Portugal Archives and Libraries

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Portugal

Archives and Libraries

• Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm.
• If you plan to visit a repository, contact them and ask for information about their collection, hours, services, and fees. Ask if they require you to have a reader’s ticket (a paper indicating you are a responsible researcher) to view the records, and ask how to obtain one.
• Although the records you need may be in an archive or library, the FamilySearch Library may have microfilmed and/or digitized copies of them.

National Archives

Webinar: Find Your Portuguese Ancestors Online Through Department Websites Learn how to access and navigate the different department websites as well as the website Tombo.pt to find birth, marriage, and death records for your Portuguese ancestors.

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Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo
Alameda da Universidade
1649-010 Lisboa
Portugal

Phone: +351 210 037 100
Email: dsieq@dglab.gov.pt
Website
Catalog to large online database.
Contact and Hours
Online Services
Certificates

Civil or parish registry certificates (birth, marriage or death): The oldest registry certificates must be requested from the District Archives or the National Archives of Torre do Tombo, which, as a rule, generally incorporate this type of records after they are 100 years old. More recent records can be obtained through the respective Civil Registry Offices or, via the Internet, on the citizen's portal.

• Access to the Torre do Tombo is free for all persons over the age of 18.
• In order to consult documents, individuals must have a form of identification and a reader card.
• Once in the reading room, researchers can only request three documents at a time.
• Consult the catalog before planning a trip to ensure the records you want are available at the archive.
• The Torre do Tombo has a large online database, accessible at digitarq.arquivos.pt
• Also contains pre-1822 sources forBrazil

Church and Civil Registry Archives Links

• In partnership with the FamilySearch, the Portuguese government has digitized the parish records and civil registry records in their archives.
• All of the parish records containing genealogical data were moved to the district archives.
• Many times, duplicate copies of birth, marriage, and death records were sent to a parish's dioceses. You can find contact information for dioceses at the website Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa.

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Access the records on the various websites as follows:

• FamilySearch links below provide indexes to some images.

To just browse original images, click on "How to Use This Collection". Then under "Collection Content", click on the link to the "Inventory". You can now navigate by clicking the FamilySearch Catalog link to the Civil Parish where the person of interest lived. Then select nascimento (birth), casamento (marriage), or obit (death) to browse for the specific record.

• Tombo.pt links to the digital images on the district archives website. This includes records not available on FamilySearch.

Use the sidebar on the left of the screen to select the Municipality and Civil Parish (Freguesia) where the person of interest lived, then select year range for nascimentos (births), casamentos (marriages), or obits (deaths) to browse for the specific record.

• The District Archives provides two ways to access the records. There are links to access through the collection page and through searching the database.
  
  • Collection lists topics. Click on Parishes (paroquias) or "Civil Registry". Select a locality. Then select nascimento (birth), casamento (marriage), or obit (death) to browse for the specific record.
  • Search brings you to the "Search feature" for the district archive. Search for a specific municipality by typing “paroquia de [the name of the parish]” and click search.
    

