This financial incentive is provided through the Tourism and Cinema Support Fund (FATC), with an annual allocation of 14 million euros divided into two phases, managed by ICA and Turismo de Portugal.
The first phase of the 2025 ‘cash rebate’ opens while the definitive list of beneficiaries for the second phase of 2024 has yet to be announced.
As of December 18, 2024, only a provisional list of eligible and admitted film and series projects has been released.
Some projects on this provisional list are already in production or set to premiere soon, including films like ‘Ela olhava sem nada ver’ (APM), ‘Hera’ (O Som e a Fúria), ‘Asas’ (Maria e Mayer), and series such as ‘Cold Haven’ (SPi) and ‘Ponto Nemo’ (Ukbar Filmes).
In November, Minister of Culture Dalila Rodrigues admitted in parliament the existence of delays in the ‘cash rebate’ payment process, hinting at excessive bureaucracy, stating that “the use of management balances requires authorization from the Ministry of Finance.”
The ‘cash rebate’ mechanism aims to “enhance and promote the image of Portugal by attracting international filmings and audiovisual productions” and applies to film and series projects that spend a minimum in Portugal, which can range between 200,000 and 500,000 euros.
The ‘cash rebate’ also funds prospecting missions of foreign producers considering filming in Portugal.
The regulation governing the ‘cash rebate’ states that the first application phase should begin by April 1, and the second phase by September 30.
The official Portugal Film Commission website showcases which films and series have benefited from the ‘cash rebate’ since 2018, described as a “very appealing incentive system” with substantial demand exceeding the available financial allocation in its initial years.
Most beneficiaries of this mechanism are Portuguese productions with foreign co-productions, as the ‘cash rebate’ is considered an additional financing access system parallel to ICA’s annual contests, which cover areas beyond production.
Nonetheless, several predominantly foreign productions took advantage of the ‘cash rebate’ after filming in Portugal, including the series “Acolyte” from the “Star Wars” universe for Disney+, films like “The Maid” and “Heart of Stone” for Netflix, and the film “Fast & Furious X”, shown in cinemas.
Alongside the ‘cash rebate’, another incentive called ‘cash refund’ exists, with an overall budget of 20 million euros for larger-budget projects and series with a minimum eligible expenditure of 2.5 million euros in Portugal.
The ‘cash refund’ was first implemented in 2024, requiring funds amounting to 11 million euros from the 20-million-euro budget. According to ICA, the remaining amount of nearly nine million euros will not be allocated.
The 2025 ‘cash refund’ opened in February, with requests totaling 7.4 million euros so far, according to ICA data.
