Atestado de Residência in Lisbon: How to Get Proof of Address
The parish certificate that proves where you live is one of the first documents newcomers are asked for. What the Junta can require, what it cannot, and when a tax-office certificate works instead.
An atestado de residência (certificate of residence) is a short document from your parish council, the Junta de Freguesia, confirming that you live at an address in that parish. In Lisbon you request it at the Junta of the parish where your home is, usually with ID, your NIF and either proof of address or two witnesses registered to vote in that parish. Each Junta sets its own fee.
The certificate records a fact, where you live, and not your legal status. Procedures below are as of November 2026; Lisbon has 24 parishes and practice differs between them, so check your own Junta’s page or counter before you go.
What is an atestado de residência used for?
It is used as official proof of address when you have no other document in your name, or when an office asks specifically for it. Common cases:
- applications and renewals at AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, where proof of address or accommodation is part of the file;
- enrolling children in a public school, where the home address can affect which school is assigned (see school enrollment in Portugal);
- registering at a health center to get an SNS user number;
- banks, IMT (the Institute for Mobility and Transport) for driving matters, and some benefit applications.
Many of these offices also accept a lease, a utility bill or a tax-office certificate, so ask what they accept before you queue at the Junta.
Which Junta de Freguesia do I go to?
You go to the Junta of the parish where you live, not where you work. Lisbon City Council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa) has a parish map on lisboa.pt, and your address on the lease or a utility bill usually names the parish. Parishes such as Arroios, Santa Maria Maior or Avenidas Novas each have their own offices, opening hours and fee tables, and some run more than one service point.
What does the Junta need to issue it?
The law that governs certificates from parish councils (Decreto-Lei 135/99, article 34) allows the Junta to issue one when any one of these applies, according to the national Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça):
- a member of the parish executive or assembly knows the facts directly;
- two voters registered in that parish confirm them, orally or in writing;
- the applicant makes a declaration.
False statements by the applicant or witnesses are a crime. In practice, Lisbon Juntas usually ask for:
- an ID document (passport, residence card or Cartão de Cidadão);
- your NIF;
- a document linking you to the address, such as the lease, a utility bill or rent receipts;
- where you have no such document, two witnesses who are registered voters in the parish, with their ID, who sign that you live there;
- a form, filled in at the counter or downloaded from the Junta’s website, and payment of the fee.
The Ombudsman has said the conditions are alternatives, not a cumulative list, and that a Junta should not refuse a certificate only because a document from a long list is missing.
Can a Junta refuse because I have no residence permit?
It should not. The Ombudsman’s position is that a Junta certifies facts, such as where someone lives, and not legal situations such as whether a foreigner’s stay is regular, which is a matter for the State. In 2024 the Ombudsman’s office called the requirement of a residence permit illegal after a Lisbon parish introduced it, and the government also criticized the rule.
Some legal opinions from regional coordination bodies (CCDR) have been less clear-cut, so practice can still vary. If a Junta refuses, ask for the refusal in writing with the legal reason. You can complain in the Junta’s complaints book or to the Provedor de Justiça, whose complaints service is free.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
Each Junta fixes its fee in its own table of fees (tabela de taxas), so the price differs across Lisbon; some Juntas charge more for same-day issue or for certificates with extra details, such as household composition. Some issue it on the spot, others within a few working days. Check the current fee on your Junta’s website or at the counter.
Offices that ask for it may want a recently issued certificate, so request it close to when you need it and ask the office how recent it must be.
What are the online alternatives?
For many uses, a document you can get online works just as well:
| Document | Where to get it | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Tax address certificate (certidão de domicílio fiscal) | Portal das Finanças, issued online once your NIF shows your Portuguese address | Banks, employers, many public services |
| Registered lease | Your landlord must report the lease to Finanças; ask for the proof of registration | AIMA, schools, utilities |
| Utility bill in your name | Electricity, water or internet provider | Banks, some public services |
| Atestado from the Junta | Your Junta de Freguesia; some accept requests by email or online form | Where a parish certificate is specifically required |
To get a tax address certificate, first update your address with Finanças; see how to get a NIF in Portugal for the change from non-resident to resident. Some Juntas let you request the atestado online and collect it later or receive it by email; their websites say which.
Bottom line
Start by asking the office that wants proof of address whether a tax address certificate or a registered lease will do, because both are faster than finding two local witnesses. If the Junta asks for documents you cannot get, the law is on your side: one condition is enough.
FAQ
Can my landlord be one of the witnesses?
Only if they are a registered voter in your parish. Witnesses must be on the electoral roll of the same Junta, so neighbors are a more common choice.
Can EU citizens use it instead of the registration certificate?
No. EU citizens staying over three months need the separate registration certificate; see the EU citizen registration certificate guide. The atestado may be one of the supporting documents.
Can someone else collect it for me?
Some Juntas allow a third party to collect it with a signed authorization and a copy of your ID. Ask your Junta, since rules differ.
