Local Authorities

Junta de Freguesia

Basically, the village government

The mayor of Monsanto & Idanha-a-Velha is Paulo Monteiro. Dona Helena, who runs the post office, is also a member of the junta and will patiently attend to most administrative issues.

If you need a proof of residence document (for registering residence and required for all sorts of other purposes by all sorts of authorities), or a license for your dog, they will help you. Have 1 Euro to hand for each page that they issue for you. 

Location: modern building uptown between GNR and cannons, next to post office.

The junta is also responsible for organising maintenance of public roads, including unpaved ones. So, if your access track is public and becoming unnavigable, report to the junta (but don’t expect anything to happen very quickly).

EU citizens resident in Portugal are entitled to vote in municipal elections, after registering to vote. This is also done at the Junta de Freguesia. Please do this, even if you don’t plan to cast your vote, as the freguesia received public funding based on the number of registered voters (recenseado), not based on people with just resident status. So, more voters, more money for local service provision.

Espaço do Cidadão

 Located in the modern building a bit below the cannons, where doctor’s surgery, post office and Adega Tipica are.

Open Mon – Fri 9-13 and 14-17 

E-mail ec.idanha-a-velha (at) ama.pt

The very patient and helpful Isabel Caldeira can help with various matters, e.g.

• Renewing a Portuguese driver’s license
• Print or copy documents (5 cents a page); mail to monsantoidanhavelha@gmail.com or bring on a USB stick.
• Help fill in application for oak cutting license
• Register your bonfire if you can’t brave fogos site
• Telling you what office deals with what formality