News from afpop

Good afternoon to you all and here we are in December. Personally, December is quite a confusing month for me. Each year there is a real change in people as Christmas approaches, even those for whom Christmas has no religious meaning at all. We wish each other well and yes, of course, shopping can be a nightmare, but generally there is a more relaxed and pleasant feeling as Christmas approaches. Then once December is over and the New Year dawns, it all seems to dissipate. At least that’s how it seems to me and every year I hope that the good will might just last a little longer. Perhaps this time, who knows?

As those Members in the East Algarve on the social events list will know, our AEO for the east, Linda, has finally stood down after her final event last week. Our gratitude and sincerest good wishes go with Linda and Graeme as they take a well-earned rest after 18 years of organising events in the east. I invite anyone who might be interested in taking up the challenge of organising events for their fellow Members in the east Algarve to contact the afpop office and we’ll be delighted to discuss the role with you. 

Finally, from me for this year, I would like to take a moment to thanks those who have sent me their good wishes on my retirement in January. You’re very kind and your comments are very warmly received. There will be a little more from me in January before I hand this over to our next CEO, Daisy Sampson, but I didn’t want to wait until January to acknowledge your kindness. THANK YOU!

A reminder that we include the AIMA information at the bottom of these Member Briefings, for those Members who join every week and who might have questions about the situation at AIMA and who will not have seen the earlier Briefings.

That said and with my warmest good wishes to you all for a joyous and relaxing Christmas, whatever your religious beliefs, here is this week’s information for you:

IUC tax update
We have mentioned in UPDATE magazine that the IUC tax (Vehicle Circulation Tax) payment date would move to February next year for all vehicles, but the government has now just agreed that there will be no changes to the IUC in 2026. We are waiting for the law to be published, but it appears that changes will take place only in 2028, when everyone will have to pay their IUC in the same month, apparently in April and not in February as initially announced. Before that, in 2027, there will be a transitional period, and we will inform Members when we have the final information.

So, to clarify, IUC payments in 2026 remain in the month of the vehicle’s registration. We will soon update our Information Bulletin M03 with more information.

European Border Control System could be suspended during Christmas 
The European border control system for non-EU citizens (EES) might be temporarily suspended over the Christmas period. The aim of this measure is to prevent long queues at airports and ensure smoother passenger flow during the busiest travel season of the year. Whilst this isn’t of interest to Members who are resident in Portugal, it will be interesting to any family or friends who might be visiting you over the Christmas period.

If implemented Portugal will return to the border procedures that were in place until the 12^th of October. Authorities state that all necessary security measures remain fully guaranteed and that the temporary change will not compromise passenger safety.

Toll exemptions
More Toll exemptions come into force from 2026 and will apply to: 

• the entire A25 - tolls will be abolished along the entire length of the A25.

This measure corrects the current inconsistency where some sections are toll-free and others are not

• parts of the A2 and A6 for local residents and businesses. 

• heavy vehicle exemptions on the CREP (A41) and other northern roads, but not on the A25/A2/A6

You will find more detailed information in afpop Information Bulletin M07.

Pharmacy opening hours
Some good news for Members in more remote areas, in that the President promulgated the new amendment to Decree-Law nº 53/2007 which introduces stricter rules for pharmacy opening hours, especially in small municipalities, ensuring extended service availability even after health centres close, although it is accepted that some of the specific measures might be difficult to put into practice.

In municipalities with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants per pharmacy and where there are up to four pharmacies and no urgent care services (SNS, private or social), at least one pharmacy must remain open to provide assistance until two hours after the local health centre closes.

AT warns for phishing
Fraudulent emails and texts are circulating again, pretending to be from the Tax and Customs Authority (AT).

Remember:

• AT emails only come from @at.gov.pt

• AT never sends links to update details or make payments

• Always use the Portal das Finanças for secure access

You can also contact the Finanças Call Centre (tel. 217 206 707 from 9h00-19h00) or through the e-balcão on the Portal das Finanças

Stay vigilant and ignore suspicious messages.

Nationality law update
The Constitutional Court has not yet ruled on Portugal’s Nationality Law changes. For now, the 5-year Residency rule still applies and the new law is frozen until the Court issues its decision. The decision is expected soon, and we will inform our Members through Factsheet FS45 about the outcome.

Mondego Metro
The first phase of the Mondego Mobility System (SMM) will begin operating on the 16^th of December when, at 5h30, the first metrobus will depart from Serpins (Lousã) bound for Portagem (Coimbra). During this month, the service will be free.

