The rule comes from Articles 15 and 16 of Portugal's foreigners' law, Law 23/2007. It applies to anyone who provides paid temporary accommodation to foreign citizens, whether the activity is regular or occasional, so a local-lodging (alojamento local) apartment is covered just like a hotel. The report is a boletim de alojamento, sent electronically through SIBA, the portal run by the Unidade de Coordenação de Fronteiras e Estrangeiros (UCFE).
"Foreign" means anyone without Portuguese nationality, so EU and UK guests are included, and so are children. Missing a report is not free: the SIBA FAQ cites Article 203 of Law 23/2007, with fines from €100 to €2,000 depending on the number of infractions.
This guide covers what the boletim actually asks for, in plain language, and how to have the details ready before your guests reach the door.
What the boletim de alojamento asks for
You send one boletim per foreign guest. The SIBA portal lists these details:
- Full name: surname and first names, as on the document.
- Nationality.
- Date of birth. Place of birth is optional.
- Identity document: number, type (passport, identity card or another document) and the country that issued it.
- Country of residence. Town of residence is optional.
- Check-in and check-out dates.
That list is shorter than many hosts expect. There is no document expiry date, no home address and no signature on the electronic boletim. Countries are recorded as the portal's own three-letter codes, which is why a German guest appears as "D" rather than "DEU".
A passport or national identity card is the usual document. The SIBA FAQ also accepts residence permits, a laissez-passer and, for a child with no document of their own, a birth certificate or an entry in a parent's passport.
How hosts actually file
You first register your property in the reserved area of siba.ssi.gov.pt. A private home or apartment registers under the "Alojamento Local/apartamento" classification. Once registered, you can:
- Enter each boletim directly on the portal, guest by guest.
- Upload a text file in SIBA's own record layout, under Entrega de Boletins → Carregamento de Ficheiros, which is how most property-management software does it.
- Connect software through the SIBA web service, using the access key sent to you after registration.
The departure is a separate step. The SIBA user manual says the check-out date should only be sent on the day the guest actually leaves, so a stay is two reports: one on arrival, one on departure. For a short stay, both can fall inside the same three working days.
The hard part is collecting the details
Filing in the portal is quick. The hard part is getting a correct document number and issuing country from a guest who is still on a plane. Too often the details get copied down at the door while tired guests wait with their luggage, which is the opposite of the welcome you want to give.
The answer is timing. Ask while the booking is fresh and the guest is at home with their documents to hand, not on your doorstep.
One honest caveat: no tool takes the legal obligation off you. The boletim is yours, sent with your own SIBA access.
Where Kenova fits
Kenova builds digital welcome guides for short-stay hosts anywhere, Portugal included. Check-in steps, Wi-Fi, house rules and local recommendations sit in one link or QR code, in English and 15 other languages. Portuguese hosts can use it today.
Portuguese properties also get a SIBA helper, like the eVisitor and Alloggiati helpers our Croatian and Italian hosts use. It collects each foreign guest's details inside the guide before arrival, tells Portuguese citizens they have nothing to fill in, and passes the rest to you ready to file. A companion tool turns the guest's email into SIBA's upload file, for arrival and again for departure. It never files for you. The boletim stays yours.
How you use it
- Your guest opens the welcome guide, taps the registration button and fills in the form before arrival.
- The details reach you as an email from the guest.
- Sign in to your Kenova host dashboard and press the orange SIBA file button next to the property. The same link is at the top of every guest email.
- Paste the email and download the file. The first time, enter your establishment details; they are remembered on that computer. The file is built in your browser and the guest details are not sent anywhere.
- In SIBA, open Entrega de Boletins → Carregamento de Ficheiros and upload the file: an arrival file after check-in, and a departure file on the day the guest leaves.
The Portuguese host checklist
Save this and share it with your co-hosts.
- Is your property registered in SIBA? Do it before your first foreign booking. Registration confirmation arrives by email.
- Is every foreign guest reported? Within three working days of arrival. EU, UK and child guests included; Portuguese citizens are not reported.
- Did you report the departure? On the day the guest leaves, and no later than three working days after.
- Did you see a valid document? Passport or identity card as a rule. For a child without one, a birth certificate or the entry in a parent's passport.
- Are your other obligations covered? SIBA is the foreigners' report only. Your local-lodging registration, the municipal tourist tax and your tax filings are separate, so check with your câmara municipal and accountant.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I don't report a guest in SIBA?
The SIBA FAQ cites Article 203 of Law 23/2007: a fine of €100 to €2,000 for each failure to report an arrival or departure on time, depending on the number of infractions.
How long do I have to report a guest?
Three working days from the arrival, counted in whole days. The departure has its own three working days from the day the guest leaves.
Do Portuguese guests need to be reported?
No. SIBA covers every guest who does not hold Portuguese nationality, EU and UK citizens included. Portuguese citizens are not reported.
Do children need to be reported?
Yes. Every foreign guest is reported, whatever their age. A child's birth certificate or an entry in a parent's passport is accepted when the child has no document of their own.
Can a welcome guide file SIBA for me?
Kenova does not file, and the obligation stays with you whatever tool you use. What a welcome guide can do is collect complete guest details early, so your own filing takes minutes.
Sources and verification. Who must be reported, deadlines for arrival and departure, accepted documents, the fine and the registration classification: SIBA portal, Perguntas Frequentes, read 16 September 2026. Required data, filing methods and document types: SIBA portal, Modos de Envio and Perguntas Técnicas. Departure timing and the upload menu: SIBA Manual de Utilizador v1.5. Legal basis: Law 23/2007, Articles 15, 16 and 203. This page is general information for hosts, not legal advice. Confirm current obligations with SIBA (siba@ssi.gov.pt).