Álvaro Coutinho 14 (information only, 08:00–17:00); Porto I: Avenida de França 316, Edifício Capitólio, Loja 57 (08:00–17:00); Porto II: Rua Calouste Gulbenkian 176 (08:00–20:00); Braga and Coimbra inside the Loja de Cidadão
Câmara municipal (town hall)	The CRUE for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens within 30 days after your first three months – €18 in person for adults, €15 online (Portaria 13/2024); also municipal housing, waste and parking rules	See the city rows below	Portal do Munícipe (Porto), Balcão Eletrónico (Braga), Serviços Online (Coimbra)	The câmara of your area of residence – in Lisbon at the Loja de Cidadão do Saldanha counter, in Porto at the Gabinete do Munícipe (issued on the spot by appointment)
Junta de freguesia (parish council)	Atestado de residência (residence certificate) – accepted by Porto as proof of address for the CRUE, but not by AIMA; licences for listed dog breeds	See the agency's website	Your parish council	In person at the parish office; Lisbon–Estrela asks non-registered residents to bring two witnesses registered in the parish
IRN (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado – registries and notary institute)	Nationality applications (fee €250), civil registry, Cartão de Cidadão for those entitled, vehicle registration	Linha Registos +351 211 950 500 (working days 9:00–17:00); Linha Cartão de Cidadão 210 990 111 (working days 9:00–18:00); Linha Justiça 800 910 220, free, working days 9:00–19:00	IRN portal; the SIGA app for tickets and appointments; Nacionalidade online (lawyers and solicitors only)	Registry offices mostly work without appointment; Balcões da Nacionalidade at the civil registries of Lisboa, Braga, Coimbra and others, and at CNAIM Lisbon and Porto; Espaço Justiça, Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, working days 9:00–19:00
Loja de Cidadão (citizen shop) and Espaço Cidadão (citizen desk)	One-stop counters for Finanças, Segurança Social, IRN, IMT and utilities; Espaços Cidadão issue NIF, NISS and SNS number in one visit to foreigners with a Portuguese address and activate the Chave Móvel Digital	Linha Cidadão 210 489 010 or 300 003 990, working days 9:00–18:00	ePortugal – the Government's citizen portal	Lisbon: Laranjeiras, Rua Abranches Ferrão 10 (working days 08:30–19:30, Saturday 08:30–14:00); Saldanha, Rua Eng.º Vieira da Silva – Mercado 31 de Janeiro, 1st floor (working days 9:00–19:00); Marvila. Porto: Avenida Fernão Magalhães 1862, 1st floor (working days 08:30–19:30, Saturday 08:30–14:00). Braga: Rua dos Granjinhos 6. Coimbra: Avenida Central 16/20. Laranjeiras closes on 13 June and Porto on 24 June, the municipal holidays
Portuguese consulates (Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros – Foreign Ministry)	National (long-stay) visas for non-EU citizens – €110, appeal €75; the visa allows two entries and four months in which to apply to AIMA	See the agency's website	The Foreign Ministry's visa portal (in English)	The consulate for your country of residence or its external visa centre

