A nationwide strike by employees of Portugal’s registry and notary services is taking place from June 8 to 13. For the public, this means one thing: obtaining official documents could take significantly longer than usual.

The strike follows the collapse of negotiations between the STRN trade union and the government. According to the union, the system is short of 279 registrars and 2,731 branch employees — nearly half the workforce required to operate effectively. At the same time, around 30 professionals retire each month, and many of those positions remain unfilled.

Registry services generate approximately €600 million in revenue for the state each year, yet long queues and staff overload have remained chronic problems. Notably, the current government criticized the situation while in opposition, but little visible progress has been made over the past two years.

During the strike, only emergency services and previously scheduled marriage registrations will continue to be processed.
Portugal regularly ranks among Europe’s leading wedding tourism destinations thanks to its mild climate, Atlantic coastline, and relatively affordable prices.

While fewer Portuguese citizens are getting married, growing numbers of foreigners are choosing Portugal as the place to tie the knot.