Portugal to pay 1.2 million euro debt to firefighter corporations by end of March

The Portuguese government has committed to repaying a 1.2 million euro debt to firefighter corporations for expenses incurred in 2025 by the end of March 2026. This information was conveyed by António Nunes, president of the Portuguese Firefighters League (LBP), after a Wednesday meeting with the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Rui Rocha. The financial arrears relate to extraordinary operational costs that firefighters had to cover from their own funds while fighting fires last year. Portuguese rescue services have for years struggled with the problem of underfunding and delays in reimbursing costs for firefighting operations. The system relies heavily on volunteer and professional corporations subordinate to local governments, which during periods of intense forest fires generate enormous costs exceeding their standard operational budgets.

The funds, which will reach the units' accounts in the coming weeks, are intended to cover specific expenditures on fuel, food for rescuers, and necessary repairs to vehicles damaged during operations. According to data presented by the LBP, the total sum of extraordinary expenses for all firefighter corporations in 2025 amounted to about 20 million euros, of which the mentioned 1.2 million euro sum constitutes the final unpaid tranche. Additionally, the government declared that in April 2026 it will repay another million euros in arrears, this time concerning the year 2024. 20 (mln euro) — total extraordinary expenses of firefighters in 2025 Debt repayment schedule: Arrears for 2025: 1.2 million euro debt → Repayment by end of March 2026; Arrears for 2024: 1 million euro debt → Repayment in April 2026

To avoid similar delays in the future, the Ministry of Internal Administration plans a thorough digitalization of the settlement process. From May 2026, a special electronic platform is to begin operating, replacing the current manual system for entering expenses by individual commands. Concurrently, on March 11, 2026, a new financial directive was sent to the corporations, specifying the rules and amounts of operational funding for the upcoming season. Key deadlines for Portuguese firefighters: 11 March 2026 — Financial directive; 31 March 2026 — Repayment of 2025 debt; April 2026 — Repayment of 2024 debt; May 2026 — New platform