Money, work and social insurance

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira – Finanças (tax office)	NIF, tax address, IRS returns, IFICI registration, vehicle taxes (ISV, IUC), property taxes (IMT, IMI)	+351 217 206 707, working days 9:00–19:00 (the Government's directory says 9:00–18:00)	Portal das Finanças – e-balcão and appointment booking without login	Any Serviço de Finanças or Loja de Cidadão, always by appointment; at Saldanha the Finanças counter takes tickets 9:00–12:30 and e-balcão appointments 12:30–17:00
Segurança Social (Instituto da Segurança Social – social security institute)	NISS, contributions, unemployment benefit (65 % of reference pay), parental leave of 120 or 150 days (plus 30 when shared), abono de família (child benefit, 2026 amounts per Portaria 60/2026/1), old-age pension (66 years and 9 months in 2026), the European Health Insurance Card, registration of a foreign S1 form	210 545 400 or 300 502 502, working days 9:00–18:00; appointments 210 548 888 or 300 088 888	Segurança Social Direta; the Creche Feliz app for free crèche places	CNAIM Lisboa, Rua Álvaro Coutinho 14, and CNAIM Porto, Avenida de França 316 (both working days 09:00–13:00 and 14:00–16:00); counters in the Lojas de Cidadão; your Centro Distrital for the S1
IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional – public employment and training institute)	Job-seeker registration (needed for unemployment benefit), job offers, vocational training, Portuguese courses, immigrant job-insertion offices	215 803 555, working days 9:00–19:00	iefponline – login with your NISS or the Chave Móvel Digital	Centros de emprego e formação profissional, by online appointment; counter at the Loja de Cidadão das Laranjeiras
ACT (Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho – labour inspectorate)	Working conditions and labour-law questions; it issues the employer declaration for unemployment benefit if your employer refuses	300 069 300, working days 9:30–12:00 and 14:00–17:00	ACT Balcão Digital (the ACT website itself was unreachable on 24 September 2026)	See the agency's website
Banco de Portugal (central bank) – Portal do Cliente Bancário	Rules for the basic bank account: any deposit-taking bank must offer it, may not demand a minimum deposit, must open it within 10 working days and must explain a refusal in writing	See the agency's website	Portal do Cliente Bancário (bank customer portal)	Complaints against a bank go to Banco de Portugal
ERSE (Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços Energéticos – energy regulator)	Electricity and gas: switching supplier is free and takes at most three weeks; the regulated tariff runs to the end of 2027; complaints against suppliers; price simulator	Linha de Apoio ao Consumidor de Energia 21 303 32 00, working days 09:00–19:00	ERSE portal and price simulator	Rua Dom Cristóvão da Gama 1, 3.º, Lisbon
ANACOM (telecoms regulator)	Phone, internet and TV contracts: loyalty periods of at most 24 months, number portability within one working day, the social internet tariff (€5 plus VAT a month)	Número Verde 800 206 665, working days 9:00–13:00, free	ANACOM consumer portal	See the agency's website
ASF (Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões – insurance supervisor)	Home insurance rules: fire cover is compulsory only for flats in a condominium; tenants have no compulsory insurance	+351 217 983 983, working days 9:00–16:00	ASF consumer portal	See the agency's website

Health and safety

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
SNS 24 (Serviço Nacional de Saúde – national health service line)	Clinical triage and advice, booking and cancelling appointments, prescriptions, sick leave, user-fee exemption requests, the 'Jornada do utente' record of your SNS contacts	808 24 24 24 – clinical 24 hours a day, administrative 8:00–22:00	SNS 24 portal and app (login with the Chave Móvel Digital or your user number)	Balcão SNS 24 desks with a digital mediator
Centro de saúde (health centre)	Registration for primary care and a family doctor, nursing, vaccination; anyone with a residence permit or CRUE can register; foreigners get the SNS user number on their first visit	Ask SNS 24 which centre covers your address	SNS 24 portal	The centro de saúde of your area, with residence document, NIF, ID, Portuguese address and proof of any exemption
INEM and the public hospitals	Life-threatening emergencies (112 is transferred to INEM); hospital emergency departments charge €18, €16 or €14 plus up to €40 for tests unless you were referred or admitted; specialist appointments need a referral from your family doctor	112	SNS 24 portal for hospital bookings with your user number	The public hospital of your area – call 112 or SNS 24 first
PSP and GNR (police)	Entry declaration within 3 working days for non-EU citizens arriving over a land border; reporting crime; domestic violence is a public crime that anyone can report	112 in an emergency; local stations: See the agency's website	PSP and GNR portals	Any police station
CIG (Comissão para a Cidadania e a Igualdade de Género – citizenship and gender equality commission)	Support for victims of domestic violence	800 202 148, free, 24 hours a day; SMS 3060	CIG portal	See the agency's website
ACSS (Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde – central health administration)	The Registo Nacional de Utentes (national user register): records must hold ID, NIF, residence permit and full address within 180 days or you become a paying 'terceiro pagador'; EU rules on the European Health Insurance Card and the S1 form	See the agency's website	ACSS portal	Through your centro de saúde

