News from afpop

Good afternoon to you all as we head into the second half of the year. As you might already be aware, this year is local election voting year and there is information in this Briefing about registering. We highlight it because there’s a cut off point for registering, so if you intend to vote, don’t leave it too late.

Very soon you might see our new campaign to raise awareness of afpop in the community. We haven’t had a campaign for quite some time and the theme of this one is around the fact that as afpop Members you all have access to your own version of A.I. which is Afpop Information. It has become a little worrying how many people are quoting generic AI searches in their posts on social media, with some less than accurate assertions being made. Of course AI has its uses as a tool, but not something you might want to depend on for completely accurate information. The afpop team is here to make sure that you have the correct and complete answers to your questions, so if you start to see the new adverts in the press and social media, please make sure that you make your friends aware of them too. There will be more on this in the August edition of UPDATE, with information about how YOU can get involved.

Our Driving in Portugal booklet is being reprinted and an on-line version is available to read in the publications section of the afpop Members portal. Once logged in, click on the ‘Publications’ tab and the Driving in Portugal is the second on the list. The booklet will be available at BLiP for existing Members and is in A5 size, so that it will easily fit in your vehicle glove box. Once again it contains an translation of the ‘Declaração Amigável’ to use in case of accidents.

Here is this week’s information, beginning with a reminder about registering to vote in the October local elections, or Eleições Autárquicas.

Local elections

The date of the Portuguese local elections has been set for Sunday the 12^th of October 2025. Please note that voter registration closes 60 days before the election, which means that you have until 18^th of August to register, but who can vote? As these are local elections, they are open to most Residents in Portugal, unlike national elections which are only open to Portuguese citizens. All EU citizens who are Resident in Portugal can register, as well as people from countries with bilateral agreements with Portugal, which are Brazil, Cape Verde, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela. 

To register from those countries, you must have been a Resident in Portugal for two years for the Portuguese speaking countries and for three years for all the others. In order to register, go to your Junta de Freguesia with your Residency card and proof of address and you could also take your passport with you, just in case they ask for it. 

We are aware that some UK nationals have encountered difficulties when attempting to register at some Juntas, who have said that they can’t register non-EU residents on the system. This is not the case and non-EU citizens are registered as ‘ER’ (Estrangeiro Residente). We have checked with several Junta de Freguesia offices, who have all confirmed that registration is possible and has already been successfully completed by others in similar situations.

Should your right to register be denied, we recommend that you contact your Embassy, which can liaise directly with the relevant municipality on your behalf.

Additionally, please be reminded that although many individuals may present an expired Residence document, this should not be grounds for refusal, as the validity of such documents has been officially extended until the 15^th of October, as we have advised Members already.

Requesting NIF or changing address with Finanças

From the 1^st of July, there has been an important update for foreign citizens or Residents in Portugal without a Cartão de Cidadão (Citizen Card):

To request a tax identification number (NIF) or to update your tax address, you’ll now need to do so through one of these two official channels:

• e-Balcão online service via the Finanças Portal (for requesting NIF you will need a legal representative to use e-Balcão), or

• In-person appointment at a tax office, but you must book the appointment in advance, either:

1. Online at Portal das Finanças > Contactos > Atendimento por Marcação

2. Or by calling AT’s helpline:  217 206 707 (Monday to Friday, 9h00–19h00).

This change is about centralising the process helping to streamline services and reduce walk-in queues. While using the e-Balcão or booking an in-person appointment has been a common practice for a while, this recent update seems to formalise it as the only official method going forward.

Access to the Finanças portal 

Members have probably seen in the press that access to the Finanças Portal has changed, with the introduction of a two-factor authentication system. Similar to other systems, it involves receiving a text message with a verification code.

This new system was implemented on Wednesday and is an effective way to prevent unauthorised access. However, it will not be available to everyone immediately. It will first be rolled out to users who have no business activity in Portugal and only later extended to others. 

You will need to ‘opt in’ to use this feature (not obligatory) and in order to do so you must have your Portuguese mobile phone number added and validated in the Finanças Portal. 

Next time you login to the Portal das Finanças, you will automatically be asked if you wish to activate the two-factor authentication (ativar o duplo fator de autenticação) and if you do, simply press “Aderir”. In a new window you will then need to confirm the phone number that Finanças has on file for you. If that number is not correct, you should not activate but instead choose “Voltar” which will take you to your personal page. You can then add/change and validate your Portuguese mobile number. When that is done and you login again, you can then accept the two-factor authentication system with the correct mobile number.

Please remember that you can only use a Portuguese mobile number for this system, so if you have a landline or a foreign mobile number on your file in Finanças, do NOT activate the system. We have contacted the Finanças to see if foreign mobiles can be accepted but have not yet been able to get a reply, furthermore if you activate the system with a wrong number, it can create problems for you because once activated it cannot be undone, at least not at present.

If you do not wish to activate the two-factor authentication system, simply choose “Continuar Login” and you will login as usual.

IMPORTANT: If you have an accountant that also needs access to your Finanças Portal page, it is best to speak to them first before making any changes to the login procedure.

IRS to pay?

This year, many taxpayers are finding themselves required to pay IRS instead of receiving the usual refunds. The tax rate itself has not increased, but withholding at source is now more closely aligned with the actual amount due. If you have been notified to pay Personal Income Tax (IRS), please note that it is possible to settle this tax in instalments. However, there are certain rules and limits you should be aware of.

Payment can be made in instalments, provided a few key conditions are met:

• The tax return must have been submitted within the legal deadline (by the 30^th of June)

• The taxpayer must not have any other outstanding debts to the Tax Authority

• The request to pay in instalments must be submitted by the 15^th of September

As an example, for a debt of approximately €4,000, the first instalment would be around €360.

It is crucial to note that late payment interest (juros de mora) will be added to the instalment amounts.

If the taxpayer is in a financial position to reduce or pay off the debt during the instalment period they may do so, provided the payment plan has already been approved and at least one instalment has been issued and paid.

The procedure for early repayment or partial settlement of future instalments is similar to the initial request but must be carried out via the ‘Amortizar’ or ‘Antecipar Amortizações (Advance Instalments)’ option on the Finanças portal.

As always if you have any doubts, we recommend that you consult your accountant to discuss the best plan for your specific situation.

Annual Golf Tournament

A reminder that this year’s annual Golf Tournament with MEDAL Insurance, will take place at Penina on Wednesday 10^th of September. As usual it will be a shotgun start at 8h45 and the practice range will be open at 7h30 and is free of charge for competitors. 

The green fee, which also includes the buffet lunch at Penina after the event, is €60, payable in cash at the golf desk and a buggy costs €35, which is payable at the Penina counter and should be booked in advance.

Any Member wishing to take part in the tournament can reserve their place by contacting the afpop office on info@afpop.com