News from afpop

Good afternoon to you all and welcome to the second Member Briefing for July. To those new Members who have joined since the 11^th of July, these mailings, known as News from afpop, or NfA, are sent every second Friday, unless there is something of high importance that we feel you need to know about in between those scheduled mailings. Remember that each Member is now able to receive these, and all afpop mailings, providing we have separate e-mail addresses for each Member. If a joint Member wishes to add their email address, please contact the afpop office on info@afpop.com 

As parliament has now closed for the summer recess, there is little in the way of legislation to tell you about, but unfortunately there is information about the baggage handlers’ strike that begins today and will cause yet more disruption at the airports it seems, although the head of policing at the airport has told me this week that when the handlers held their last strike there was little interruption at Faro airport. We shall see what happens over the next few weekends.

I wanted to take a moment just to mention the local elections in October. I know it’s still a way off, but the registration deadline for voters is fast approaching and I’ve been asked a couple of times why we urge Members to vote in them every four years. This is not going to be about politics, we don’t get into politics at afpop, but the reason that I always urge Members to register is first of all it’s your right as a Resident, but also because unlike the national elections, which non-citizens can’t vote in anyway, local elections are your way of having a say in how your area is being run. Also, unlike the national elections, it’s not necessarily political alliances that sway the Portuguese voters and candidates are more likely to be assessed on their record, or their statements of intent, and you can be part of that. Whether you are happy with your local area or not, you can have a voice about how it is run. So, it’s nothing to do with politics and everything to do with your rights as a Resident and your opportunity to perhaps contribute to the community that you live in. I know the feeling amongst many is that their vote has no value, but it certainly doesn’t if you don’t use it. 

So now with a reminder about voter registration deadlines and also news about a message from the SNS service that is actually from them, here is this week's information:

Local election voters

A reminder that the local elections will be held on Sunday the 12^th of October 2025 and any Member who intends to vote has until the 18^th of August to register, as registration has to close 60 days prior to the election date.

As these are local elections, they are open to most residents in Portugal, unlike national elections which are only open to Portuguese citizens. All EU citizens who are Resident in Portugal can register, as well as people from countries with bilateral agreements with Portugal, which are Brazil, Cape Verde, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela. Please note that any UK citizen who arrived in Portugal after ‘Brexit’, must have been a Resident for 3 years before being eligible to vote, as with all residents in the bilateral agreements group from non-Portuguese speaking countries.

Airport strikes

As you probably already know, luggage handlers from SPdH/Menzie are striking at all major Portuguese airports (Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Funchal, and more) across five weekends, starting today 25^th to the 28^th of July and continuing throughout August. Here's what that might mean for passengers:

Expected Consequences

• Flight Delays & Cancellations: Some airlines might cancel or reschedule flights due to limited ground staff, but workers will ensure the services necessary for the safety and maintenance of equipment and facilities.

• Longer Queues: Check-in, security, and boarding could take significantly longer.

• Baggage Chaos: Expect delays in baggage drop-off and claim

How to Prepare

• Where possible, use carry-on luggage to avoid bag drop queues.

• Check flight status regularly and sign up for airline alerts.

• Arrive early - even for short-haul flights.

• Pack essentials (snacks, water, chargers) in your hand luggage (water can’t be taken through the security check, but you can refill your bottles once through security).

E-Lar program

A new program called E-Lar, which replaces old electrical appliances with new, energy-efficient electric, will be launched later this month. Initially intended only for low-income families, it will now be available to all households, although support amounts will vary.

Families receiving social energy tariffs or minimum benefits will receive full (100%) support. The program now also includes people living in vulnerable neighbourhoods and the general population.

Only stoves, ovens, and gas water heaters are eligible. Around €100 million will be available, probably through a voucher system that requires exchanging old appliances for new ones. Random home inspections will ensure proper installation.

Full details and rules will be announced in the next two weeks. We will inform Members who will be eligible to apply and what steps to take, as soon as the details are announced.

Metro construction between Porto and Aveiro

For Members living in the area, please be aware that rail services between Porto and Aveiro may be disrupted until the end of the year due to metro construction works.

In a statement, Metro do Porto said that: “The construction of an underpass at Gaia-Devesas station, as part of the Ruby Line (linha Rubi) project, will lead to disruptions in rail traffic between Porto-Campanhã and Aveiro, especially at night and on weekends, 'in order to minimise the impact on passengers”.

SNS – updating personal data

Some Members have already received this message and, in light of recent warnings about scams and text frauds, have inquired whether it is legitimate or not. We can confirm that the Portuguese State Healthcare System is currently contacting users of the National Health Service (SNS) who have missing or incomplete data in the National User Registry (RNU). Updating this information is mandatory to maintain access to primary health care.

This update campaign runs until the 31^st of July, as part of the initiative "Para um SNS + próximo, fique + próximo" (For a closer SNS, stay closer).

Approximately 1.1 million users will be contacted via text message, advising them to visit their local health centre in person to complete the required information.

According to the experience shared by other Members, it is not possible to update or edit your data via the official SNS website or app.

What to take to your health centre:

• Residency document and passport

• Proof of address 

• Nº de Utente (SNS number)

• NIF (tax identification number)

• NISS (social security number, if applicable)

• Portuguese mobile phone number

Social media

Please remember that you can always find us on social media HERE (Facebook) and HERE (Instagram).