Moving goods, cars and pets

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes – mobility and transport institute)	Registering an EU licence (free, within 60 days), exchanging a foreign licence (€30 plus a medical certificate; no driving test for CPLP and OECD licences), plates for an imported car (€45 with a certificate of conformity, €165 without), inspections	210 488 488, 9:00–17:00	IMT online – 'A Minha Carta de Condução' (in Portuguese and English)	Regional counters (Norte, Centro, Lisboa Vale do Tejo, Alentejo, Algarve) and Lojas de Cidadão – at Saldanha 9:00–16:00 by ticket, 16:00–19:00 by SIGA appointment
Autoridade Tributária – customs (alfândega)	The customs vehicle declaration (DAV) within 20 working days of the car's arrival, then 60 days to request plates; ISV exemption when you move house with your car (one car per person, request within 12 months); duty-free removal goods from outside the EU within 12 months of settling; cash of €10,000 or more must be declared at the border	+351 217 206 707	Portal das Finanças – Portal Aduaneiro	Online only for the ISV exemption
DGAV (Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária – veterinary authority)	Pets: microchip, EU pet passport and valid rabies vaccination from the EU; health certificate and, from rabies-risk countries, a titration test and 90-day wait from outside the EU; inspection fee €43.17 for one animal, €86.34 for two or more; register in the SIAC database after 120 days in Portugal	See the agency's website	DGAV portal	Travellers' entry points at Lisbon and Porto airports – the Lisbon point is closed 00:00–06:00 and Porto's 23:00–07:00
Infraestruturas de Portugal – PT Tolls	Motorway tolls: no vignette; some motorways are electronic-only, so foreign plates must arrange EasyToll, Tollcard or a device before driving; post-payment at CTT or Payshop within 15 working days for Portuguese plates; former SCUT motorways free since 1 January 2025	+351 212 879 855	PT Tolls (toll simulator, in English)	Praça da Portagem, Almada
CTT (post office) and Via Verde	Toll devices: a Via Verde identifier (€37.50) or a CTT prepaid device (€45); post-payment of electronic tolls	Tollcard/CTT 707 100 174	Via Verde and CTT portals	Any CTT post office

Education and qualifications

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
DGEstE (Direção-Geral dos Estabelecimentos Escolares – school directorate) and the Portal das Matrículas	School enrolment: compulsory from 6 to 18, five schools in order of preference, a place guaranteed in your area; free textbooks through MEGA vouchers; pupils from abroad enrol while the equivalence is pending	See the agency's website	Portal das Matrículas (login with Chave Móvel Digital or Portal das Finanças credentials)	The head school (escola sede) of the school cluster in your area if you cannot enrol online
DGE (Direção-Geral da Educação – education directorate)	Equivalence of foreign school qualifications (free, reference time 30 days, legalised and translated certificates); Portuguese as a non-mother tongue (PLNM) in every public school	See the agency's website	DGE portal (guide for migrant pupils in English)	Apply at a school in your area; residents abroad by post to Avenida 24 de Julho 140, Lisbon
DGES (Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior – higher education directorate)	Recognition of foreign degrees since Decreto-Lei 66/2018: automatic recognition €32.20 within 30 working days, level and specific recognition up to 90 working days; public tuition capped at €697 a year for 2025–2026	See the agency's website	DGES portal	See the agency's website
DGERT (Direção-Geral do Emprego e das Relações de Trabalho – employment directorate)	National coordinator for the recognition of professional qualifications (1 to 4 months for EU qualifications; the professional body decides, for example the Ordem dos Farmacêuticos); publishes the minimum wage and collective agreements	See the agency's website	DGERT portal	See the agency's website
ANQEP, IEFP and the Centros Qualifica – Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA)	State Portuguese courses for residents aged 16 and over, certifying A1, A2, B1 or B2; A2 or higher counts for nationality, permanent residence and long-term resident status; classroom, evening or online	215 803 555 (IEFP)	ANQEP and IEFP portals; the free Português para Todos online platform (no certificate)	Public schools, IEFP training centres and Centros Qualifica
CAPLE (Universidade de Lisboa) and Camões, I.P.	Official Portuguese exams: CIPLE is the A2 exam (€95, pass mark 55 %, sessions in May, July and November plus extra dates in Portugal); universities ask for DIPLE (B2); Camões runs 12-week online courses	See the agency's website	CAPLE and Camões portals	About 100 exam centres in 35 countries; register online up to 21 days before the exam

