Fire safety in Alojamento Local and hotels in Portugal: mandatory equipment and the SCIE regime in 2026

Updated: 10 November 2026

An expired extinguisher, or a 12-bed Alojamento Local (AL) with no self-protection measures, can lead to fines and, at worst, closure. We read DL 128/2014 as republished by DL 76/2024, Turismo de Portugal's Alojamento Local guide, the consolidated DL 220/2008 (the fire safety in buildings regime, SCIE), Portaria 135/2020, which amended the technical regulation (Portaria 1532/2008), a technical booklet from ANEPC (the national civil protection authority), the SCIE pages on gov.pt and a work instruction from the Amarante municipality. Links are at the end; we say when a copy is not official. Where we could not confirm something, we say so. This is not legal or technical advice: for your own case, ask your municipality, ANEPC (800 203 203) or an SCIE technician.

The short answer

In November 2026:

AL with capacity for up to 10 guests: a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket accessible to guests, accessible first aid equipment and the national emergency number (112) displayed in a visible place (DL 128/2014, art. 13(2)(a) to (c)).
AL with more than 10 guests: it must meet the full SCIE regime, that is DL 220/2008 and the technical regulation in Portaria 1532/2008 (art. 13(1)).
Hotels and other tourist establishments: SCIE always applies; the tourist use permit requires a statement of responsibility from the author of the fire safety design or an inspection by an accredited body (DL 39/2008, art. 30(2)(b)).
Hotels, AL and restaurants are use type VII, «hoteleiros e restauração» (DL 220/2008, art. 8(1)(g)).
Breaching the art. 13 requirements in an AL is a serious economic offence: 650 to 1,500 euros for an individual and 1,700 to 24,000 euros for companies.

AL up to 10 guests: the three items

DL 128/2014, art. 13(2), as worded by DL 76/2024:

A fire extinguisher and a fire blanket accessible to guests: in practice in or near the kitchen, in sight, not locked in a cupboard.
First aid equipment accessible to guests.
The 112 number in a visible place: for example on the front door or next to the information book.
The law does not set the type or size of the extinguisher or the contents of the kit. Turismo de Portugal's guide, citing ANEPC, notes that the extinguishing agent depends on the «type of fire» and that the blanket is sized for the cooking appliance (hob, stove).
The information book (art. 12(6)) must include the phone number of the person running the property; the law does not require safety rules in it, but it is a good place to say where the extinguisher, blanket and kit are. More in our guide /smoke-alarm-co-detector-fire-extinguisher-holiday-rental-rules-2026.

Use type VII and risk categories

DL 220/2008 puts each building in one of four risk categories. For use type VII, what counts is the height, the occupancy and the occupancy in risk E areas (the bedrooms):

1st category: up to 9 m high, up to 100 people and up to 50 in risk E areas.
2nd category: up to 9 m, up to 500 people and up to 200 in risk E areas.
3rd category: up to 28 m, up to 1,500 people and up to 800 in risk E areas.
4th category: above those values.
These values come from the Amarante municipality's work instruction (2025); we did not read table VI of annex III in an official text. If a single criterion is above the limit, check the right category with a technician.
In practice, a villa or a small rural hotel in the Algarve is usually 1st category; a hotel with several hundred beds in Albufeira or Portimão moves up to the 2nd or 3rd.

Safety sheet, design, approval and inspections

What the consolidated DL 220/2008 (2019 version) says:

1st category (use type VII): a safety sheet (ficha de segurança) is enough, instead of a full SCIE design (art. 17).
2nd to 4th category: an SCIE design by a qualified architect or engineer (art. 16); a representative of ANEPC or an entity it accredits takes part in the site inspection (art. 18(3)). ANEPC has 20 days to give its opinion (Amarante work instruction).
Self-protection measures (safety records, prevention and emergency procedures, training, drills): mandatory and subject to a compulsory opinion; for a new or altered building they are submitted up to 30 days before it opens (art. 21).
Who gives the opinion: the municipality for the 1st category and ANEPC for the 2nd to 4th. gov.pt says that since 1 January 2024 1st-category SCIE requests go to the municipalities.
Regular inspections: every 6 years (1st) down to every 3 years (4th), but use type VII in the 1st category is exempt (art. 19(4)).
Safety records are kept for at least 10 years (RT-SCIE, art. 201(2), as worded by Portaria 135/2020).

