Emergency preparedness in Portugal: official advice at a glance

Short answer. Portugal's national civil protection authority, ANEPC, asks households to keep water and canned food for two or three days and lists a short emergency kit with no quantities ¹. Warnings arrive mainly by SMS from the sender AvisoPROCIV ². Portugal has no nuclear power plants, no public iodine distribution and no network of public protective shelters ³⁴.

Information verified on 20 October 2026.

Who is responsible for emergency preparedness in Portugal?

The Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil (ANEPC) is the national civil protection authority and sends public warnings ²⁵. Municipal civil protection services handle local warnings and sirens; APA covers radiological emergencies and environmental monitoring; DGS covers public health; IPMA issues weather and tsunami alerts ⁵. The single emergency number is 112, free and available 24 hours a day ⁶.

The national guidance for households is not a general booklet. It is an earthquake leaflet, "Sismos: Prepare-se e Proteja-se", published in 2018 by the then Autoridade Nacional de Proteção Civil with the Portuguese Insurers Association ¹. It covers what to do before, during and after an earthquake, a family emergency plan, a meeting point, a 10-item emergency kit and the three protective gestures "Baixar, Proteger e Aguardar" (drop, cover and hold on) ¹. No all-hazards household booklet from the national government was found.

What does each Portuguese page cover?

What should a household in Portugal do first?

1. Keep a reserve of water and canned food at home for two or three days, as ANEPC advises ¹.
2. Pack the official kit in a backpack: first-aid kit, regular medication, personal hygiene products, a change of clothes, a radio, torch and whistle, a power bank, family contacts, copies of important documents and cash ¹.
3. Learn to recognise official warnings: SMS from the sender AvisoPROCIV only; ignore look-alike senders ².
4. In a radiological emergency, the official advice is to stay indoors with doors and windows shut and ventilation off; a basement gives even better protection ³.
5. Save 112 for emergencies and SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) for health questions that are not life-threatening ⁶⁹.

Our general guides go further: earthquake preparedness, tsunami, family emergency plan, 72-hour kit and water per person.

Frequently asked questions

Which Portuguese agency is in charge of emergency preparedness?

ANEPC, the Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil, with municipal civil protection services at local level ⁵.

Does Portugal have public nuclear shelters?

No. Portugal publishes no network of public protective shelters and no shelter finder. People without their own lodging are received in reception centres or support zones (ZCAP), which are not protective shelters ⁴³.

How will I be warned in Portugal?

By a free SMS sent through the mobile operators at ANEPC's request, from the sender AvisoPROCIV, plus radio, TV, ANEPC channels and the MAI Mobile app ².

Does Portugal recommend a 72-hour kit?

The official leaflet says two or three days of water and canned food ¹. Press reports in March 2026 describe a 72-hour recommendation, but it was not confirmed on an official national page ¹⁰.

Sources

1. Autoridade Nacional de Proteção Civil / Associação Portuguesa de Seguradores — Sismos: Prepare-se e Proteja-se — https://prociv.gov.pt/media/ovjbpe1c/sismos-prepare-se-e-proteja-se.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. ANEPC - Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil — Aviso — https://prociv.gov.pt/pt/prevencao-e-preparacao/monitorizacao-alerta-e-aviso/aviso/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. ANEPC - Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil — Riscos tecnológicos (Emergências radiológicas) — https://prociv.gov.pt/pt/prevencao-e-preparacao/avaliacao-de-riscos/riscos-tecnologicos/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. ANEPC - Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil — Apoio às populações — https://prociv.gov.pt/pt/prevencao-e-preparacao/apoio-as-populacoes/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. ANEPC - Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil — Contactos — https://prociv.gov.pt/pt/contactos/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. gov.pt (Governo de Portugal) — Linhas Úteis — https://www.gov.pt/linhas-uteis (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. Área Metropolitana de Lisboa — Tsunami Warning and Alert System — https://www.aml.pt/en/iniciativas/sistema-de-aviso-e-alerta-de-tsunami/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. Região Autónoma da Madeira, Direção Regional da Saúde (relaying Infarmed circular 047/CD/100.20.200 of 18/05/2023) — Circular Informativa 2023/1261 - Iodeto de potássio: autorização de utilização de lotes rotulados em língua estrangeira — https://www.madeira.gov.pt//Portals/53/Documentos/GASA/circular_informativa_1261_2023_iodeto_potassio.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
9. SNS 24 (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) — Quando ligar SNS 24 ou INEM — https://www.sns24.gov.pt/pt/servico/quando-ligar-sns-24-ou-inem/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
10. Postal do Algarve (press, citing Diário de Notícias) — Proteção Civil recomenda kit de emergência de 72 horas a todas as famílias portuguesas — https://postal.pt/nacional/protecao-civil-recomenda-kit-de-emergencia-de-72-horas-a-todas-as-familias-portuguesas-saiba-o-que-nao-pode-faltar/ (accessed 2026-10-20)