Cities

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (Lisbon City Council)	The CRUE, municipal housing programmes (Arrendamento Apoiado, Renda Acessível and the rent subsidy through Habitar Lisboa), waste and parking rules; its websites could not be read on 24 September 2026	300 003 980 (counter at the Loja de Cidadão do Saldanha)	Habitar Lisboa platform; the municipal websites were not readable	Counter at the Loja de Cidadão do Saldanha, Rua Eng.º Vieira da Silva – Mercado 31 de Janeiro, 1st floor
Câmara Municipal do Porto (Porto City Council)	The CRUE (on the spot in person, up to 10 working days online), free career counselling through the TERA talent programme, the Porto_4_All project for migrants with ACT, AIMA, IEFP and JRS Portugal, waste through Porto Ambiente	Linha Porto +351 220 100 220, Monday to Friday 9:00–19:00	Portal do Munícipe (24 hours); the talent page is in English	Gabinete do Munícipe, Praça General Humberto Delgado 266, Monday to Friday 9:00–17:00 by appointment
Câmara Municipal de Braga (Braga City Council)	Balcão Único (one-stop shop) for municipal services; no CRUE page could be found on 24 September 2026 – ask the Balcão Único	+351 253 616 060	Balcão Eletrónico (online procedures and appointments); the council website has an English version	Balcão Único, Praça Conde de Agrolongo, with counters in the parish councils of Tadim and Sequeira
Câmara Municipal de Coimbra (Coimbra City Council)	Municipal services and e-Balcão; bulky-waste collection by appointment; no CRUE page could be found on 24 September 2026	239 857 500; bulky waste 239 80 20 70, Monday to Friday 9:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30	Serviços Online and e-Balcão (Portuguese only)	Public counter at the Mercado Municipal D. Pedro V, Rua Olímpio Nicolau Rui Fernandes 208, working days 08:30–16:30

The biggest cities

Housing is the cost that decides most moves. The median rent of new leases was €9.46 per m² nationally in the first quarter of 2026, €17.42 in Lisbon municipality and €9.48 in Coimbra; Porto's median over the 12 months to March 2026 was €14.29. House prices rose 16.5 % year on year in the second quarter of 2026. The rules are national: a deposit of at most two months' rent, a yearly rent update by the official coefficient (1.0224 for 2026), and until 31 December 2029 a new lease on a home that was let in the five years before Lei 56/2023 may not charge more than the last rent times 1.02. Municipal property tax (IMI) is the one figure each municipal assembly sets, between 0.3 % and 0.45 % of the taxable value.

