In January and February 2026, storm Kristin and the low-pressure systems that followed stripped the roofs from thousands of homes, mainly in the Centro region. The State created a direct grant to repair housing. This guide explains what it is, who was entitled to it, what it covers on a roof, what changed in the building rules and what can still be done today, 2 November 2026.
Updated on 2 November 2026. The rules and figures come from the official sources cited at the end, read on that date.
The essentials
- The grant is up to €10,000 per home (VAT included), to repair, rehabilitate or rebuild a damaged own and permanent home.
- It covers 100% of the eligible cost that is left after deducting insurance and other support. It does not add to insurance.
- Roofs that were blown off are expressly covered, as are chimneys that fell.
- Up to €5,000, a photo or video is enough, with no inspection, and payment should be made within 3 working days. From €5,000 to €10,000 there is an inspection and payment should be made within 15 working days.
- Applications for own and permanent homes closed on 7 April 2026, by order (despacho). We found no reopening. If you did not apply in time, see the section “If you were left out”.
What happened and which laws apply
Kristin hit the country on 28 January 2026. The Government declared a state of calamity (Resolução do Conselho de Ministros n.º 15-B/2026, a Council of Ministers resolution) and, at the extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting on 1 February, approved a package of measures that the Government put at 2.5 billion euros.
The laws that matter to someone with a roof:
| Law | What it does |
|---|---|
| Resolução do Conselho de Ministros n.º 17-A/2026 | Creates the €10,000 grant for own and permanent homes |
| Portaria n.º 63-A/2026/1, of 9 February | Sets the rules for payment (3 and 15 working days), inspection and reimbursement |
| Decreto-Lei n.º 40-A/2026, of 13 February | Exceptional simplified regime to rebuild and rehabilitate in the affected municipalities |
| Decreto-Lei n.º 79-A/2026, of 20 March | Extends the regime to municipalities outside the calamity declaration that had abnormal damage |
Eligible damage is damage that happened between 00:00 on 28 January and 23:59 on 15 February 2026, according to the frequently asked questions of the CCDR Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (the regional coordination and development commission, updated on 2 July 2026).
Who was entitled
- Owners of the home where they live permanently.
- Tenants with a formal contract. For works, they need written permission from the landlord, unless the contract already allows them.
- Landlords of a permanent home lived in by someone else, with the rental contract.
- Heirs, through the head of the estate (cabeça de casal), with the proof of heirship (habilitação de herdeiros). Also people with a free loan of the property (comodato) or usufruct (usufruto), with the contract or the registration.
- Condominiums, through the administrator, for the common parts: up to €10,000 per building, with the minutes (ata) that appoint the administrator. When the estimate has only photos, the limit drops to €5,000 per building.
Second homes were not entitled. The regime is only for own and permanent homes. You must also have your tax and social security situation in order.
What it covers on the roof
The CCDR lists, among the eligible damage, “roofs of the home, garage and outbuildings that were blown off, where their use is functionally linked to the home”. It also covers damaged or fallen chimneys, fallen walls, fallen trees, structural cracks and walls or gates facing the public road.
Not covered: fences, awnings, garden furniture, landscaping, outbuildings with no link to the house, household appliances and contents.
The amount does not increase if the work costs more than the estimate. The limit is €10,000 per home, whatever the number of residents.
How it worked: two tiers
Up to €5,000 (VAT included)
- Proof: photos or video of the damage and a description. No inspection.
- Payment: within 3 working days after the file is complete.
From €5,000 to €10,000
- Proof: photos, description, a quote or paid invoices and a compulsory technical inspection (by town council technicians, a contracted body or a technician named by a professional association).
- Payment: within 15 working days after the file is complete.
The money can come as an advance, after validation, or as reimbursement, with proof of payment. After paying for the work, the beneficiary has 15 days to upload the invoices to the platform.
Documents requested
Up to €5,000: permanent property certificate (certidão predial permanente) or urban property record (caderneta predial urbana), proof of IBAN, good standing with Social Security and the tax authority (Autoridade Tributária, AT) or permission to check, proof of permanent residence, and a photo or video of the damage. If applicable, the rental contract and the insurance documents.
From €5,000 to €10,000: everything above, plus a quote or paid invoices.
