01 / Guides
What the Livro de Reclamações is
The Livro de Reclamações is the complaints book required by Portuguese law. A customer writes a complaint in it, and the complaint goes to the authority that supervises your sector. The legal basis is Decreto-Lei n.º 156/2005 of 15 September 2005. Decreto-Lei n.º 74/2017 of 21 June 2017 added the electronic version: since then, consumers can file complaints online on the platform livroreclamacoes.pt.
For website owners, the key rule is Article 5-B(2): businesses must give access to the platform on their website “in a visible and prominent place”. A business without a website must have an email address to receive complaints submitted through the platform (Article 5-B(3)).
02 / Guides
Does it apply to your business?
Portuguese law addresses suppliers of goods and services that operate in Portugal. These are the typical situations for foreign-owned businesses:
| Situation | Obligation? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese company (Lda., Unipessoal Lda., S.A.) with a website | Yes | Register on the platform and link to it from the website |
| Foreign company with a branch or establishment in Portugal | Yes, as a rule | Registration uses the Portuguese tax number (NIF) of the Portuguese operation |
| Holiday rental registered as Alojamento Local | Yes | With a direct booking website, the link goes on the website; without one, an email address for complaints |
| Shop, restaurant, clinic or office open to the public in Portugal | Yes | The paper book on the premises is still required as well |
| Online shop based outside Portugal, with no establishment there, that ships to Portuguese customers | Not clear | The law does not address this case explicitly; get advice for your situation |
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How to add the Livro de Reclamações to your website
- 01
Register the business
On livroreclamacoes.pt, register with the profile “Fornecedor de bens/Prestador de serviços” (supplier of goods or services). You need the Portuguese tax number (NIF), the authority that supervises your activity (for general retail, ASAE, the Food and Economic Safety Authority) and your activity code (CAE). New complaints arrive by email, so give an address that someone actually reads.
- 02
Pick the official logo
The usage manual of the Portuguese consumer authority DGC (Direção-Geral do Consumidor) provides the logo in red, blue, white and black. Use the version that stands out against your background.
- 03
Link it correctly
The logo must point to https://www.livroreclamacoes.pt/inicio, not to your own contact or support form.
- 04
Place it on the home page
According to the manual, the logo belongs on the home page, in the header or footer. The footer is the usual choice, because it appears on every page, including product pages and checkout.
- 05
Separate it from your own complaints process
If you have your own complaints or support form, make it clear that it is not the Livro de Reclamações. The two must not be confused.
- 06
Test it
Click the logo on a phone and a computer and check that the platform opens. Give it the alt text “Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico” so screen readers announce it.
04 / Guides
Where to add the logo, by platform
Menu names vary with the theme; these are the usual places.
- WordPress: Appearance › Editor › Patterns › Footer (block themes) or Appearance › Widgets › Footer (classic themes). Add an Image block with a link.
- Shopify: Online Store › Themes › Customize › Footer. In themes such as Dawn, a “Custom Liquid” section accepts the logo code with its link.
- Wix: In the editor, select the footer, add an Image element and set its link to the platform address.
- Hand-coded website: In the footer template: <a href="https://www.livroreclamacoes.pt/inicio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="/img/livro-reclamacoes.png" alt="Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico" width="150"></a>
05 / Guides
Paper book, QR code and the reply deadline
The electronic version does not replace the paper book. If you run a shop, restaurant, clinic or reception desk in Portugal, you still need the printed Livro de Reclamações on the premises and a notice that says you have one. The online obligation comes on top.
Since May 2025 the DGC has been piloting a counter display with a QR code that takes customers straight to the electronic book. It is voluntary and is generated in the business area of the platform under “Gestão de Dados Mestre › Gerar QRCode”. On a website, the linked logo remains the way to comply.
You must reply to complaints made through the platform within 15 working days. Expect them to be written in Portuguese, and make sure the notification address is read even when nobody from your team is in Portugal.
06 / Guides
Fines for a missing link
Since Decreto-Lei n.º 9/2021, breaching Article 5-B(1) to (3) is a serious economic administrative offence (“contraordenação económica grave”) under Portugal's regime for economic offences (RJCE). The amount depends on the size of the business (Article 18 RJCE):
| Offender | Fine for a serious offence |
|---|---|
| Individual (for example a sole trader) | €650 to €1,500 |
| Micro company | €1,700 to €3,000 |
| Small company | €4,000 to €8,000 |
| Medium-sized company | €8,000 to €16,000 |
| Large company | €12,000 to €24,000 |
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The 90-day warning
Under Article 9-A, as amended in 2021, the supervising authority must first issue a warning and give the business 90 calendar days to fix a breach of Article 5-B before it opens proceedings. Do not plan around that: adding the logo to the footer takes five minutes, and proceedings take time and nerves. Negligence is punishable too.
In regulated sectors, the regulator replaces ASAE as the supervising authority, for example ERS for health, ERSE for energy, ANACOM for communications, Banco de Portugal for banking and AMT for transport. Some of them apply their own rules on replies and deadlines.
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What else a website for Portugal needs
The complaints book is only one piece. Portuguese customers expect copy in European Portuguese, the local payment methods MB WAY and Multibanco, and since June 2025 many businesses also have to meet the accessibility requirements of the European Accessibility Act, which Portugal transposed with Decreto-Lei 82/2022. How to run one site in English, Portuguese and other languages without hurting search rankings is covered in our article on multilingual websites.
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Checklist: the footer of a website for Portugal
Besides the complaints book, websites of businesses operating in Portugal usually carry these items in the footer or on their own pages:
- The Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico logo with a link to livroreclamacoes.pt.
- Information on alternative dispute resolution bodies (RAL) under Lei n.º 144/2015, with a link to the competent body.
- Company name, address, tax number (NIF), email address and registration details.
- Privacy policy (Política de Privacidade) and cookie consent under the GDPR.
- Terms and conditions (Termos e Condições) for shops and bookings.
- An accessibility statement if the business falls under Decreto-Lei 82/2022.
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Note
This guide summarises Portuguese law as we understand it in November 2026 and is not legal advice. For your specific case, speak to a lawyer admitted in Portugal or to the authority that supervises your sector.
FAQ
Common questions
01What is the Livro de Reclamações?
Portugal's statutory complaints book under Decreto-Lei 156/2005. There is a paper version for business premises and, since 2017, an electronic version on livroreclamacoes.pt.
02Does the Livro de Reclamações have to be on my website?
If you operate in Portugal, yes. Article 5-B(2) requires visible, prominent access to the platform on your website. The usual way is the official logo in the footer, linking to livroreclamacoes.pt.
03What is the fine for not having it?
A missing link is a serious economic administrative offence: €1,700 to €3,000 for a micro company, up to €24,000 for a large company. Before proceedings, the authority must issue a warning and give you 90 days to fix it.
04Does it apply to my holiday rental in Portugal?
Yes, an Alojamento Local needs the complaints book. With a direct booking website, the link goes on the website; without a website, an email address for complaints through the platform is enough.
05How quickly do I have to answer a complaint?
Within 15 working days. The notification arrives by email at the address you registered, so make sure it is read regularly, even when you are not in Portugal.
06My online shop is based in the UK or elsewhere in the EU and ships to Portugal. Does this apply to me?
Portuguese law does not address this case explicitly. Without a seat or establishment in Portugal the obligation is not clear, so get legal advice before relying on either answer.