District/Region	FamilySearch For new records added since November 2022, see Portugal Historical Records	Tombo	District Archives
Açores	Portugal, Azores, Catholic Church Records, 1044-2019	Portugal, Açores, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Aveiro	Portugal, Aveiro, Catholic Church Records, 1550-1911 Portugal, Aveiro, Civil Registration, 1911-1915	Portugal, Aveiro, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Beja	Portugal, Beja, Catholic Church Records, 1550-1913 Portugal, Beja, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records, 1609-1950	Portugal, Beja, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Braga	Portugal, Braga, Catholic Church Records, 1530-1911	Portugal, Braga, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Bragança	Portugal, Bragança, Catholic Church Records, 1541-1985	Portugal, Bragança, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Castelo Branco	Portugal, Castelo Branco, Catholic Church Records, 1714-1911	Portugal, Castelo Branco, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Coimbra	Portugal, Coimbra, Catholic Church Records, 1459-1911 Portugal, Coimbra, Civil Registration, 1893-1980	Portugal, Coimbra, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Évora	Portugal, Évora, Catholic Church Records, 1533-1912 Portugal, Évora, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records, 1554-1938	Portugal, Évora, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Faro	Portugal, Faro, Catholic Church Records, 1587-1880 Portugal, Faro, Civil Registration, 1880-1920	Portugal, Faro, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Guarda	Portugal, Guarda, Catholic Church Records, 1459-1911	Portugal, Guarda, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Leiria	Portugal, Leiria, Catholic Church Records, 1534-1911	Portugal, Leiria, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Lisboa	Portugal, Lisbon, Catholic Church Records, 1334-1952	Portugal, Lisboa, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Madeira	Portugal, Madeira, Catholic Church Records, 1044-1959	Portugal, Madeira, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Search
Portalegre	Portugal, Portalegre, Catholic Church Records, 1859-1911 Portugal, Portalegre, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records, 1816-1935	Portugal, Portalegre, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Porto	Portugal, Porto, Catholic Church Records, 1535-1949	Portugal, Porto, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Santarém	Portugal, Santarém, Catholic Church Records, 1544-1911	Portugal, Santarém, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Setúbal	Portugal, Setúbal, Catholic Church Records, 1555-1911 Portugal, Setúbal, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records, 1649-1936	Portugal, Setúbal, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Viana do Castelo	Portugal, Viana do Castelo, Catholic Church Records, 1537-1911	Portugal, Viana do Castelo, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Vila Real	Portugal, Vila Real, Catholic Church Records, 1533-1941	Portugal, Vila Real, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search
Viseu	Portugal, Viseu, Catholic Church Records, 1523-1989	Portugal, Viseu, Civil Registration, Catholic Church Records, and Passports	Collection Search

District Archives

District archives hold birth records, marriage records, death records, passports, identification of displaced persons, etc. Records may be digitized and online. Each district has a catalog search engine.

Arquivo Distrital de Aveiro Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua Dr. Alberto Souto Bonsucesso - Aradas 3810-417 Aradas (Aveiro) Phone: +351 234 003 400 Email: mail@adavr.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Beja Website Catalog Contact and Hours Av. Vasco da Gama 7800 Beja Phone: +351 284 310 670 Email: mail@adbja.dgarq.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Braga Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua do Abade da Loureira 4700-356 Braga Telephone: 253601070 E-mail: sec@adb.uminho.pt ; Arquivo Distrital de Bragança Website Catalog Contact and Hours Convento de São Francisco Rua de São Francisco, nº 63 5300-050 Bragança Phone: +351 273 001 300 Email: mail@adbgc.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Castelo Branco Website Catalog Contact and Hours Casa dos Mota Praça de Camões 6000-116 Castelo Branco Phone: +351 272 001 403 Email: mail@adctb.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Coimbra Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua de São Pedro, 2 3000 Coimbra Phone: +351 239 859 855 Email: auc-geral@auc.uc.pt

Arquivo Distrital de Évora Website Catalog Contact and Hours 5 University Avenue 7005-869 Évora Phone: +351 266 006 600 Email: mail@adevr.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Faro Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua Coronel António Santos Fonseca 8000-257 Faro Phone: +351 289 008 800 Email: mail@adfar.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Guarda Website Catalog Contact and Hours Largo General Humberto Delgado 6300-694 Guarda Phone: +351 271 001 200 Email: mail@adgrd.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Leiria Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua Marcos Portugal, 4 2400-179 Leiria Phone: +351 244 004 400 Email: mail@adlra.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Lisboa Part of the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo Website Catalog Contact and Hours Alameda da Universidade 1649-010 Lisboa Phone: +351 210 037 100 Email: mail@dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Portalegre Website Catalog Contact and Hours Palácio Barahona Largo Serpa Pinto 7300-102 Portalegre Phone: +351 245 004 500 Email: info@adporto.dglab.gov.pt

