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Getting a Proof of Residence (Atestado de Residência) in Portugal

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

How to get a residence certificate from your parish council in Portugal: who can ask, what proof to bring, the witness rule, fees, and when you need one.

The Portugal Brief 7 min read

Getting a Proof of Residence (Atestado de Residência) in Portugal

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • You live in Portugal and an office or bank has asked for proof of your address.
  • You have no utility bill or lease in your name yet, or you live with family or friends.
  • You are an EU or non-EU citizen, with or without a residence permit.

Not for you if: you need to update your address on your Citizen Card, tax record, or social security file. Read Changing Your Registered Address in Portugal instead.

An atestado de residência is a certificate from your parish council (junta de freguesia). It confirms that you live at an address in that parish. You ask for it at the junta, in person or, at many juntas, online. Each junta sets its own fee and its own document list. In Lisbon's Lumiar parish, for example, it costs €5 and is ready in two working days. The junta cannot refuse you because of your immigration status. Many offices accept a lease, a bill, or a tax address certificate instead, so ask first whether you need one.

What the certificate is

Portugal is divided into municipalities (concelhos), and each municipality into parishes (freguesias). The parish council is the most local level of government. One of its jobs is to issue certificates (atestados) about facts in the parish, such as where you live.

A residence certificate is a public document. The junta issues it when it is satisfied that you live at the address. The law allows the junta to accept one of these as proof:

  • a member of the parish council or assembly knows the facts directly;
  • two witnesses, who must be registered voters in the parish, confirm the facts orally or in writing;
  • any other proof the law accepts, such as a lease or a bill in your name.

Making a false statement to get a certificate is a crime.

Juntas also issue other certificates. A certificate of household composition or of economic situation is a different document. So is the certificate for an unmarried couple (união de facto), which needs a signed statement from both partners. Ask for the one you actually need.

Who can ask for one

Anyone who lives in the parish can ask, Portuguese or foreign. The Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça) has said that juntas cannot refuse a residence certificate because a foreign applicant has no residence permit. The certificate only records where you live. It says nothing about your right to stay in Portugal, and checking that is the state's job, not the junta's.

If a junta refuses you on these grounds, ask for the refusal in writing. You can then complain to the Ombudsman.

What to bring

Each junta publishes its own list. Bring the following, and check your junta's website or call first:

  • Your ID: passport, residence card, EU identity card, or Citizen Card.
  • Your tax number (NIF), if you have one. See Getting a NIF (Tax Number) in Portugal.
  • Proof of your address in the parish, such as a lease, a recent utility bill, or a property deed.
  • If you live in someone else's home: ask the junta what it accepts, since you may have no lease or bill in your name.
  • Two witnesses, if the junta asks. They must be registered voters in the same parish and bring their own ID.
  • The junta's request form, if it has one.

In Lumiar, for example, foreign residents bring a valid ID and proof of address in the parish. Portuguese citizens must also be on the parish electoral roll.

About witnesses. The witness route is one of the ways the law allows. It is useful if you have no lease or bill in your name. Many juntas now accept documents instead, and some still ask for witnesses. Ask before you go.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Find your parish. Your lease, deed, or utility bill usually names the freguesia. Since 2013 many parishes have merged into unions of parishes (uniões de freguesias). Your câmara municipal's website lists them.
  2. Check your junta's website. Look for "atestados" to find the document list, the fee, and whether you can apply online.
  3. Apply in person or online. Many juntas have an online counter (balcão virtual or e-balcão). Lumiar in Lisbon and São Victor in Braga are two examples.
  4. Pay the fee. Each junta sets it in its own fee regulation.
  5. Collect the certificate. Some juntas issue it on the spot. Others take a few working days. Lumiar issues it two working days after the request, or one day for an urgent fee.
  6. Check it before you leave. Your name, ID number, and full address must be correct.

What it costs

There is no national fee. Each junta sets its own in a published fee regulation (regulamento de taxas). Lumiar, in Lisbon, charges €5 for a residence certificate. It issues it free if you cannot afford the fee and your request is approved.

If you are on a low income, ask your junta whether it reduces or waives the fee.

How long it is valid

No national rule sets a validity period. The office that asks for the certificate decides how recent it must be. Ask that office before you apply, so you do not have to get a second one.

When you might need one

These official processes accept or ask for a parish residence certificate:

  • Healthcare without a residence permit. If you have lived in Portugal for more than 90 days without legal status, a certificate from your junta gives you urgent and vital care at the national health service's expense. Bring it each time you need care. See Getting an SNS Número de Utente.
  • EU citizen registration. Councils ask for proof that you live in their area. Porto, for example, accepts a parish certificate, a lease, a deed, or a tax address certificate. See Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE).
  • Renewing a residence permit. Proof of address can be a parish certificate, a lease with your last rent receipt, or your property deed. See Renewing Your Residence Permit with AIMA.
  • The solidarity supplement for older people. Portuguese and EU citizens prove six years in Portugal with a parish certificate.

Banks, schools, and private companies set their own rules. Some accept a parish certificate when you have no bill or lease in your name yet. See Opening a Bank Account in Portugal.

Alternatives to a parish certificate

You may not need a certificate at all. Depending on who asks, these can also prove your address:

  • A lease in your name, with the tax office's lease registration or your electronic rent receipts.
  • A property deed or land registry certificate, if you own your home.
  • A recent utility bill in your name.
  • A certificate of your tax address from the Portal das Finanças.

Your tax address must be kept up to date in any case.

Common problems

The junta asks for witnesses and you know no one. Ask whether it accepts a lease, bill, or statement from your landlord instead. The law allows other forms of proof.

Your address is in a different parish than you thought. After the 2013 merger of parishes, the junta's name may differ from the old parish name. Check with your câmara.

The certificate is too old. The office that asked decides how recent it must be. Ask before you apply.

The junta refuses because you have no residence permit. Ask for the refusal in writing. You can complain to the Ombudsman.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Each parish council sets its own procedure and fee; check with yours before you act.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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