Waste disposal at Christmas
Waste disposal and recycling is always an issue over the Christmas and New Year period and the municipalities once again are asking citizens to deposit their waste only until 18h00 on the 24th and 31st of December. They ask people not to deposit waste outside the ecological islands on 25th of December and 1st of January, as there will be more rubbish than usual and no collections. Members can confirm the information on their water bill, on the supplier’s website, or on the street posters, as there may be slight variations in the schedule in each municipality.

Season’s greetings come with surprises
Better Living in Portugal exhibitors are once again spreading cheer with special promotions. We’ve invited them to craft exclusive festive offers just for afpop Members, adding sparkle to your holidays. These joyful deals will be unwrapped on the Better Living in Portugal website throughout December and January - a perfect way to celebrate the season of giving. See page https://betterlivinginportugal.com for all the merry details!

Christmas markets
Christmas markets in Portugal are enchanting and a fantastic way to soak up the festive spirit. For those Members who are staying in Portugal over Christmas, here are some ideas of markets you might like to visit: 

https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/christmas-markets-portugal and

https://eventos.visitalgarve.pt/en/events?searchTerm=Christmas

Aside from these main markets, many towns and cities across Portugal host smaller Christmas markets and events. These include live nativity scenes, Christmas parades, and festive light displays that add to the holiday cheer.

Portugal’s Christmas markets not only offer a festive shopping experience but also a chance to enjoy the country’s rich traditions and warm hospitality during the holiday season.

Bank Transfer problems
We have recently received several enquiries from Members reporting that our IBAN is "incorrect" or "missing digits" when attempting to make a bank transfer. If your banking app is rejecting the IBAN, it is likely due to the specific formatting requirements of your bank’s software. Here are a few suggestions you that might help you to make a successful transfer:

• First of all, don’t cut and paste the IBAN from our information. Instead type it into the space provided and check for any extra spaces: 

• Input the number as one Long String: We present the IBAN with spaces included just to make it simpler to read, for example a string of zeros is broken into groups, but this is for your convenience only and most online banking systems require you to enter it as one continuous string of characters without spaces.

• The "PT50" Prefix: Ensure you include the PT50 at the start. In Portugal, the IBAN always consists of 25 characters in total.

• Check the Country Selection: Some apps ask you to select the country (Portugal) before entering the number. If you select Portugal, the app might automatically "fill in" the PT prefix, so you only need to enter the numbers that follow.

Modern banking apps use automated validation algorithms. If even one extra space is included or the "Country" setting doesn't match the "PT" prefix, the app will flag the IBAN as "invalid" or "too long."

The banking details that we include in our renewals advice is correct, so please follow the guidelines here to save frustration.

AIMA Renewals Portal (non-EU): December 2025 - reminder
The Renewals Portal is now also available for Residency Permit renewals expiring in December 2025. See further details on the renewal process in our previous briefings.

AIMA Residence Permit applications for holders of Highly Skilled Visas - reminder

AIMA has launched an online contact form for scheduling Residence Permit applications for holders of Highly Skilled Visas at the following link: https://contactenos.aima.gov.pt/contact-form 

Choose: “Topic Type” Residence permit and then the “Subtopic Type” Residence permit with consular visa (Highly Skilled). If the English version gives you issues, please try the Portuguese version 

Choose: “Tipo de Assunto” Autorização de Residência and then the “Subtipo de Assunto” concessão de Autorização de Residência para detentores de Vistos Altamente Qualificados

Residency renewal for EU citizens and family members - reminder
AIMA has added an option on their contact form for Residency renewal applications for EU citizens and their family members’ Residency cards and Certificates (CRUE). This option is for cards and certificates that have already expired or are due to expire in the very near future. 

You can find the contact form here: https://contactenos.aima.gov.pt/contact-form 

Choose: “Topic Type” Community Residence Card and then the “Subtopic Type” that suits your specific request. If the English version gives you issues, please try the Portuguese version.

Choose: “Tipo de Assunto” Cartão de Residência UE and then the “Subtipo de Assunto” that suits your specific request.

IMPORTANT NOTE about permanent Residency CARDS: People who have the 10-year-old (or older) Residency cards (cardboard/plasticised), that has expired or is due for renewal, are now also able to start their renewal on the contact form using the above choices.

Christmas closing
The afpop office will close for the Christmas break on Friday 19^th of December at midday and will remain closed throughout the Christmas period, reopening on Friday 2^nd of January 2026. 

Satellite offices
Please remember that there will be no Satellite Offices in the month of December.

We will return in January 2026 and will publish the dates very soon.