Prior Information (IP) is the official pre-contractual document that an insurance intermediary must provide to a client before an insurance contract is concluded.

Its legal basis in Portugal is Law No. 7/2019 of 16 January (Legal Framework for Insurance and Reinsurance Distribution – RJDSR), which transposes Directive (EU) 2016/97 on Insurance Distribution (IDD) into Portuguese law.

For expatriates living in Portugal, navigating a different legal and insurance system can be complex. Portuguese law requires that clients receive clear and transparent information before taking out an insurance policy, ensuring that decisions are made with full knowledge of who is providing advice, under what conditions, and within which regulatory framework.

This legislation establishes strict transparency and information duties that must be fulfilled prior to entering into an insurance contract, with the objective of protecting policyholders and ensuring informed decision-making.

As independent insurance brokers (corretores de seguros), we take these obligations seriously. Our role is not only to find suitable coverage, but also to ensure that you clearly understand:

• Who we are and how we are registered with the Portuguese supervisory authority (ASF – Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões)

• The type of intermediary we are and how we provide advice

• Our relationship with insurance companies

• How we are remunerated

• The procedures available for complaints and claims

• How your personal data is processed and protected

By fully complying with Portuguese and European insurance distribution regulations, we ensure that our expatriate clients receive professional guidance, regulatory security, and clear, transparent information at every stage of the insurance process.

Our commitment is simple: independent advice, full legal compliance, and complete clarity before you enter into any insurance contract.

Yes.

Under Law No. 7/2019 of 16 January (Legal Framework for Insurance and Reinsurance Distribution – RJDSR), information about the insurance distributor must be provided before the insurance contract is concluded and in sufficient time to allow the client to review and properly assess it.

For expatriates living in Portugal, this requirement is particularly important. The Portuguese insurance system may differ from that of your home country, and the law is designed to ensure that you clearly understand who is advising you, under which regulatory framework they operate, and how they are remunerated before committing to a policy.

The purpose of this legal obligation is to reinforce transparency, strengthen policyholder protection, and enhance the overall quality and accountability of the advice provided.

As your independent insurance brokers (corretores de seguros) in Portugal, we strictly comply with these requirements. We ensure that you receive all mandatory pre-contractual information in clear and understandable language, giving you the opportunity to make an informed decision with full regulatory protection and confidence.

Our priority is not only to arrange suitable insurance coverage, but to do so in full compliance with Portuguese and European law, providing clarity, transparency, and professional guidance at every stage of the insurance process.

Under Portuguese insurance distribution law (Law No. 7/2019 of 16 January – RJDSR), Prior Information must be provided before the insurance contract is concluded. However, the legislation does not expressly require the document to be signed by the client.

That said, from a compliance and legal certainty perspective, it is strongly advisable to document confirmation of receipt. This may be done through a handwritten signature, a qualified or advanced digital signature, or electronic acceptance recorded through secure systems.

For expatriates living in Portugal, maintaining clear documentation is particularly important. It ensures that you have formally received and acknowledged the mandatory pre-contractual information required under Portuguese law before entering into an insurance contract.

For us, as independent insurance brokers (corretores de seguros), documenting receipt forms part of our commitment to full regulatory compliance and professional standards. It enables us to demonstrate—if required in the context of supervisory review by the Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (ASF) or in the event of a complaint—that all pre-contractual information duties were properly fulfilled.

This approach protects both you as the client and us as your intermediary, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and legal security throughout the insurance process.

They are two different documents, regulated separately under European and Portuguese insurance law.

For expatriates living in Portugal, understanding this distinction is important, as both documents serve different legal and practical purposes within the insurance process.

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IP (Prior Information)

This document relates to the insurance intermediary.

In Portugal, it is regulated under Law No. 7/2019 of 16 January (Legal Framework for Insurance and Reinsurance Distribution – RJDSR), which governs insurance distribution and transposes Directive (EU) 2016/97 (IDD) into Portuguese law.

It explains:

• Who is distributing the insurance

• How the intermediary operates

• The intermediary’s regulatory status and registration with the Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (ASF)

• The intermediary’s relationship with insurance undertakings

• How the intermediary is remunerated

In other words, the IP provides transparency about the broker.