Lisbon

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
658,236 residents at 31 December 2025, 25.6 % foreign citizens (INE Estimates of Resident Population 2025, released 22 June 2026)	Metro de Lisboa and Carris – navegante metropolitano €40 a month for the whole metropolitan area, navegante municipal €30 (Lisbon, Amadora or Odivelas), free up to age 23; single ticket €1.90	Universidade de Lisboa, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa	Lisbon Airport – 20.8 million passengers between January and July 2026 (48.4 % of the national total), Metro station Aeroporto	The council's website could not be read on 24 September 2026; use the municipal counter at the Loja de Cidadão do Saldanha (300 003 980), CNAIM Lisboa at Rua Álvaro Coutinho 14 and the Espaços Cidadão at Saldanha and Laranjeiras for your three numbers

Lisbon has 24 freguesias (parishes); at the 2021 census the municipality had 545,796 residents. The parishes newcomers ask about most: Arroios 33,302, Alvalade 33,309, Avenidas Novas 23,261, Belém 16,546, Benfica 35,362, Campo de Ourique 22,140, Lumiar 46,334, Parque das Nações 22,382, Misericórdia 9,658 and Santa Maria Maior 10,051 (INE Census 2021). Lisbon registered 17,144 new leases in the 12 months to March 2026, the most in the country. The family-doctor shortage is worst here: 32.36 % of users of the ULS Santa Maria and 25.68 % of the ULS São José had no family doctor in June 2026.

Porto

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
273,476 residents at 31 December 2025, 22.1 % foreign citizens (INE Estimates of Resident Population 2025)	Andante – Metro do Porto, STCP buses and CP urban trains – metropolitano €40 a month, municipal (3 zones) €30, young people free; single Z2 ticket €1.40	Universidade do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto	Porto airport – 10.3 million passengers between January and July 2026 (23.8 %), Metro line Trindade–Aeroporto	Gabinete do Munícipe (Linha Porto +351 220 100 220), the bilingual TERA talent page with free career counselling, CNAIM Porto at Avenida de França 316 and the Espaço Cidadão in Cedofeita (by appointment, 226 052 740) for your three numbers

Porto has seven freguesias since the 2013 reform – three unions and four unchanged parishes. Census 2021: Paranhos 45,883, Ramalde 38,847, the historic-centre union of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória 37,430, Campanhã 29,666, Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde 29,085, Lordelo do Ouro e Massarelos 27,911 and Bonfim 22,978, for a municipal total of 231,800. The historic-centre parish office at Rua de Oliveira Monteiro 385 doubles as an Espaço Cidadão. Only 3.39 % (ULS Santo António) and 4.04 % (ULS São João) of registered users lacked a family doctor in June 2026.

Braga

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
212,635 residents at 31 December 2025, 14.3 % foreign citizens (INE Estimates of Resident Population 2025)	TUB – Transportes Urbanos de Braga – Normal pass €12 a month for one zone, €24 for two; on-board single €1.55; students up to 23 free (tariff in force since 21 February 2026, set by the municipal transport authority)	Universidade do Minho, Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e do Ave	Not verified on an official page – the national airport statistics cover Lisbon, Porto and Faro	Balcão Único, Praça Conde de Agrolongo (+351 253 616 060); the council website has an English version but no newcomer guide; the Espaço Cidadão de Braga issues your three numbers in one visit

Braga has 37 freguesias. Census 2021: São Vítor 32,876, the union of Maximinos, Sé e Cividade (city centre and cathedral) 15,087, the union of São José de São Lázaro e São João do Souto 14,791, São Vicente 13,974 and Gualtar (the University of Minho campus area) 6,761, for a municipal total of 193,324. Braga is one of the twelve municipalities with most foreign residents (29,842 at end-2025 according to AIMA). Only 2.97 % of the ULS Braga's users had no family doctor in June 2026. A municipal rule to know: glass may only be put in the green Vidrão between 08:00 and 22:00, and dumping waste outside the containers costs €150 to €1,500.

