Districts (distritos): each with an appointed civil governor (most of the information you will find on this website will relate to the Coimbra District).

Municipalities (concelhos): include rural and urban areas within their territorial limits. Each municipality has a municipal assembly (assembleia municipal), made up of the presidents of the boards of the constituent parishes and an equal number plus one of directly elected members; a municipal chamber (câmara municipal), which is the executive of the municipality; and a municipal council (conselho municipal), a consultative organ through which the views of social, cultural, professional, and economic organizations within the municipality are transmitted to the municipal chamber.

Parishes (freguesias): each with a directly elected assembly (assembleia de freguesia) which appoints its own executive body, the parish board (junta de freguesia).