Medida de Autoproteção (MAP)
Everything you need to know about the most common legal obligation for building owners and operators in Portugal.
- What it is
- Fire safety procedures and equipment a building must keep in place
- Legal basis
- Decree-Law 220/2008
- Who is required to have one
- The building's owner or operator
- Who determines the obligations
- It depends on the use type and risk category
- Risk categories
- Four, from 1st to 4th
What is the MAP
The Medida de Autoproteção is the set of procedures, records and, depending on the building's risk, plans, equipment and training required to prevent a fire and organize the response if one happens.
It's set out in Portugal's fire safety legal regime (Decree-Law 220/2008, as amended by Decree-Law 224/2015 and Law 123/2019), regulated by Ordinance 1532/2008 and Ordinance 135/2020.
Who's required to have one
The obligation falls on the building's owner or operator, not the local council or the fire service.
It applies to most buildings and premises, but the law expressly excludes residential Use Type I spaces in the 1st and 2nd risk categories. The exact measures depend on the use type and risk category; technical responsibility for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th categories is subject to the técnico autor regime.
What it usually includes
Depending on the building's risk category, a MAP can include:
- Safety records: history of inspections, maintenance and incidents
- Emergency procedures
- Prevention plan
- Internal emergency plan
- Training and awareness activities for occupants
- Periodic fire drills
A high-risk building (a hospital or a shopping centre, for example) has far more complete requirements than a small shop.
When this becomes urgent
The most common moments when dealing with the MAP stops being optional:
- Opening a new business, licensing usually requires a MAP
- A change in how the space is used, for example a warehouse becoming a shop
- A failed inspection, with a deadline to fix it
- Renewal of the building's occupancy license
What can happen without an up-to-date MAP
Not having the MAP up to date is a regulatory offence and can block licensing of the space, delay an inspection, or complicate an insurance claim after an incident. This guide doesn't replace technical or legal advice for your specific case.
Related guides
Go deeper depending on your situation:
Companies by region
See the fire safety companies listed in your region:
How to sort this out
Usually two steps are needed, with two different types of professionals:
- For buildings and premises in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th risk categories, responsibility for the SCIE project and MAP belongs exclusively to a legally qualified técnico autor. This directory does not verify that professional qualification.
- The required equipment (extinguishers, fire detection, emergency lighting, among others) has to be supplied, installed and maintained by a company registered with ANEPC. That's where this directory helps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MAP?
The Medida de Autoproteção is the set of procedures, records and, depending on the building's risk, plans and training required to prevent a fire and organize the response if one happens. It's set out in Portugal's fire safety legal regime.
Who has to have a MAP?
The entity responsible for the building or premises, normally the owner or operator. The law applies MAP to most uses, with an express exception for residential Use Type I spaces in the 1st and 2nd risk categories.
How much does a MAP cost?
It varies a lot depending on the building's size, its risk category, and the professional or company you choose. The most reliable approach is to request quotes from a técnico autor for the project and from one or more ANEPC-registered companies for the required equipment.
Who can draw up the MAP project?
For buildings and premises in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th risk categories, responsibility must be assumed by an architect, engineer or technical engineer recognised by the relevant professional body and qualified under Article 15-A. This directory does not verify that qualification.
Does my small shop need a MAP too?
In most cases, yes, though with simpler requirements than a high-risk building. What exactly is needed depends on the space's risk category, which only a técnico autor can confirm.
Where can I check the official ANEPC register?
The register of entities for the sale, installation and maintenance of SCIE equipment is available at prociv.gov.pt. This directory is built from that public register.
Glossary
- Medida de Autoproteção (MAP)
- The set of procedures, records and, depending on the risk, plans, equipment and training a building must keep in place to prevent a fire and organise the response.
- SCIE
- Segurança Contra Incêndio em Edifícios: Portugal's legal regime setting the fire safety rules that apply to buildings, defined in Decree-Law 220/2008.
- Técnico autor
- A qualified architect, engineer or technical engineer. For projects and MAP in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th risk categories, responsibility belongs exclusively to an author recognised and registered under Article 15-A of Decree-Law 220/2008.
- Utilização-tipo (use type)
- The classification of a building or part of a building by its use (residential, retail, hotel, industrial, etc.). There are twelve, numbered I to XII.
- Categoria de risco (risk category)
- The fire risk level assigned to each use type, from 1st (lowest) to 4th (highest), which determines how extensive the self-protection obligations are.
- Entidade credenciada
- A company registered with ANEPC under Ordinance 773/2009 to sell, install or maintain fire safety equipment and systems.
This guide is general orientation and doesn't replace legal or technical advice. The measures required for your building depend on its specific risk category and use, determined by a técnico autor registered with ANEPC.