What is a Fiador and How Do I Get one?

The small print: Portugalist may generate a commission from mentioned products or services. This is at no additional cost to you and it does not affect our editorial standards in any way. All content, including comments, should be treated as informational and not advice of any kind, including legal or financial advice. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors or omissions or damages arising from its display or use. Links to external websites do not constitute an endorsement. [Disclaimer Policy]

Written by: | Last updated on March 5, 2024 | Est. Reading Time: 2 minutes

Renting a house or apartment in Portugal can be complicated for non-Portuguese as most landlords not only request a deposit and at least one month’s rent in advance but a fiador as well. (This normally isn’t required when you rent a room, but an entire property.)

A fiador is a guarantor, or someone who’ll pay the bills if you’re unable to pay them. It can’t just be anyone, however. First of all, the fiador has to be a Portuguese resident, which is often a problem for most newcomers to Portugal as most people don’t have family or friends in Portugal that they can ask to be their guarantor.

Portuguese landlords normally want someone who is resident in Portugal as the fiador, although it can be worth asking if the landlord will accept someone who lives abroad as the fiador.

And, if you do find a Portuguese person or someone resident in Portugal to be your fiador, it can’t just be anyone either. That person needs to prove that they have the means of being your gaurantor (usually by showing their tax returns or payment slips).

Most people ask a family member, such as a parent, but as someone who’s just moved to Portugal your only option may be asking a friend or colleague that lives here. This is a big ask, as they’re taking on a lot of legal and financial responsibility, and with no expiry date, so keep that in mind.

However, Lisbon-based lawyer Sandra Gomes Pinto notes that her firm has successfully spoken with landlords, drawn up a contract on behalf of the tenant, and removed the requirement for rental income to be paid upfront [source].

Alternatively, a bank can be your fiador for a fee through a service that’s called Garantia Bancária or some landlords will allow you to pay several months upfront instead (usually 6-12 months). A lot will depend on how popular the property is: if the landlord can find another tenant with a fiador, they may opt for that instead.

Another way around the fiador issue is to use a website like Flatio to book your apartment (these are mainly available in cities like Lisbon and Porto). While you do pay an Airbnb-style booking fee to book an apartment through these sites, a fiador isn’t normally required.

Written by

James Cave is the founder of Portugalist and the author of the bestselling book, Moving to Portugal Made Simple. He has visited just about every part of Portugal, including Madeira and all nine islands of the Azores, and lived in several parts of Portugal including Lisbon, the Algarve, and Northern Portugal.

You can contact James by emailing james@portugalist.com or via the site's contact form.

Spotted a mistake? Suggest a correction

There are 9 comments on this article. Join the conversation and add your own thoughts, reviews, and stories of life in Portugal. However, please remember to be civil.

Comments

  1. This is a very interesting thread. I’m a portuguese citizen living abroad. I’m planning to move back to Portugal and don’t have a guarantor (fiador). I found an apartment and explained my situation to the owner and he said everything was ok. I even offered to pay for 6 months in advance. Little did I know that even by paying that sum, he was going to still charge me for rent every month. Imagine, I almost gave six month’s rent upfront and it wouldn’t even cover the first months at the place. That’s crazy

    Reply
  2. It costs around 400-500 euros to get a Garantia Bancária from the bank depending on how much you need them to block. Alternative is for you to pay upfront to the landlord but not everyone has this cash and it also leaves your relying on their good will (and not all Portuguese landlords have good will)

    Reply
  3. So, am I on track here by saying that if (and I can) prove steady income through pensions here in the US (Federal and State) as well as demonstrate I have money in my bank account and demonstrate reserve money and funds at, let’s say Fidelity, that it would be much easier? This worries me. I was born in Portugal, am now an American citizen, but have Portuguese passport, ID card, and NIF.

    Reply
  4. So, am I on track here by saying that if (and I can) prove steady income through pensions here in the US (Federal and State) as well as demonstrate I have money in my bank account and demonstrate reserve money and funds at, let’s say Fidelity, that it would be much easier? This worries me. I was born in Portugal, am now an American citizen, but have Portuguese passport, ID card, and NIF.

    Reply
  5. The fiador thing is strange and annoying.

    One thing that’s worth noting is if you get asked for 2, 4, 6, or 12 months rent upfront, you can negotiate. Negotiate less months firstly but also negotiate that not all of it is used as a deposit. In Portugal it’s not uncommon for people to pay a deposit + last month’s rent. So you might put down the equivalent of 1 or 2 months rent as the deposit and 1 or 2 months rent as the last month or two of rent. That way at least you’re not putting so much down as a deposit which is important because many landlords don’t return them here.

    Reply
  6. I am the fiador for my wife on our rental contract. We, at the time, were both foreigners. I was told this was possible because debt is not pooled in marriage according to Portuguese custom.

    Reply
  7. I am the fiador for my wife on our rental contract. We, at the time, were both foreigners. I was told this was possible because debt is not pooled in marriage according to Portuguese custom.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.