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Becoming a Foster Family in Portugal

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

Who can foster a child in Portugal, how to apply and get approved, the monthly support of €644.56 per child, and what daily life as a foster family involves.

The Portugal Brief 7 min read

Becoming a Foster Family in Portugal

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • Single people and couples living in Portugal who want to care for a child in danger for a while.
  • Families with or without children of their own, including people who have never been parents.
  • Residents who want to know the money, the leave, and the checks before they call.

Not for you if: you want to become a child's permanent legal parent. Read "Adopting a Child in Portugal".

A foster family (família de acolhimento) looks after a child who cannot live safely at home for now. A court or a child protection commission decides the placement, and the aim is usually that the child goes home again. Anyone over 25 who passes the checks can apply, single or as a couple. The law says you get a decision within 120 days of applying. While a child lives with you, Segurança Social pays you €644.56 a month per child in 2026, and more for young or disabled children.

What fostering is, and how it differs from adoption

Fostering is a temporary protection measure. The child lives in your home and you look after their daily life, school, and health. The child's birth family usually stays part of their life, and the team behind the placement works with the parents so the child can return.

A placement lasts until the birth family can care for the child again. If that is not possible, the team looks for a permanent family, which can mean adoption.

Fostering is not a route to adoption, but the two are no longer fully separate. A 2025 change to the law means:

  • people who are already approved to adopt may also apply to foster, with a special assessment;
  • relatives of a child may now be foster families;
  • if a court decides a child you foster should be adopted, you may be allowed to adopt them, where this is in the child's best interests.

Children from birth to 18 can be fostered, and children aged six and under have priority. The law now says a foster family should be the first choice over a care home for any child who needs to leave home.

In November 2025, Segurança Social said 5,987 children needed a foster family.

Who can apply

You can foster as one of these:

  • a single person;
  • a married couple, or a couple who have lived together for more than two years;
  • two or more relatives who live and share meals in the same home.

One adult is named as the person responsible for the placement. That person must:

  • be over 25;
  • be in good physical and mental health, shown by a doctor's statement;
  • have a home that is safe, clean, and suitable for a child;
  • be fit to care for children, with a clean criminal record;
  • not have lost, or had limited, their parental rights over their own children.

Everyone in your household who is 16 or over also needs a criminal record certificate. Nobody in the household may have been charged with, or convicted of, a crime against life, physical safety, personal freedom, or sexual freedom.

You do not need to have children or parenting experience. Training and a support team come with the role. You do need a stable income of your own, and the team checks this.

The official conditions do not include a nationality requirement. You apply where you live, using your Portuguese civil, tax (NIF), and social security (NISS) numbers. If you hold a foreign ID, ask the institution in your district how it handles your case.

This guide covers mainland Portugal. The Azores and Madeira apply fostering through their own regional rules.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Get in touch. Contact the approved institution (instituição de enquadramento) for your district. Segurança Social publishes a list of them, with phone numbers and email addresses. You can also call the national fostering line on 300 512 350, email [email protected], or ask at a Segurança Social office.
  2. Go to an information session. It must take place within 30 days of your first contact. It covers the process, the children's needs, and the support you get. You receive a certificate of attendance.
  3. Send your application. You fill in the institution's form and attach the documents listed below.
  4. Do the initial training. It covers child protection, child development, first aid, managing emotions, and working with the birth family.
  5. Take part in the assessment. Staff interview you, visit your home, and look at how your family works together.
  6. Get the decision. If you are approved, you receive a foster family certificate and join the national register of available families.

In Lisbon, Casa Pia de Lisboa and Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa are among the institutions you can contact.

Documents you need

  • proof of your civil ID, tax, and social security numbers;
  • a household residence declaration;
  • a doctor's statement on your health;
  • your household's last annual tax return, or other proof that you can support yourselves;
  • criminal record certificates for you and every household member aged 16 or over;
  • a signed statement that nobody in the household has lost or had limited parental rights;
  • your certificate of attendance at the information session.

If you are turned down

You are told why first. You then have 10 working days to reply, see your file, and add documents or arguments before the final decision.

What happens after approval

Being approved does not mean a child arrives straight away. A court or protection commission must decide on a placement. Then Segurança Social, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, or Casa Pia de Lisboa matches a child with the family that best fits their needs.

Before the child moves in, you sign a contract with your institution. It names the child, your duties, your support worker, the child's case manager, and the monthly amount. In an emergency, a child can arrive first, and the institution starts the contract within 48 hours.

Your certificate lasts two years and is then reviewed. Each year you renew the health statements and criminal record certificates for your household. You also attend at least one training session a year.

A family can foster up to two children at a time. More are possible in special cases, such as brothers and sisters placed together.

The money and your rights

The monthly support is 1.2 times the social support index (IAS), which is €537.13 in 2026. Each child brings a separate payment:

  • €644.56 a month for a child over six;
  • €741.24 a month for a child aged six or under;
  • €741.24 a month for a child over six with a proven disability or chronic illness;
  • €837.92 a month for a child aged six or under with a proven disability or chronic illness.

The amounts change each year with the IAS. The money is meant to cover the child's upkeep, care, and needs.

You must also claim the benefits the child is entitled to, such as child benefit (abono de família). You have 60 working days from being told of the right to do so. Your institution can help.

If you work and pay social security contributions, you have extra rights:

  • Parental leave. For a child under 15, you can claim the adoption and foster care allowance on form RP 5050. It runs for 120 or 150 days from the placement, with 30 more days if two carers share it.
  • Time off. You can take days off work to care for the child, including the day the placement starts.
  • Income tax. During the placement, the child counts as your dependant for income tax (IRS) deductions, in proportion to the months they lived with you that year.

Day to day, and when it ends

You handle everyday decisions about the child's life. Bigger decisions go to the parents, through your institution. You make sure the child sees a doctor and goes to a suitable school. You also tell the institution if you plan to move house, and where you will spend holidays.

Unless a court or commission says otherwise, the child keeps in touch with their birth family, with the support team arranging contact. When the two families meet, it is usually in a neutral place with staff present. Your address and personal details are not shared with the birth family.

Each placement is reviewed at least every six months. It ends when the measure is lifted or changed, or by agreement where a suitable alternative is ready. It also ends straight away if the child's safety is at risk, or if you no longer meet the conditions.

The move home or to an adoptive family is planned gradually, with the child, both families, and the team. Afterwards, you may keep in touch with the child where that is in their interests.

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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