Insurance and State support do not add up
The grant is subsidiary: it pays only what the insurance did not pay. You must declare whether you have insurance and attach the claim report, if you made one. If the State pays before the insurer does, you must return the difference within 15 days after receiving the insurance payout. The CCDR warns that it never asks for refunds by phone: if someone does, try to note the number and report it.
If your insurer refuses to pay, the State grant can cover what was left out. See the guide on home insurance and storms to learn what a policy usually covers.
Deadlines and delays: what is known
- Applications: closed on 7 April 2026, according to the order cited by Observador (31 March 2026). The CCDR LVT page, updated on 13 July, still shows the platform, but does not say it has reopened.
- Assessment: minister Manuel Castro Almeida set 30 June as an “indicative” target. On 28 March there were about 30,000 requests, 3,200 decided and about 4 million euros paid, with 250 million available at the CCDR Centro and CCDR Lisboa e Vale do Tejo.
- Busiest areas: Leiria alone had 10,808 requests and Marinha Grande 3,365 (ECO, 8 June). The minister admitted that the deadline would not be met in three or four municipalities.
We did not find a more recent official summary. If your file is pending, ask the town council (câmara municipal) and the CCDR, and keep the file number.
If you were left out
- Check your insurance first. Even with the calamity declared, insurance still applies: the Lei de Bases da Proteção Civil (the Civil Protection Framework Law) declares void any clauses that exclude the insurer’s liability because of the declaration of calamity.
- Ask the town council and the CCDR whether your case can still be accepted (for example, if the request was left incomplete). You can appeal a refusal within 15 working days, by email, with the file number and your tax number (NIF).
- Credit: Resolution n.º 17-A/2026 provides for IFRRU credit lines (the housing rehabilitation financing instrument) for costs the grant does not cover. On 13 March, the request was still “to be defined”. Ask your bank.
- Fundo de Compensação do Trabalho (FCT, the labour compensation fund): according to the Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados (the chartered accountants’ association) summary of 13 March 2026, an employer can use the FCT balance to pay for repair works on an employee’s own and permanent home damaged by Kristin, and requests can be made until 31 December 2026. It is the employer who applies. It is worth asking.
- 6% VAT on labour for repair work on a home (item 2.27). See the guide on VAT on roof work.
These have ended, as far as we read: the 90-day moratorium on home loans (from 28 January), the extension of tax deadlines (obligations due by 30 April 2026) and the programme “O Turismo Acolhe” (accommodation of up to €60 per night, until 31 March 2026, which could be extended).
Works without a licence: the exceptional regime
Decreto-Lei n.º 40-A/2026 exempts reconstruction, repair or demolition of damaged buildings in the affected municipalities from a licence and from prior notification, and waives fees for use of public space for three months. Checks now happen after the work. We could not read the full text of the law, so we do not state the period it stays in force with certainty. Confirm with the town council. Outside this regime, the general licensing rules changed on 1 October 2026. See the guide do you need a licence to change the roof.
Before you hire the work
- Protect first. Covering the roof with a tarpaulin to prevent more damage is an emergency measure. Take photos before and after.
- Do not start non-urgent work before the inspection, if the damage is above €5,000.
- Ask for a written quote with labour and materials listed separately, and an invoice with your NIF.
- Be wary of anyone who asks for full payment in advance or says they will “handle the grant for you”. The application is yours and is made at the CCDR or the town council.
What we could not confirm
- Whether there is any new application window after 7 April 2026. We found none.
- The final tally of requests paid and the total amount.
- The exact period the exceptional regime for works stays in force.
- Support for businesses, agriculture and forestry is not in this guide.
Sources (read on 2 November 2026)
- Portal do Governo, Conselho de Ministros adota medidas no montante de 2,5 mil milhões de euros, 1 February 2026.
- Portal do Governo, publicada portaria que estabelece prazos e condições de pagamento, 10 February 2026 (Portaria n.º 63-A/2026/1).
- CCDR LVT, Calamidades 2026, perguntas frequentes, updated on 2 July 2026, and página da habitação, updated on 13 July 2026.
- Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados, Calamidades 2026, ponto de situação, 13 March 2026.
- Observador, candidaturas terminam a 7 de abril, 31 March 2026. ECO, prazo para apoios à reconstrução, 8 June 2026.
- Diário da República (the official gazette): Decreto-Lei n.º 40-A/2026 (13 February) and Decreto-Lei n.º 79-A/2026 (20 March), identified through Informador and APCMC. We did not read the full text of the two laws.