Extinguishers, blankets and drills in the technical regulation

From Portaria 135/2020 (which amended Portaria 1532/2008), in an unofficial copy:

Extinguishers well distributed, in clear and easily reached places, with the handle no higher than 1.2 m from the floor (art. 163(3)).
Kitchens classed as risk C areas: a fire blanket as well as the extinguisher, and an extinguisher rated at least 25F where oils or fats are used (art. 163(5)).
Drills: table XLI (art. 207) groups use type VII with types IV and V; in the higher categories the maximum interval is one year.
We could not reliably read table XXXIX (art. 198), which says which self-protection measures apply to each category of use type VII, or the numeric extinguisher criteria in art. 163. Ask your SCIE technician for them.

Who inspects

It depends on the regime:

AL (DL 128/2014, art. 21(1)): ASAE (the food and economic safety authority) and the local municipality, also through the municipal police. Both can order a temporary ban on operating (art. 28).
SCIE (DL 220/2008, art. 24): ANEPC; municipalities for 1st-category use type VII; ASAE for equipment placed on the market.
Hotels and tourist establishments (DL 39/2008, art. 66): ASAE, without prejudice to the municipalities' powers.
In the Algarve, the entry point for the 1st category is your municipality; for the 2nd to 4th, ANEPC. We found no specific rules from Algarve municipalities on this topic.

Fines

Only with a source:

AL: breaching the requirements of arts. 12 to 14, including the safety ones, is a serious economic offence (DL 128/2014, art. 23(1)(g)): 650 to 1,500 euros for an individual and 1,700 to 24,000 euros for companies, depending on size. Possible accessory penalty: closure for up to two years (art. 24(c)).
SCIE (DL 220/2008, art. 25, 2019 version): 370 to 3,700 euros (individual) and up to 44,000 euros (company) for having no self-protection measures or not keeping them up to date; 275 to 2,750 euros and up to 27,500 euros for not submitting them for an opinion or for missing or deficient extinguishers; 180 to 1,800 euros and up to 11,000 euros for expired extinguishers or maintenance by a company without NP 4413 certification.
We did not confirm whether art. 25 of DL 220/2008 changed after 2019, or the reduction for voluntary payment, so we do not give it.

Quick checklist

Count your real capacity: up to 10 guests or more than 10.
Up to 10: accessible extinguisher and blanket, first aid kit, 112 displayed.
More than 10 or a hotel: risk category, safety sheet (1st) or design (2nd-4th) and self-protection measures with an opinion.
Extinguishers in date and serviced by a certified company; records kept for 10 years.
Questions: your municipality (1st category) or ANEPC, 800 203 203.

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Frequently asked questions

What safety equipment is mandatory in an Alojamento Local?

With capacity for up to 10 guests: an accessible fire extinguisher and fire blanket, accessible first aid equipment and 112 displayed in a visible place (DL 128/2014, art. 13(2)). Above 10 guests the full SCIE regime applies (DL 220/2008 and Portaria 1532/2008).

Does a small hotel need an SCIE design and an ANEPC opinion?

If it is in the 1st risk category (use type VII: up to 9 m, 100 people and 50 in bedrooms), a safety sheet is enough and the opinion on self-protection measures is requested from the municipality. From the 2nd to the 4th category an SCIE design is required, and ANEPC gives the opinion and takes part in the inspection.

What is the fine for having no extinguisher in an AL?

In an AL it is a serious economic offence (DL 128/2014, art. 23(1)(g)): 650 to 1,500 euros for an individual and 1,700 to 24,000 euros for companies. In buildings under the full SCIE regime, missing or deficient extinguishers carry 275 to 2,750 euros (individual) and up to 27,500 euros (company) (DL 220/2008, art. 25, 2019 version).

Sources

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