Guarda Fiscal

Fiscal Guard
Guarda Fiscal
Abbreviation GF
Motto Portuguese: Pela Pátria e pela Lei
For the Motherland and for the Law
Agency overview
Formed September 17, 1885
Preceding agency Barrier guards (Guardas barreiras)
Dissolved 1993
Superseding agency Fiscal Brigade of the GNR
Employees 8500 military
100 civilian
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
National agency Portugal
Governing body Ministry of Finance (Portugal)
General nature
Specialist jurisdictions
  • Customs.
  • Taxation.
  • National border patrol, security, and integrity.
Operational structure
Headquarters Lisbon
Elected officer responsible Several, Minister of Finance
Agency executive Several, Commander-General

The Guarda Fiscal (Fiscal Guard in English) is a Portuguese special military force, tasked with the border and maritime control of people and goods and the law enforcement, particularly in the fields of taxation and customs.

In time of peace, the Guarda Fiscal was under the authority of the Ministry of Finance. In case of war, the Guarda Fiscal would pass for the authority of the Portuguese Armed Forces, forming combat units that would be used primarily in the border defense.

The Guarda Fiscal was formed on September 17, 1885, based on the Barrier Guards detached from the former Royal Guard of the Police (ancestor of the present National Republican Guard) for the tax and customs service. In 1993, the Guarda Fiscal was dissolved as an independent corps, becoming the Fiscal Brigade of the National Republican Guard (GNR). In 2009, the Fiscal Brigade was divided into the current Fiscal Action and Coastal Control units of the GNR.

See also