You own a house or a flat in northern Portugal and you want to let it for a few weeks a year. Before the first booking, one step is compulsory: registration as Alojamento Local. Without an AL number, short-term letting is illegal, and the platforms end up delisting non-compliant listings.
Here is the procedure, in order, as it stands today.
Declare the activity at the Finanças
It all starts at the Portal das Finanças, with the declaração de início de atividade. This is what officially creates your rental activity, under the code corresponding to short-term accommodation. You need a Portuguese NIF and access to the portal.
This is also the moment when choices that will follow you are made: tax regime, VAT liability or not. A wrong setting here is paid for later — get help if you are not sure.
File the prior notification
Registration is then done online, on the electronic one-stop desk (Balcão Único Eletrónico), via gov.pt. Authentication goes through the Chave Móvel Digital, the Citizen Card, a digital certificate — or, for French residents, through eIDAS and FranceConnect+. You do not have to do it alone: the lojas do cidadão and many town halls offer in-person support, where an officer fills in the file with you. Filing stays electronic, but you are not left alone in front of a form in Portuguese.
The form asks for the address of the property, the identity of the declarant, the operators and a description of the accommodation: type, number of bedrooms, guest capacity.
Gather the documents before you start
Nothing is more frustrating than having to interrupt the process. Prepare the holder's ID and NIF; the caderneta predial urbana of the property, its tax record; the authorisation to use the property for residential purposes; the termo de responsabilidade, by which you certify that the property meets the legal and safety requirements; and the contact details of someone reachable in an emergency.
The town hall's objection period
Once the notification is filed, the municipality has a period in which to object: 60 days as a rule, 90 days in so-called contenção areas. With no objection within that period, registration is acquired and the RNAL number is issued to you.
In other words: if you are aiming for the high season, start the process several months ahead.
The compliance visit
During that same period, the town hall comes to check on site that the property matches what you declared and that it meets the safety requirements. This visit is where anything missing shows up — and it is what gives weight to the termo de responsabilidade you signed.
What must be in place before the visit
A fire extinguisher, a fire blanket near the hob, a first-aid kit accessible to guests, and the emergency number 112 displayed visibly. A large-capacity property falls under heavier requirements: in that case, check with your town hall before declaring your guest capacity.
Public liability insurance, now essential
This is the point many owners discover too late. Public liability insurance specific to Alojamento Local is compulsory, with a minimum cover of €75,000. It is not one more formality: its absence or expiry can lead the town hall to cancel the registration.
And once you have the number?
Registration is not the end of the road. You will notably have to display the regulation AL plate at the entrance to the property, register with the electronic Complaints Book, report foreign guests within the set deadlines, keep the stay register and invoice correctly, and collect the municipal tourist tax where it applies.
What it changes in practice
The rules have eased on some points since 2024: the five-year validity period has gone, the extraordinary contribution has been repealed, and the condominium's authorisation is no longer required for a property whose title deed provides for residential use — it is still required for hostels. But compliance obligations have tightened.
At Verde Conciergerie, we take care of the entire process for the owners we work with: activity declaration, filing of the application, follow-up until the number is issued, bringing the property into compliance.
Do you own a property in northern Portugal? Ask for your free estimate: we will tell you what it can earn, and what is left to do to bring it into line.
