# Where is Finanças de Faro?



## AC1234 (Jul 13, 2018)

Hi All,
We are looking to move from Scotland to Algarve before Brexit and are about to cover the first step of obtaining NIFs and Bank Accounts. We need these to first obtain a property rental agreement.

We're doing a quick fly-in, fly-out in December and want to confirm we're going to the correct office in Faro. Given the stories of massive queues at Finanças, we don't want to waste any of the short time we have.

Can any member confirm the correct office in Faro to obtain an NIF is the Direcção de Finanças de Faro at R. Cmte. Francisco Manuel 3A, please?

Thanks, in advance.


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## MrBife (Jul 26, 2009)

There is certainly a Finances office at the location you give but I am not certain if they will do NIF application there. I have been there a few times in relation to IVA affairs and never found it busy but avoid 'coffee time' or 'lunch time' as it's not that well populated.

I would be much more confident of suggesting the new 'Loja de Cidadão' in the old market building in the centre of Faro which is am absolutely superb facility with all departments grouped in one place. Good parking and a surprising range of organisations. A quick phone call should verify which place is best.

https://www.portaldocidadao.pt/en/w...umero-de-identificacao-fiscal-pessoa-singular


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## AC1234 (Jul 13, 2018)

Thank you MrBife,

Looks like you've saved me a lot of running around.

You're a star.


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## MrBife (Jul 26, 2009)

You are very welcome and please let us all know how you get on, in order to help anyone else finding this info in the future


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## AC1234 (Jul 13, 2018)

*Faro Finanças Location*

As indicated by MrBife, I found the Faro Finanças office is indeed in the Mercado Municipal on Largo Dr. Francisco Sa Carneiro. However, I also found a few things that could be useful to others looking to obtain an NIF or use other Finanças or SEF services...

Firstly, although in the same building (and on the same floor) the Finanças office is separate from the Loja de Cidadão de Faro. If you need services such as SEF then you need to go to the Loja de Cidadão. The easiest way to find it is to enter from the R. Dr. Cândido Guerreiro entrance and head up the escalator/stairs as you go in. These take you to a bridge. 
Turn left and cross the bridge. The entrance to the Loja de Cidadão is in front of you. It opens at 08:30 but the queue was already across the bridge when I got there at 08:20, so I suggest getting in early if you don't want to get stuck in line. As you go into the office, turn left for SEF etc. I was told to turn right for Finanças, which actually took me out of the Loja de Cidadão office again. Hence, there's a simpler way to get directly to Finanças without going through the Loja de Cidadão door (or queue)...

For Finanças, stay on the ground floor as you enter the market building. From the R. Dr. Cândido Guerreiro end, turn right (instead of going up to the bridge) and walk around the side of the market until you get to a lift on your right. Take this lift to Floor 1. As you exit the lift (you exit on the opposite side from where you entered) turn right and the Finanças office is on your right.
Although the Loja de Cidadão office opens at 08:30, Finanças don't open until 09:00. There was only one other person (who obviously knew the shortcut) waiting when I arrived just after 08:30, so the demand seems to be less for Finanças - although it still got busy quite quickly afterwards.

When choosing a ticket option from the queuing machine, you need option E for an NIF. This is labeled Pagamentos.

If you're lucky everything will go swimmingly. When I was there, the link to the National computer for issuing NIFs went down and it took me 4 hours before finally getting the all important number. If you need an NIF for your child, you will need to take a birth certificate to prove they are in fact your child too.

A notable point is the cost. I thought the NIF was free, but Finanças charged me €10.20 for it. Not a high cost, but higher than I was expecting.

Finally, nobody I spoke with in Finanças claimed to speak English. Although I have my doubts over one person, who managed to slip into some very well arranged English sentences, you should expect to meet with a fully Portuguese conversation. Given you're in Portugal, this shouldn't be a surprise. But other posts have talked about how helpful some Finanças officials have been with speaking English, so I feel it is relevant to mention this here.

That's it. Hopefully some of the above will be of use to readers needing to deal with either Finanças or SEF in Faro. 

Good luck.


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