EU/EEA/Swiss citizen registration (CRUE)
General information only; not legal advice. Rules change.
Last updated 2026-06-21
What happens next. General information only; not legal advice. Rules change.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa to live in Portugal: they have the right of free movement and residence. However, anyone staying more than 3 months must formalise their residence by obtaining the Certificate of Registration of EU Citizen (CRUE) within 30 days of completing those 3 months.
Registration is done in person at the local Câmara Municipal (city hall or Loja do Cidadão). Required documents: valid EU/EEA identity card or passport; Portuguese NIF; proof of address in Portugal; and proof of one of the following: professional activity in Portugal, sufficient means of subsistence (for those not working), or enrolment in an educational establishment. Fees are €16 for adults and €7.50 for children under 6.
After 5 years of continuous legal residence, the EU/EEA citizen may apply to AIMA for the Permanent Residence Certificate for EU Citizens (fee €16), valid for 10 years and renewable. Third-country family members of EU citizens have their own card issued by AIMA.
Registration is mandatory. Do not confuse this with the residence permit for non-EU citizens.
Contacting the office through this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please don't send confidential information before that relationship is established.