Alojamento Local compliance — the complete 2026 hub for Portuguese short-term rental hosts
The master reference for every legal obligation an AL operator has in Portugal — registration, SIBA, INE WebInq, tourist tax, insurance, check-in, complaints, tax and safety — with links to the deep-dive on each topic.
Running an Alojamento Local (AL) in Portugal is not one obligation — it's a stack of them. A single overnight stay can trigger a SIRE/SIBA filing, an INE WebInq entry, a municipal tourist-tax line, an invoice with your NIF and the guest's, a Livro de Reclamações entry if things go wrong, and an insurance certificate that has to be on file with Balcão Único. Miss any one of them and you're exposed to fines that start at €125 and reach €30,000 per infraction.
This hub is the master reference. Every section summarises the rule in plain English, links the exact legal instrument, and points to the deep-dive guide where you can see the workflow, deadlines and templates.
The legal stack, one paragraph
Decreto-Lei 128/2014 (the AL Regime, updated by DL 62/2018, DL 15/2024 and the Mais Habitação package) governs registration, insurance, safety kit and inspections. Lei 23/2007 art. 15-A and Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007 govern guest identification and the SIBA/SIREF electronic communication of foreign guests. Lei 22/2019 and Portaria 289/2019 set the INE statistical obligations for the tourism sector. Municipal tourist tax is set by each câmara municipal under Lei 73/2013. Invoicing follows the CIVA and Portaria 195/2020 (SAF-T PT). Complaints follow Decreto-Lei 156/2005 (Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico). That's the whole legal spine.
The 9 obligations, in the order they hit you
1. Register the property (RNAL / AL number)
Before you take a single booking you need an AL registration number issued by the câmara municipal and published in the Registo Nacional de Alojamento Local (RNAL). Registration is a mera comunicação prévia — 20 working days for the town hall to reject or issue the number automatically. In containment zones (Funchal, parts of Lisboa, Porto historic centre, and — since 2024 — Santa Cruz and Machico in Madeira) new registrations are suspended. See our Madeira AL legal status tracker for the live map.
Deep-dives: AL license overview, Madeira suspensions.
2. Insurance (civil liability, 3-day Balcão Único filing)
Every AL has to hold a multi-risk civil liability policy with a minimum insured capital of €75,000 (Portaria 83/2019). The certificate has to be uploaded to Balcão Único do Turismo de Portugal within 3 business days of issue or renewal. This is the single most-missed obligation — and it costs €2,500–€30,000 when it's caught.
Deep-dive: AL insurance in Portugal — the 3-day rule.
3. Guest identification and SIBA
Every foreign guest (non-Portuguese national) has to be reported to SEF/AIMA through the SIBA portal within 3 working days of check-in. From 2026 the reporting is exclusively electronic — paper Boletins de Alojamento are no longer accepted. Portuguese nationals do not have to be reported to SIBA but their ID has to be recorded and kept for 1 year. Multi-unit properties need one SIBA registration per AL number (FAQ P07 of the SEF portal).
Deep-dives: SIBA complete guide, SIBA Web Services setup, check-in compliance workflow.
4. Municipal tourist tax (taxa turística)
Currently in force in Lisboa, Porto, Cascais, Sintra, Óbidos, Braga, Faro, Vila Real de Santo António, and — with different rates and exemptions — every municipality in Madeira and Porto Santo. The tax is per adult, per night, capped at 7 nights, with statutory exemptions for guests under 13, disability, medical stays and long-term residents. Payment cycle is monthly (Lisboa/Porto) or quarterly (smaller councils). Some councils (Santa Cruz, Machico) refund a 2.5% collection commission.
Deep-dives: Tourist tax in Portugal, Madeira tourist tax, Santa Cruz commission refund.
5. INE WebInq monthly statistics
The Instituto Nacional de Estatística requires every AL to submit an Inquérito à Permanência de Hóspedes e Outros Alojamentos Turísticos (IPHH) by the 15th of every month, even if occupancy was zero. You report room-nights, guest-nights, guest nationality breakdown and gross revenue. Late submission is a contraordenação leve — €125 to €3,740.
Deep-dive: INE WebInq guide, INE WebInq vs SIBA — what's the difference.
6. Invoicing (CIVA, SAF-T PT, RCPP)
Every stay needs an invoice issued through certified billing software (Portaria 195/2020) that produces a monthly SAF-T PT file. The guest's tax ID is only required if they ask for it — otherwise "consumidor final" is acceptable up to €1,000. IVA on accommodation is 6% (Portugal continental), 4% (Madeira) and 4% (Açores) for the room, 13% for restaurant/food add-ons, and 23% for extras like transfers or laundry.
Deep-dive: coming soon — AL invoicing & IVA workflow.
7. Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico
Every AL has to be signed up for the Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico (livroreclamacoes.pt) and display the sticker at reception or the entrance. Complaints filed by guests have to be answered within 15 working days. The absence of the book is a fine of €250 to €5,000.
Deep-dive: Surviving complaints and inspections.
8. Safety kit and property signage
DL 128/2014 art. 6 requires: fire extinguisher (min. 6 kg per 100 m²), fire blanket in the kitchen, first-aid kit, smoke detectors on every floor, information sheet with emergency numbers and evacuation plan in Portuguese and English, and the AL identification plate outside the door. ASAE inspects at random.
9. Data retention and GDPR
Guest identification data has to be kept for 1 year (Lei 23/2007), invoicing data for 10 years (CIVA), and SIBA logs for 1 year. Beyond that, GDPR requires anonymisation. Chave AL runs a 3-year auto-anonymisation policy on all guest PII as our default retention floor.
The compliance calendar at a glance
The fine schedule, in one place
How Chave AL maps to each obligation
FAQ
Do I have to file SIBA for Portuguese guests?
No. SIBA is for foreign nationals. You still have to record and keep the ID for 1 year.
Is INE WebInq mandatory if I had zero bookings?
Yes. You file a nil return by the 15th.
Can I use the same insurance policy for multiple AL units?
Yes, if each AL number is explicitly listed in the schedule. Each unit is filed separately with Balcão Único.
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