Living in Portugal

Portugal is a unitary state. The rules that newcomers meet first — residence and visas, taxes, social security, health care and tenancy law — are national and apply in the same way across the mainland. The autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira have their own regional governments, so check regional rules if you move there.

Who does what

• AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) replaced the former immigration service (SEF) and handles residence permits for non-EU nationals, their renewal, permanent residence and integration programmes such as Portuguese courses for migrants. Its contact centre is on (+351) 217 115 000 on weekdays.
• Consulates and the visa portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issue national visas before you travel, including residence visas for work, study, retirement or passive income, and remote work.
• The town hall (câmara municipal) issues the registration certificate for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who stay longer than three months. Each municipality is divided into parishes (freguesias) with their own parish council (junta de freguesia), which issues local certificates such as a residence certificate.
• The tax authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, usually called Finanças) issues the tax number (número de identificação fiscal, NIF) and handles income tax (IRS).
• Social Security (Segurança Social) issues the social security number (NISS), collects contributions and pays benefits such as child benefit.
• The National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde, SNS) runs public health centres and hospitals. You get an SNS user number (número de utente) the first time you use a public health unit.
• Citizen Shops (Lojas do Cidadão) and Citizen Spaces (Espaços Cidadão) bring several public services under one roof.

What most newcomers deal with first

1. Residence status. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can live in Portugal without a visa and register with their town hall after three months. Most other nationals need a residence visa from a Portuguese consulate before moving; the visa is valid for four months and allows two entries, and within that time you apply to AIMA for a residence permit.
2. A tax number (NIF). You need it to sign a lease, open a bank account, get a phone contract and work. You can request it at a tax office or Citizen Shop, or online through a representative.
3. Social security and health. If you work, you need a NISS. The SNS user number gives you access to public health centres and hospitals.
4. Housing. Leases must be in writing, deposits and advance rent are currently capped by law, and landlords must register the lease with the tax authority. A revision of the rental law was being discussed in Parliament in October 2026.
5. Language. Free or low-cost Português Língua de Acolhimento courses are offered by public schools, IEFP training centres and Qualifica centres; an A2 certificate is accepted as proof of Portuguese for permanent residence and nationality applications.

Getting help

• gov.pt is the official portal for public services and practical guides, including guides for migrants on NIF, NISS and health care.
• Lisbon has two AIMA offices and many local support centres for migrants (Centros Locais de Apoio à Integração de Migrantes, CLAIM) run with municipalities and associations. CLAIMs give information but cannot look into your AIMA file.

The HomiStart Portugal guides are general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change often, especially in immigration law; confirm details with the official sources linked in each guide or with the office responsible for you.