Flying to Portugal or the Azores? You may now need an EORI number

Here’s a miserable little thing we hadn’t heard about in years and had hoped had quietly gone away… but hasn’t! Portugal is apparently still catching some operators out with EORI requirements, including for certain private flights / tech stops.

So what’s actually happening?

An EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number is an identification number used by customs authorities across the European Union.

The system itself is EU-wide and not specific to Portugal. It’s normally linked to import/export activities, customs declarations, and commercial ops, so if you mainly operate private flights, it’s probably not something you’ve ever needed to think about before.

But if you’re heading to Portugal or the Azores, you may now be asked to obtain an EORI number, even on clearly private flights.

One OPSGROUP member recently shared that they were unable to plan a tech stop at LPAZ/Santa Maria without getting an EORI number. Their flight was private, but that apparently made no difference.

Several members also noted they had previously transited the Azores without ever needing an EORI number, suggesting this might be a relatively recent operational change.

The reports we’ve received so far mainly involve non-EU operators, which also aligns with Portugal’s published EORI guidance.

What handlers in Portugal are saying

We checked with several handlers across Portugal and the Azores to see how this is working in practice. The picture is becoming clearer, although enforcement still does not seem completely consistent everywhere.

From the feedback we received, the issue is linked to Portugal’s SiMTeM customs system, which is used to electronically register aircraft arrivals and departures.

Even when no cargo is carried, flights still need to be entered into the system. In those cases, a NIL cargo declaration and passenger info may still need to be filed electronically.

The important part is that SiMTeM processing now appears closely tied to EORI identification. So even for a private flight or simple tech stop, crews may still be asked to obtain one before the flight can be processed.

Teams at LPPT/Lisbon, LPFR/Faro, LPPR/Porto and LPAZ/Santa Maria told us they are now consistently seeing EORI numbers requested, including for private flights and tech stops.

At the same time, not everyone is seeing this applied in exactly the same way yet. One team in LPCS/Cascais said they have not encountered EORI-related issues in day-to-day ops, while another Azores-based provider told us they do not currently request EORI numbers for tech stops.

So for now, enforcement may still vary depending on the airport or provider, but the overall trend is fairly clear: if you are planning to transit Portugal or the Azores, best bet is to just get an EORI number in advance.

How non-EU operators can get a Portugal EORI number

Good news is that getting a Portugal EORI number is free. For the process itself, follow these steps…

Step 1 – Register online

Start at the official Portuguese customs portal: https://aduaneiro.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/eori/registry

If you are a non-EU operator, select “EU Third Country” and complete the online form.

Make sure all details (company name, address, country codes, dates, etc) match the supporting docs you will submit later.

Step 2 – Complete the additional form

At the end of the online registration, you will be given a document to download. It may look optional, but in practice it is required.

Fill it out, sign it, and scan it as a PDF. Your signature should match the one in your passport.

Step 3 – Send supporting docs

Send the completed form and supporting docs to: dsra-eori@at.gov.pt

Supporting docs will typically include company formation docs, tax ID confirmation, a copy of the contact person’s passport including the signature page.

Step 4 – Wait for approval

If everything is correct, the process usually takes around 2-3 days. In some cases, once the documentation was accepted, the EORI was issued within 24 hours.

For full step-by-step details from one of our members who went through the process, check the forum post in your members dashboard.

And if you encounter similar EORI issues, let us know at team@ops.group!

Flying to Portugal or the Azores? You may now need an EORI number