Arquivo Distrital do Porto Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua das Taipas, n.º 90 4050-598 Porto Phone: +351 220 046 200 Email via form in Contact and Hours Arquivo Distrital de Santarém Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua Passos Manuel 2000-118 Santarém Phone: +351 243 004 300 Email: mail@adstr.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Setúbal Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua Prof. Borges de Macedo, n.º 2 Manteigadas 2910-001 Setúbal Phone: +351 265 006 500 Email: mail@adstb.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Viana do Castelo Website Catalog Contact and Hours Rua Manuel Espregueira, 140 4900-318 Viana do Castelo Phone: +351 258 005 500 Email: mail@advct.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Vila Real Website Catalog Contact and Hours Av. Almeida Lucena, n.º 5 5000-660 Vila Real Phone: +351 259 00 5900 Email: mail@advrl.dglab.gov.pt Arquivo Distrital de Viseu Website Catalog Contact and Hours Largo de Santa Cristina 3504-515 Viseu Phone: +351 232 003 200

Regional Archives

Arquivos Regionais dos Açores
Website Catalog Contact
Pç. Gonçalo Velho 12, 2º
9500-063 Ponta Delgada
Phone: +351 296 302 170
Email: crc.pd@dgrn.mj.pt

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Arquivo Regional e Biblioteca Pública da Madeira
Website Catalog Contact
Caminho dos Álamos, n.º 35
Santo António
9020-064 Funchal
Phone: +351 291 708 400
Email: abm.sretc@madeira.gov.pt

Military Archives

Arquivo Histórico Militar (Military History Archive)
Website Search Catalog
Largo dos Caminhos de Ferro
1100-105 Lisboa
Phone: +351 218 842 563/0
Email: ahm@mail.exercito.pt

• Contains pre-1822 sources for Brazil

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Arquivo Geral do Exército (General Archive of the Army)
Website
Largo de Chelas (Old Convent)
1949-010 Lisbon
Phone: +351 218 391 600

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Biblioteca e Arquivo Central de Marinha (General Archive of the Navy)
Website
Praça do Império
1400 - 206 Lisboa
Portugal
Tel.: +351 213 658 520
Fax: 213658523
Email: biblioteca.marinha@marinha.pt

• Contains pre-1822 sources for Brazil
  
  

Historical Oversea Archive

Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Historical Oversea Archive)
Website
Calçada da Boa-Hora, nº 30 (Palácio de Ega)
1300-095 Lisboa
Portugal
Phone: +351 210 309 100
Email: ahu@ahu.dglab.gov.pt

• Contains pre-1822 sources for Brazil
  
  

Libraries

Biblioteca Nacional (National Library)
Website
Campo Grande 83
1749-081 Lisboa
Portugal
Telephone: +351 21 798 20 27
Fax: +351 21 798 21 38
Email: bnref@bnportugal.pt

• Contains pre-1822 sources for Brazil

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Links to Libraries Throughout Portugal
Biblioteca da Ajuda(Help Library)
Palácio da Ajuda
1349-021 Lisbon
Portugal
Telephone +351 21 363 85 92
E-mail: ajuda.lib@ippar.pt
Website`

Museums

• DGPC Museums and Monuments
  

DGPC is in charge of the direct management of 25 monuments and museums, including 5 monuments inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list and 15 national museums. This area of ​​the website gives you access to all useful information regarding each of them. You are also provided with complete information regarding the 161 museums in the Portuguese Museums Network, accredited by the DGPC.

Record Offices

For addresses of district civi registration offices, see Civil Registration Offices in Portugal.

Civil birth, marriage, and death records are initially stored at the Civil Registry (Conservatória do Registro Civil).

• After 100 years, birth records are sent to district archives.
• After 50 years, marriage records are sent to district archives.
• After 30 years, death records are sent to district archives.

In 1832, the Portuguese government passed legislation requiring the births, marriages, and deaths of all residents to be recorded at the local civil registry. Before this legislation, only churches recorded such information. Civil registration was first instituted as a way for non-Catholic individuals to register their births, marriages, and deaths, while Catholic priests acted as the civil register for the members of their parish. However, this system didn't come into effect until 1878.

With the formation of the First Portuguese Republic in 1910, Civil registration changed drastically. From 1911 onwards, all residents were required to have their vital events recorded in the civil registrar, regardless if this information was also recorded in their church's parish.