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IPID (Insurance Product Information Document)

This is a standardised document regulated at European level under Directive (EU) 2016/97 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1469.

It is issued by the insurance undertaking and applies to non-life insurance products.

Its purpose is to summarise the key features of the insurance policy in a clear and standardised format, including:

• Main coverages

• Exclusions

• Limitations

• Geographic scope

• Duration of the contract

• Main obligations of the policyholder

In other words, the IPID provides transparency about the product itself.

As your independent insurance brokers (corretores de seguros) in Portugal, we ensure that you receive both types of documentation whenever legally required.

We take care to explain not only the insurance product you are considering, but also our role, regulatory framework, and responsibilities under Portuguese law.

Our objective is to provide expatriate clients with clear, structured, and fully compliant information, enabling you to make informed decisions with confidence, transparency, and full legal security.

Under Portuguese Law No. 7/2019 of 16 January (Legal Framework for Insurance and Reinsurance Distribution – RJDSR), an insurance broker (corretor de seguros) is an intermediary who is not contractually tied on an exclusive basis to any single insurance undertaking.

For expatriates living in Portugal, this distinction is particularly relevant. It means that the advice you receive is not limited to one insurer’s products, but instead is based on a broader, fair, and personalised analysis of the insurance market.

Being an independent broker means that:

• We may work with multiple insurance companies.

• We are required to carry out a fair and personal analysis of the market.

• Our recommendations must be based on professional and independent criteria, taking into account your demands and needs.

• We are legally obliged to act honestly, fairly, and professionally in accordance with the best interests of the client.

This regulatory framework strengthens impartiality and reduces potential conflicts of interest when recommending insurance solutions.

As your insurance brokers in Portugal, we apply these principles rigorously. Our commitment is to provide expatriate clients with clear explanations, transparent comparisons, and advice grounded in both regulatory compliance and professional standards.

Our independence is not merely a commercial positioning — it is a legal status defined under Portuguese law, designed to protect you and ensure that the insurance solution recommended genuinely matches your needs and personal circumstances in Portugal.

Portuguese Law No. 7/2019 of 16 January (Legal Framework for Insurance and Reinsurance Distribution – RJDSR) requires clear disclosure of the nature of the intermediary’s remuneration.

As a general rule, an insurance broker (corretor de seguros) is remunerated through commissions paid by insurance undertakings. These commissions are included within the insurance premium paid by the client.

Where a specific agreement involves the payment of direct fees by the client, this must be expressly disclosed and agreed prior to the conclusion of the insurance contract.

Transparency regarding remuneration constitutes a fundamental element of the Portuguese insurance distribution framework, ensuring that clients understand how the intermediary is compensated and reinforcing trust, impartiality, and regulatory compliance.

The client may submit a complaint or claim to the intermediary’s internal complaints handling service, using the contact details provided.

If no response is received within the legally established timeframe, or if the client is not satisfied with the reply, the matter may be escalated to the Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (ASF), the supervisory authority responsible for the insurance sector in Portugal.

Clients may also have access to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) entities, in accordance with applicable Portuguese consumer protection legislation.

This system provides a dual layer of protection:

Internal (through the intermediary’s complaints handling procedures).

External (through the public supervisory authority and, where applicable, ADR mechanisms).

The processing of personal data is carried out in accordance with:

• Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR);

• Law No. 58/2019 of 8 August, which ensures the implementation of the GDPR in Portugal.

Clients may exercise their rights of access, rectification, erasure, objection, restriction of processing, and data portability in accordance with applicable legislation.

As part of our commitment to transparency and regulatory compliance, we encourage you to review our Privacy and Data Protection Policy, available on our website. This policy provides detailed information about how we collect, process, store, and safeguard your personal data, as well as how you may exercise your rights under Portuguese and European data protection law.

Always before formalising the purchase of any insurance product.

The duty to provide pre-contractual information is a legal obligation that must be fulfilled prior to the conclusion of the insurance contract, whether through the signing of the policy or the formal issuance of the contract documentation.

On the C1 Broker Portugal website, and in all our insurance quotation request forms, you will find direct access to our Prior Information page and document, ensuring full transparency and regulatory compliance before proceeding with any insurance application.

This approach guarantees that clients are properly informed in advance, in accordance with Portuguese insurance distribution law.