Information request — CADA · Portugal

Direct answer

Every EU country has an access-to-information law: you can ask any public body for documents, without giving a reason, and they must answer within a legal deadline (often 15–30 days) — either with the documents or with a reasoned refusal citing an exception (privacy, security, ongoing decisions). Send the request to the body; if refused or ignored, CADA — Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos (213 913 900) — the information commissioner or ombudsman for Portugal — reviews it; Provedor de Justiça (213 926 600) handles the procedural complaint; Tribunal Administrativo e Fiscal (citius.mj.pt) is the court. Documents about you are also a data-protection right (GDPR access), which has no exceptions for "internal" notes.

Call firstCADA — Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos

Report toProvedor de Justiça

If that failsTribunal Administrativo e Fiscal

🗣️ What to say

"Under [access-to-information law] I request copies of [documents: description, period, subject], including [emails, reports, contracts]. Please provide them in electronic form within the legal deadline. If you refuse any part, please state the exception and the reasoning, and tell me how to appeal."

🪜 Step by step

Describe, do not justifyWhat documents, which period, which department. No reason is needed; a clear description is.
Send it in writingEmail to the body's official address or the online portal. Note the date — the deadline runs from receipt.
Deadline passesA reminder citing the law; then a complaint to CADA — Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos for silence.
RefusedRead the exception. Partial disclosure with redactions is the norm; a blanket refusal is reviewable at CADA — Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos.
Documents about youUse both routes: access to information and GDPR access. The GDPR route reaches personal notes and assessments.

📇 All contacts

CADA — Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos AdministrativosAccess to administrative documents, complaint on refusalWhen a body refuses a document📞 213 913 900 🔗 www.cada.pt

Provedor de JustiçaComplaints about public administration, freeWhen the administration does not answer or acts unfairly📞 213 926 600 🔗 www.provedor-jus.pt

Tribunal Administrativo e FiscalChallenges to administrative actsWithin 3 months of the act🔗 www.citius.mj.pt

CNPD — Comissão Nacional de Proteção de DadosComplaints against companies, investigations, finesWhen the company does not answer within a month or misuses data📞 21 392 84 00 🔗 www.cnpd.pt

❓ Frequently asked

Can they charge me?

Copying costs at most; many countries provide electronic copies free. Excessive fees are appealable.

They say the documents do not exist

Ask how they searched; CADA — Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos can check. Emails and messages are documents too.

Can I ask a private company?

Only if it performs a public task or is publicly owned; otherwise, GDPR access for your own data.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

“freedom of information request Portugal”
“access to documents public body”
“foi request refused appeal”
“information commissioner Portugal”
“request my file from authority”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

Your tools for Portugal

Before it goes wrongCan I?What is allowed, what is not, which permit you need — with the official source.Energy · PortugalElectricity & gasThe rules that protect you as an electricity and gas customer in Portugal, and who to contact. Every fact is checked on an official source.Recognise it firstIs dit veilig?Check a phone number, website or message against 47,000 scam dossiers.

📂 How do I request documents or information from a public body?