The General Archive, following appropriate technical procedures, organizes the documents produced or related to the UAlg, storing them, making them available and proceeding to the respective documentary selection according to the legally established deadlines.

In addition to the technical treatment and making available to users, internal and external, documentation in the Intermediate and Definitive Archive phase, the General Archive also provides support in the management and organization of the Current Archive.

The General Archive went into operation in November 2005.

It operates under the Library Functional Unit and currently oversees the following funds:

• Centre for Marine Sciences
• Faro Nursing School (Ending Fund)
• Faro Primary School (Ending Fund)
• Faro School of Health (Ending Fund)
• Montalvão Marques Foundation (Ending Fund)
• University of Algarve Foundation (Ending Fund)
• CCDR Algarve Technical Support Office (Ending Fund)
• Faro Polytechnic Institute (Ending Fund)
• Instituto Superior Dom Afonso III - INUAF (Ending Fund)
• University of Algarve