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.

Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo Alameda da Universidade 1649-010 Lisboa Portugal Phone: +351 210 037 100 Email: [mailto:dsieq@dglab.gov.pt 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
. Access the records on the various websites as follows:
 * 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.
 * 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 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.

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

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: [mailto:abm.sretc@madeira.gov.pt 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: [mailto:ahm@mail.exercito.pt ahm@mail.exercito.pt] - Arquivo Geral do Exército (General Archive of the Army) Website Largo de Chelas (Old Convent) 1949-010 Lisbon Phone: +351 218 391 600 - 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: [mailto:biblioteca.marinha@marinha.pt biblioteca.marinha@marinha.pt]
 * Contains pre-1822 sources for Brazil
 * 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: [mailto:ahu@ahu.dglab.gov.pt ahu@ahu.dglab.gov.pt]
 * Contains pre-1822 sources for Brazil

Libraries
Biblioteca Nacional (National Library) Website Catalog Campo Grande 83 1749-081 Lisboa Portugal Telephone: +351 21 798 20 27 Fax: +351 21 798 21 38 Email: [mailto:bnref@bnportugal.pt bnref@bnportugal.pt]
 * Contains pre-1822 sources for Brazil

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: [mailto:ajuda.lib@ippar.pt ajuda.lib@ippar.pt] Website`

Museums
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.
 * DGPC Museums and Monuments

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). 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.
 * 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.

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.