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Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE)

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

How EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens register at the town hall after three months in Portugal: who qualifies, documents, fees, and permanent residence.

The Portugal Brief 8 min read

Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE)

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • You are an EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), or Swiss citizen living in Portugal.
  • You will stay longer than three months to work, study, retire, or live on your own means.
  • You are a non-EU family member of an EU citizen and want to know where you apply.

Not for you if: you are a non-EU citizen moving on your own visa. Read Visas and Residency in Portugal instead.

If you are an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen and stay in Portugal for more than three months, you must register your residence. You do it at the town hall (Câmara Municipal) where you live, within 30 days after your first three months. You get an EU citizen registration certificate (Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia, often called the CRUE). Adults aged 25 and over pay €18 in person or €15 online. In person, many councils issue it the same day. The certificate is valid for five years.

Who must register

You must register if all of these apply:

  • You are a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.
  • You live in Portugal.
  • You have been here, or will be here, for more than three months.

For your first three months, you need nothing but a valid passport or ID card. After that, you have 30 days to register.

You register at the Câmara for the area where you live. In some towns, such as Porto, the service runs through the municipal police (Polícia Municipal) desk.

You do not go to AIMA, the immigration agency, for this certificate. AIMA handles non-EU residence permits, permanent residence for EU citizens, and cards for non-EU family members.

The conditions you must meet

To live here for more than three months, you must fit at least one of these groups:

  • You work. You are an employee or self-employed in Portugal.
  • You have enough money and health cover. You have enough to support yourself and your family. You also need health insurance if your own country asks the same of Portuguese citizens.
  • You study. You are enrolled at a recognised school or university. You also show you have enough money and, on the same terms as above, health insurance.
  • You are family. You are the spouse, partner, child, or dependent parent of an EU citizen who fits one of the groups above.

The law sets no fixed amount for "enough money". It means income at or above the level at which Portugal would start paying social support to its own citizens.

Documents to bring

The law asks for only two things:

  • A valid passport or national ID card.
  • A signed declaration that you meet one of the conditions above. The Câmara gives you the form.

In practice, councils also ask for proof that you live in their area. Porto, for example, accepts one of these:

  • a certificate of residence (atestado de residência) from your parish council (Junta de Freguesia),
  • a rental contract in your name, with the electronic rent receipt or the tax office's lease registration,
  • a purchase deed or land registry certificate,
  • a certificate of your tax address from the Finanças portal,
  • for students, a student residence declaration.

The council can also ask for proof of your condition, such as a work contract, proof of enrolment, or proof of your means. Bring these with you to avoid a second visit.

If you register as a family member, bring your passport or ID card, proof of the family link (a marriage or birth certificate, for example), and your EU family member's registration certificate. A dependent parent also needs proof of being dependent.

The law does not ask for a tax number (NIF) to register. You will need one soon for work, renting, and banking. See Getting a NIF (Tax Number) in Portugal.

Step by step

  1. Find your Câmara's service. Search its website for "Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia" or call the council. Check whether you need an appointment.
  2. Book an appointment if your council asks for one. Porto, for example, books through its phone line. Some councils also take requests online.
  3. Gather your documents from the lists above.
  4. Go to the appointment. Staff check your documents, register you, and work out the fee.
  5. Pay the fee.
  6. Collect your certificate. In Porto, an in-person request is issued on the spot. An online request in Porto takes up to 10 working days, and you collect it in person.

Children must be present when their certificate is issued, whatever their age. A parent goes with them. If one parent cannot attend, bring a notarised power of attorney from that parent or a court decision on custody.

What it costs

RequestAged 25 and overUnder 25
Online€15€12.50
In person€18€15
In person, child up to 1 year oldFreeFree
Address change only, without a new certificate€3€3

These fees are set nationally, so they are the same at every Câmara.

How long it lasts and keeping it up to date

The certificate is valid for five years from the date it is issued. If you told the council you would stay for less time, it is valid for that shorter period.

If you move. There is no legal deadline to update your address on the certificate, but it is sensible to do it. If you stay in the same municipality, update it at that Câmara. If you move to another, go to the Câmara for your new address. Bring your ID and proof of the new address. The full list of offices to tell when you move is in Changing Your Registered Address in Portugal.

If you lose it. While it is still valid, you can get a second copy in person, by appointment. Bring your ID and a police report of the loss or theft. An expired certificate cannot be reissued.

If you leave Portugal. You do not have to tell anyone. You may tell AIMA if you wish.

If you do not register

Registering is a legal duty. Not registering on time can lead to a fine of €400 to €1,500. AIMA imposes the fine.

Your rights as an EU citizen come from EU law, not from the certificate. The law says no public office may make the certificate a condition for exercising a right. You can prove your residence in other ways. In daily life, though, banks, schools, and public offices often ask to see it.

If your family member is not an EU citizen

Non-EU family members do not get a Câmara certificate. They apply to AIMA for a residence card for family members of EU citizens. The deadline is the same: within 30 days after the first three months.

They need:

  • a valid passport,
  • proof of the family link,
  • your EU citizen registration certificate,
  • proof of being dependent, for dependent relatives.

With that card, they are not registered in the EU's Entry/Exit System when they travel. See Arriving at a Portuguese Airport.

Permanent residence after five years

After five years in a row of legal residence, you have a right to permanent residence. It no longer depends on working, studying, or your means.

You ask AIMA, not the Câmara, for a permanent residence certificate. Apply before your registration certificate expires, by appointment at an AIMA office. The fees are the same as for the registration certificate (€18 in person for adults over 25). The law gives AIMA a maximum of 15 days to issue it.

Bring:

  • a valid passport or ID card, with copies,
  • two photos,
  • proof of a new address, if you have moved,
  • the application form for EU citizens' permanent residence.

Absences. Short trips do not break your five years. Absences of up to six months a year are allowed. One longer absence of up to 12 months is also allowed for an important reason, such as pregnancy, serious illness, study, or a work posting. Once you have permanent residence, you only lose it if you are away for more than two years in a row.

Some workers who retire, or who stop work through permanent incapacity, can qualify before five years.

Citizenship. Since 19 May 2026, EU citizens can apply for Portuguese nationality after seven years of legal residence. You must also pass a test of Portuguese language, culture, history, and national symbols. See Getting Portuguese Citizenship by Naturalisation.

Voting in local and European elections

As an EU citizen living here, you can vote in Portuguese local elections and, if you choose, in European Parliament elections in Portugal. You cannot vote in national or presidential elections.

Registration on the electoral roll is not automatic for you. You sign up at the electoral registration office for your parish (freguesia). Bring a valid ID and your registration certificate.

Common problems

Going to AIMA instead of the Câmara. The registration certificate is a town hall service. AIMA only deals with permanent residence and non-EU family members.

Proof of address that does not match. The address on your proof must be in the council's area. If you have just moved, get the new proof first.

Assuming the certificate lasts for ever. It lasts five years. Plan your permanent residence application before it expires.

Waiting until you need it. Banks and schools often ask for the certificate. Register within your first four months, before you need it.

For health care once you are registered, see Registering with the SNS in Portugal.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check with your Câmara or the official source 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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