Guarda Fiscal

Portuguese special military police unit
  • Barrier guards (Guardas barreiras)
Dissolved1993Superseding agencyFiscal Brigade of the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR)Employees8500 military
100 civilianJurisdictional structureNational agencyPortugalOperations jurisdictionPortugalGoverning bodyMinistry of Finance (Portugal)General nature
Specialist jurisdictions
  • Customs, excise and gambling.
  • Taxation
  • National border patrol, security, and integrity.
Operational structureHeadquartersLisbonElected officer responsible
  • Several, Minister of Finance
Agency executive
  • Several, Commander-General

The Guarda Fiscal (Fiscal Guard in English) was 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