Short answer. Portugal's civil protection authority (ANEPC) tells households: "Tenha em casa uma reserva de água e alimentos enlatados, para dois ou três dias", keep a reserve of water and canned food at home for two or three days 1. The official leaflet gives no quantity in litres or kilograms. No official national figure for water per person was found.
How many days of supplies does Portugal recommend?
Two to three days, roughly 48 to 72 hours 1. The advice comes from "Sismos: Prepare-se e Proteja-se", an earthquake leaflet published in November 2018 by the national civil protection authority with the Portuguese Insurers Association 1. As of 20 October 2026, prociv.gov.pt has no dedicated national kit page.
How much water per person does Portugal recommend?
The official leaflet does not say. It mentions only "água e comida não perecível" (water and non-perishable food) as a household reserve for two or three days 1.
Press articles in March 2026 report that Civil Protection recommends a 72-hour kit for every household 2, and some municipalities publish lists with a water figure, seen only on third-party sites. None of these figures appears on an official national page, so Phaenyx does not present them as the official Portuguese recommendation. For a general benchmark from other agencies, see our guide how much water per person.
What else does the official list include?
ANEPC's emergency kit is "um conjunto de equipamentos e produtos acondicionáveis numa mochila", a set of equipment and products that fit in a backpack, for use in the first hours or days after a serious accident or disaster 1. Alongside water and food, it lists:
| Item | Quantity in the leaflet |
|---|---|
| First-aid kit | Not specified 1 |
| Regular medication | Not specified 1 |
| Personal hygiene products | Not specified 1 |
| Change of clothes | Not specified 1 |
| Radio, torch and whistle | Not specified 1 |
| Power bank for a mobile phone | Not specified 1 |
| Contacts of family and friends | Not specified 1 |
| Copies of important documents | Not specified 1 |
| Cash | Not specified 1 |
| Fire extinguisher, kept at home, expiry dates checked | One 1 |
The full checklist is on our Portugal kit page.
How should supplies be kept?
The leaflet gives four rules: prepare the kit in advance, adapt it to each person's needs, keep it accessible at home, school, work or in the car, and review and update it regularly 1. Rotating canned food and bottled water before their dates is the practical way to follow the last rule; our guide on food shelf life explains how.
Frequently asked questions
Does Portugal have an official 72-hour rule?
The official leaflet says two or three days 1. A 72-hour recommendation is reported in the press but was not confirmed on an official national page 2.
Is there an official water quantity in Portugal?
No. The leaflet asks for a reserve of water without giving litres 1.
Why is the official advice in an earthquake leaflet?
Because no general, all-hazards household booklet from the national government was found; the 2018 earthquake leaflet is the national source for the kit 1. See also our earthquake preparedness guide.
Should I store more than three days?
Portugal's official guidance stops at two or three days 1. Our two-week supplies guide shows what other agencies recommend for longer periods.
Sources
- 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)
- 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)
Turn this into action
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Sources
- Autoridade Nacional de Proteção Civil / Associação Portuguesa de Seguradores · Sismos: Prepare-se e Proteja-se checked 2026-10-20
- Postal do Algarve (press, citing Diário de Notícias) · Proteção Civil recomenda kit de emergência de 72 horas a todas as famílias portuguesas checked 2026-10-20