I have debts I cannot pay — where do I get free help?

Direct answer

Free, confidential help exists in every country and works better the earlier you go. DECO — GAS (Gabinete de Apoio ao Sobreendividado) / RACE (213 710 200) is the debt-advice service for Portugal: they look at everything you owe, stop the panic, negotiate with creditors and, if needed, start the legal debt-relief route. Your Segurança Social — ação social / Balcão da Inclusão (300 502 502) can refer you and may cover emergency costs. Câmara Municipal / Junta de Freguesia (anmp.pt) is for the legal side — a bailiff at the door, a garnishment, a court letter. Do not take a "consolidation loan" from an advert; that is how debts grow.

Call firstDECO — GAS (Gabinete de Apoio ao Sobreendividado) / RACE

Report toSegurança Social — ação social / Balcão da Inclusão

If that failsCâmara Municipal / Junta de Freguesia

🗣️ What to say

"I have debts of about [total] to [number] creditors and I can no longer keep up. I would like a first appointment to go through my income, my debts and my options — including a payment plan or debt relief."

🪜 Step by step

Make the listEvery creditor, amount, and what is already in collection. Bring the letters, even unopened.
Book with DECO — GAS (Gabinete de Apoio ao Sobreendividado) / RACEFree, non-judgmental. They can write to creditors on your behalf and freeze interest in many cases.
Protect the essentialsRent, energy and food first. Contact those creditors before anyone else; they have hardship procedures.
Payment plan or reliefA plan you can keep beats a plan that looks good. If the debts are hopeless, the legal debt-relief scheme wipes them after a set period.
Court letters: Câmara Municipal / Junta de FreguesiaA court letter has a deadline. Never ignore it — respond or bring it straight to your adviser.

📇 All contacts

DECO — GAS (Gabinete de Apoio ao Sobreendividado) / RACEFree over-indebtedness support, PERSIWhen debts become unmanageable📞 213 710 200 🔗 deco.pt/gas

Segurança Social — ação social / Balcão da InclusãoSocial support, dependency, disabilityFor care and support📞 300 502 502 🔗 www.seg-social.pt

Câmara Municipal / Junta de FreguesiaNuisances, roads, waste, certificates, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles🔗 www.anmp.pt

Balcão do Arrendatário e do Senhorio (BAS)Special procedure for tenancy disputesIf the dispute involves rent or the return of the property🔗 www.justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Balcao-do-Arrendatario-e-do-Senhorio

❓ Frequently asked

Will my employer or family find out?

Not from the adviser. A garnishment of wages does reach the employer, which is one reason to act before it gets there.

Can I keep my home?

Usually, if you keep paying rent or the mortgage. Say so to the adviser first thing — housing is protected in every plan.

Is the legal debt relief really free of debts at the end?

Yes, apart from a few exceptions such as fines and maintenance. It takes discipline for a few years and a clean start after.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

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💸 I have debts I cannot pay — where do I get free help?