All accommodation companies in Portugal must send foreign guest data to the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), including identification information and the period of stay. This obligation does not apply to Portuguese tourists.
1. What is Export Data to SEF
Allows compliance with Portuguese regulations for sending foreign guest data.
It can be done in three ways:
Manual submission on the SEF portal.
File upload between the accommodation application and the SIBA system.
Automatic submission via Webservice through Avantio, using an XML file.
Allows:
Grouping data by accommodation or by reservation.
Downloading the sent XML file.
Checking the history of exports made.
Main advantage: saving time and resources by automating the process.
2. Steps to activate Export Data to SEF
Step 1: Communication with SEF
Contact SEF by email or phone.
Request the activation of the Webservice submission mode to use automatic export.
Without this activation, the export will not work correctly.
Step 2: Complete accommodation data in Avantio
Enter the Avantio App → Accommodations section.
When activating the SEF module, three fields are enabled to complete:
NIF of the hotel unit.
Establishment number.
Activation key.
These data are provided directly by SEF.
Step 3: Data export
Go to Reports and Export Data → Export Data → Accommodation Bulletin.
Select the dates to export and decide whether to send the information of all accommodations together or individually.
Check that all data is correct and click on Perform Export.
Step 4: Confirmation and control
You will receive a confirmation email from SEF.
View the exports made in the corresponding section of the software.
If there are errors, the system will indicate the incomplete or incorrect fields and allow you to send the correct files while leaving the erroneous ones pending.
3. Required fields for SEF (Accommodation_Bulletin)
Field | Requirements |
First Name | If there is only one name, place it in this field with spaces. |
Last Name | Only characters [A-Z] and [ÇÃÁÀÉÊÍÕÔÓÚ’-] and spaces. |
Nationality | Mandatory. |
Date of Birth | Before the current day; if there is no day and month, assume January 1st. |
Place of Birth | Mandatory. |
Identification Document | Only characters ‘0’-‘9’ and ‘A’-‘Z’. |
Document Type | Passport, ID card, or other document type. |
Issuing Country | Mandatory. |
Entry Date | Equal to or before the current day. |
Departure Date | Equal to or after the entry date. |
Country of Residence of Origin | Mandatory. |
Place of Residence of Origin | Mandatory. |
Useful reference: SEF submission modes via Webservice
4. Practical recommendations
Review each guest's data before exporting.
Keep accommodation data updated (NIF, establishment number, and activation key).
Make periodic exports, not exceeding 3 days after check-in.
Review the export history to avoid duplicates or errors.