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Portugal has just made itself very hard to say no to.

On 29 June, the country’s SCRI.PT programme – the new audio-visual funding scheme run by the Portuguese Film and Audio-visual Institute (ICA), alongside Portugal Media Lab and Turismo de Portugal, opened for applications. And the headline number is a big one: €350 million earmarked between 2026 and 2029 to draw international productions onto Portuguese soil.

Here’s how it actually works: Spend at least €2.5 million in Portugal on a film or series season, and you get 30% of the first €2 million back, then 25% on everything after. It’s a cash rebate, not a maze of conditions — and for large-scale productions, applications are open on a rolling basis, with payment due by the end of the April after you wrap. There’s a lighter tier too, for productions spending under €2.5m (from €500k, or €200k for documentaries).

Translated out of the paperwork: Portugal is offering real money to shoot somewhere with Atlantic light, Lisbon rooftops, medieval towns and a coastline that can double for half of Europe. That’s a compelling pitch.

But here’s the bit that always lands on our desk. Every production that says yes to that €350m has to sleep somewhere. A 40-strong crew doesn’t just need a rebate – it needs beds near set, a 5am breakfast that actually happens, and someone local who knows which quinta outside Sintra can take fifteen rooms next Tuesday.

Which is where we come in – and no, we’re not flying in for this one. We’ve had an office in Lisbon for a while now, on Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar, right in the heart of the city. So when the incentive does its job and the shoots start landing, we’re already there: local knowledge, 950,000+ properties on hand, and the same 24/7 phone that’s answered dead-of-night rooming changes for 39 years.

Incentives like SCRI.PT are brilliant for the wider industry. They spread the work, build local crews and infrastructure, and give producers genuine choice about where a story gets told. Spain’s doing it, Ireland’s doing it, and now Portugal’s put one of Europe’s most generous offers on the table.

The rebate gets a production to Portugal. Getting everyone a good night’s sleep once they’re there? That’s our bit.

Looking for a hero in the dead of night – even one in a different time zone? If you’re awake, so are we.

Find out more by visiting https://portugalfilmcommission.com/en/script/

Need help planning your next international event? 

We specialise in complex, high-touch logistics for all entertainment industries. Get in touch using the details below, and if your production needs to be billed through the Portuguese office, please let us know when discussing your requirements.