Coimbra

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
156,359 residents at 31 December 2025, 13.9 % foreign citizens (INE Estimates of Resident Population 2025)	SMTUC buses and the Metro Mondego busway – Passe Rede Geral €30 a month for Coimbra municipality, €40 regional; single intermodal journey €1.00; student pass €15 (tariff since 30 April 2026)	Universidade de Coimbra, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra	Not verified on an official page – the national airport statistics cover Lisbon, Porto and Faro	Public counter at the Mercado Municipal D. Pedro V (239 857 500); the council website is Portuguese only and its Gabinete de Apoio ao Emigrante serves Portuguese returnees rather than foreign newcomers; the AIMA counter is inside the Loja de Cidadão at Avenida Central 16/20

Coimbra lists 18 freguesias and unions; the historic centre and university hill form the União das Freguesias de Coimbra (Sé Nova, Santa Cruz, Almedina e São Bartolomeu), 13,880 residents at the 2021 census, while Santo António dos Olivais is the largest with 41,150; the municipality had 140,816 residents in 2021. Rents were €9.48 per m² in the first quarter of 2026, close to the national median, and 4.56 % of the ULS Coimbra's users had no family doctor in June 2026. In the Alta and Baixa, bags go out between 17:30 and 20:00 for the evening collection.

Embassies in Portugal

Your embassy issues passports, registers births and helps in an emergency. These are the embassies most people moving to Portugal need – 42 countries. Addresses, phone numbers and e-mails were read on each embassy’s official website or the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of foreign embassies on 24 September 2026. Most consular services are by appointment only – book before you go.

Good to know when living in Portugal as a foreigner

Cash and cards. Paying or receiving €3,000 or more in cash is illegal in any transaction (€10,000 for non-resident individuals), and businesses must pay invoices of €1,000 or more by a traceable means, so expect a landlord or tradesman to ask for a transfer. Since 10 April 2026 supermarkets charge a €0.10 deposit on plastic bottles and cans marked Volta, refunded at reverse-vending machines. An unpaid phone or internet bill above €184 can put you on a debtors' list, so cancel contracts properly before you leave.

Holidays and shops. Portugal has 13 national public holidays: 1 January, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 25 April, 1 May, Corpus Christi, 10 June, 15 August, 5 October, 1 November and 1, 8 and 25 December; Carnival Tuesday and the local municipal holiday are days off only if your contract or collective agreement says so. Shop opening hours are free by national law, though a câmara municipal may restrict them; no shop may sell alcohol between 00:00 and 08:00, the age limit for alcohol and tobacco is 18, and smoking is banned in workplaces, restaurants, cafés and bars.

Getting around. There is no vignette, but several motorways are electronic-only and a foreign-registered car needs EasyToll, a Tollcard or a device before it uses them. The former SCUT motorways – the A22 in the Algarve, the A24, the A25, the A23 between Torres Novas and Abrantes and others – have been free since 1 January 2025. Residents can buy the Green Rail Pass for €20 per 30 days on regional and Intercidades trains, students up to 23 ride free on local passes nationwide, and in the Lisbon area everyone up to 23 gets the navegante pass free. The driving-theory test can be taken in English for car and motorcycle categories.

Bills and contracts. You may switch electricity or gas supplier as often as you like, free of charge, and the new supplier finishes the switch within three weeks; any household can ask to be billed at the regulated tariff, which runs to the end of 2027. The audiovisual contribution of €2.85 a month sits on your electricity bill instead of a TV licence. Telecom loyalty periods are capped at 24 months and an early-exit charge cannot exceed 50 % of the remaining fees in the first year.

Borders. The EU Entry/Exit System has been fully in force at Portuguese airports and ports since 10 April 2026: non-EU visitors on short stays (90 days in any 180) have biometrics recorded instead of a passport stamp, and can pre-register in the Travel to Europe app up to 72 hours before flying. ETIAS, the online travel authorisation, is not yet in operation (the fee is set at €20). The receipt for a pending residence-permit application is not a travel document within Schengen.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice. Numbers, prices and opening hours were checked on 24 September 2026 – check with the agency before you visit.