Four of the six municipalities of São Miguel began charging a tourist tax in January, a procedure that, contrary to what was initially planned by the association of municipalities, was delayed in the Nordeste and in Povoação, a municipality where the situation has already been regularised and the tax is being charged normally.

“It didn’t come into force immediately because it had yet to be published in the Official Gazette. That’s already in place. January is a month with less activity, but the situation is settled. The fee is being charged normally,” the mayor of Povoação, Pedro Nuno Melo (PS), told Lusa on 28 January.

In the case of the Nordeste, the mayor, António Miguel Soares (PSD), told Lusa today that the process is running normally after initial delays in the procedures for its application, as the tax was approved by the executive on December 30, 2024.

"We are awaiting the Municipal Assembly, which will take place at the end of April, and after being approved by the Municipal Assembly, it will be published in the Official Gazette", said the mayor, admitting that the charge will begin during the month of May.

Antonio Miguel Soares added that the draft Regulation for the Creation and Application of the Tourist Tax in the municipality has already been under public discussion.

On March 18, the City of the Nordeste presented the Tourist Tax Platform to economic operators in the tourism accommodation sector, which is now available at taxaturistica.cmnordeste.pt, also available for mobile devices, and operators can proceed with the subscription.

In this first year of applying the tax, as it is a new feature for accommodation, the city hall says it will facilitate the process.

The platform has several support tools for its use and the contacts of the municipality and the company responsible for creating the platform are made available to clarify doubts in the first phase of using this service.

"The tourist tax costs two euros per day for a maximum of three consecutive nights. For camping and caravanning, the amount is one euro per person, per night", reads the official website of the municipality.

The tax is charged for the accommodation in which the tourist is staying (hotel unit, local accommodation or rural tourism) and does not apply to residents of the Azores or to those who are displaced for health reasons.

This measure, taken unanimously by the municipalities in the Association of Municipalities of the Azores, aims to "respond to the significant increase in tourists in recent years and the consequent overload on municipal services in the sector, including waste management, preservation and maintenance of green spaces, infrastructure and support services and tourist signage", further justifies the city hall of Nordeste.

On December 2, 2024, the president of the Association of Municipalities of the Azores (AMRAA) announced that the six municipalities on the island of São Miguel (Ponta Delgada, Lagoa, Ribeira Grande, Vila Franca do Campo, Povoação and Nordeste) would start charging the municipal tourist tax of two euros per night on January 1, 2025.