SIBA Portugal for Alojamento Local: what hosts must do in 2026
SIBA — Sistema de Informação de Boletins de Alojamento — is the AIMA-run system every Portuguese AL uses to declare foreign guests within 3 working days of check-in. It is a legal obligation under Law 23/2007, separate from your RNAL registration and from INE statistics. This page explains SIBA end-to-end: what it is, who must file, when, what data is required, the mistakes that trigger fines, and finally how Chave AL automates the whole submission.
What SIBA is
SIBA — Sistema de Informação de Boletins de Alojamento — is the Portuguese state's guest-registration system. Every accommodation provider (hotel, hostel, AL, aparthotel) submits a boletim de alojamento for each non-Portuguese guest who stays overnight. The obligation dates back to Law 23/2007 on the entry, stay and removal of foreigners.
Filings used to be made only through the SEF web portal. Since 2024 SIBA also accepts machine submissions via SEF Web Services (SOAP), which is what modern compliance tools like Chave AL use. The portal remains available as a fallback.
The system moved from SEF to AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) in October 2023, but the SIBA brand, portal URL and rules stayed the same.
Who must file SIBA
- Every registered Alojamento Local (rooms, apartments, villas, hostels) in mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
- The AL operator listed on the RNAL (Registo Nacional de Alojamento Local) — not the guest, not the OTA (Booking, Airbnb, Expedia).
- Every foreign guest of any age. Portuguese nationals are excluded but must still appear on your internal guest register.
- Applies whether the booking came from an OTA, a direct channel, a long-let below 30 days, or a friend paying nothing — as long as it's registered as AL activity.
When SIBA must be filed
Within 3 working days of the guest's check-in. Weekends and Portuguese public holidays don't count.
One boletim per foreign guest, per stay. A family of four booking one apartment produces four bulletins, one per person.
There is no monthly batch: SIBA is event-based, not periodic. INE WebInq is the monthly filing — see below.
Chave AL sends automatic reminders 24 hours before the deadline and again on the day it expires.
What information you need per guest
- Full name as it appears on the travel document.
- Date of birth (DD-MM-YYYY) and nationality (ISO code — SIBA rejects country names).
- Document type (passport, ID card, residence card) and document number.
- Country of residence and country of the last previous stay.
- Check-in and check-out dates for that specific guest.
- The property's Establishment ID (Número de Estabelecimento) from your SIBA inscrição.
Common SIBA mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Filing only for the lead guest — SIBA requires one bulletin per foreign guest, including children. Collect passport data for the whole party before check-in via a mobile guest form.
- Using country names instead of ISO codes — SIBA validates against the ISO 3166 nationality list. Chave AL maps 'United Kingdom' → GBR, 'Germany' → DEU automatically so submissions don't bounce.
- Registering under a Web Services flag that isn't active yet — SEF/AIMA can take 2–5 working days to flip Web Services on internally even after your form shows the method as selected. Confirm activation by sending a test bulletin before you rely on auto-submit.
- Using a single SIBA login for a multi-unit AL — Each AL licence needs its own SIBA inscrição (SEF FAQ P07). A 6-apartment building = 6 separate registrations, each with its own establishment ID and credentials.
- Filing after the 3-day window — Automate reminders and collect guest data pre-arrival, not on check-in day. Late bulletins can still be submitted but count as non-compliance if inspected.
- Assuming Booking.com or Airbnb handles it — OTAs collect the reservation, not the boletim. The legal duty stays with the AL operator on every channel.
How Chave AL helps with SIBA
- Guest data is collected pre-arrival through a mobile form the guest fills themselves — validated for date format, ISO nationality and document number length.
- Once all party members are complete, one click submits every bulletin through SEF Web Services under your encrypted credentials.
- Auto-submit mode fires the bulletin the moment the last guest finishes — useful for busy portfolios or agencies.
- Multi-unit AL buildings are supported: each unit stores its own RNAL number, establishment ID and SIBA login.
- Every submission is logged with the SEF response code, giving you an audit trail for AIMA and ASAE inspections.
- Portuguese guests are automatically kept off the SIBA payload while remaining on the booking for INE and internal records.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need SIBA credentials to use Chave AL?
- Yes. SIBA submissions are made under your own SEF account. You only need to enter the credentials once — they are encrypted and used to call the SEF Web Services API on your behalf.
- What is the SIBA deadline?
- Foreign guests must be registered within 3 working days of check-in. Chave AL sends automatic reminders so you never miss it.
- Do Portuguese guests need to be registered with SIBA?
- No — SIBA only applies to non-Portuguese guests. Chave AL automatically excludes Portuguese nationals from the submission while still keeping them on the booking for your records.
- What happens if my SEF account is set to Manual?
- You can still submit through Chave AL, but each bulletin will need a manual confirmation in SEF. Switching to Web Services in your SEF profile unlocks one-click and automatic submission.
- What is the fine for not filing SIBA?
- Under Law 23/2007 (foreigner regime), fines range from €100 to €3,750 per unregistered foreign guest for private hosts, and up to €7,500 for corporate operators. Fines are per guest, not per booking, so a family of four missed can multiply quickly.
- Do I still need SIBA if I use Booking.com or Airbnb?
- Yes. OTAs do not file SIBA on your behalf. The legal obligation sits with the AL operator, regardless of the sales channel. Only guest information that the OTA collects (name, dates) reaches you — the passport data must still be gathered by you and filed with SIBA.
- How is SIBA different from INE WebInq?
- SIBA is a security filing (who slept where, for immigration control) run by SEF/AIMA. INE WebInq / IPHH is a statistical filing (nights, revenue, nationality mix) run by INE. Both are compulsory and use similar data, but they are separate systems with separate logins and deadlines.
- Do children need to be registered on SIBA?
- Yes. Every foreign national of any age must appear on a boletim de alojamento. For minors, the passport or ID of the accompanying adult is used to fill their record when they have no document of their own.
- Can I share one SIBA account across a multi-unit building?
- No. SEF FAQ P07 confirms that each AL licence needs its own SIBA inscrição, even when the units share an NIF and owner. A 6-unit small building therefore holds 6 separate SIBA registrations, one per RNAL number.
Related
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