Algarve Alojamento Local Rules 2026: The Complete Host Guide

CheckinSimple Team ·

The Algarve accounts for roughly a third of all Alojamento Local (AL) registrations in Portugal. That density means two things for hosts: strong demand, and municipalities that actively inspect.

1. AL registration is municipal, guest registration is national

These are two different obligations and hosts constantly mix them up.

  • AL registration (RNAL): you apply through Balcão Único Eletrónico and receive an RNAL number tied to your municipality. Some Algarve parishes have containment or suspension zones where new AL licences are restricted.
  • Guest registration (SIBA/AIMA): every foreign guest must be reported to the immigration authority within 3 working days of check-in. This applies nationwide, regardless of your municipality.

Having a valid RNAL number does not exempt you from SIBA reporting. It is the opposite: your AL licence is what allows you to request SIBA web service credentials in the first place.

2. Which guests you must report in the Algarve

The rule is national, not regional:

  • Foreign nationals (non-Portuguese) staying at your property must be reported.
  • Portuguese citizens and foreign nationals legally resident in Portugal do not need to be reported.
  • Children are reported too — each individual guest gets their own boletim de alojamento.

For a typical Algarve summer week with back-to-back bookings from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland, that means nearly every guest is reportable.

3. The 3 working day deadline in high season

The deadline is 3 working days after arrival. In August, with Saturday check-ins, that practically means Wednesday. Missing it is where fines start: from €100 up to €3,750 per unreported guest for corporate hosts.

Hosts with several units in Albufeira or Lagos who rely on remembering to log into SIBA on Monday morning are the ones who get caught out. Automating the submission removes the failure point.

4. Municipal tourist tax (taxa turística) in the Algarve

Separate again from AIMA. As of 2026 several Algarve municipalities apply a per-person, per-night tourist tax, typically seasonal:

  • Faro, Albufeira, Lagos, Portimão, Vila Real de Santo António and others operate their own schemes, usually around €1–€2 per person per night in high season, capped at a number of nights, with children exempt below a set age.
  • Rates and exemptions are set by each câmara municipal and change — always confirm the current tabela with your own municipality before invoicing guests.

The tax is declared and paid to the municipality, not to AIMA. It has no connection to the boletim de alojamento.

5. What an Algarve host should have in place before the season

  1. Valid RNAL number and the AL identification plate at the entrance.
  2. Complaints book (Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico).
  3. Civil liability insurance for the AL activity.
  4. SIBA web service credentials (NIF, Chave de Acesso, Estabelecimento number per unit).
  5. A guest registration process that does not depend on your memory.
  6. Municipal tourist tax registration if your council applies one.

6. Making guest registration a non-issue

The practical setup most multi-unit Algarve hosts end up with: a QR code in each property, the guest scans their passport on their own phone at arrival, the data goes straight into the system, and the submission to AIMA happens automatically before the deadline. No laptop, no manual typing at 11pm, no forgotten guest.

That is exactly what CheckinSimple does — one QR code per unit, automatic AIMA submission, and a dashboard showing which guests are still pending.

Try it free for 14 days and get through the season without thinking about SIBA once.