This is a list of European colonial administrators responsible for the territory of Portuguese Guinea, an area equivalent to modern-day Guinea-Bissau. In 1941 the capital moved from Bolama to Bissau.
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| Tenure | width=60px | Portrait | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese suzerainty | ||||
| 20 April 1879 to 16 December 1881 | Agostinho Coelho, Governor | |||
| 16 December 1881 to 17 March 1885 | Pedro Inácio de Gouveia, Governor | 1st time | ||
| 17 March 1885 to 24 September 1886 | Francisco de Paula Gomes Barbosa, Governor | |||
| 24 September 1886 to November 1886 | José Eduardo de Brito, Governor | |||
| November 1886 to April 1887 | Cesar Augusto Moura Cabral, acting Governor | 1st time | ||
| 5 April 1887 to 30 May 1888 | Eusébio Castela do Valle, Governor | |||
| 30 May 1888 to 4 September 1888 | Francisco Teixeira da Silva, Governor | |||
| 4 September 1888 to 22 February 1890 | Joaquim da Graça Correia e Lança, Governor | |||
| 22 February 1890 to 26 June 1891 | Augusto Rodrigues Gonçalves dos Santos, Governor | |||
| 26 June 1891 to 1895 | Luís Augusto de Vasconcelos e Sá, Governor | |||
| 24 April 1893 to 23 October 1893 | Cesar Gomes Barbosa, acting Governor | Acting for Sá | ||
| 1895 to 4 April 1895 | Cesar Augusto Moura Cabral, acting Governor | 2nd time | ||
| 4 April 1895 to 24 January 1896 | Eduardo João da Costa Oliveira, Governor | |||
| 24 January 1896 to 25 August 1897 | Pedro Inácio de Gouveia, Governor | 2nd time | ||
| 25 August 1897 to 22 December 1897 | Cesar Augusto Moura Cabral, acting Governor | 3rd time | ||
| 22 December 1897 to 14 March 1900 | Álvaro Herculano da Cunha, acting Governor | 1st time | ||
| 1898 to 17 January 1899 | Albano Mendes de Magalhães Ramalho, acting Governor | Acting for Cunha | ||
| 2 November 1899 to 7 February 1900 | Fernando Augusto Liso de Santana, acting Governor | Acting for Cunha | ||
| 14 March 1900 to 12 July 1900 | Joaquim José Duarte Guimarães, acting Governor | |||
| 12 July 1900 to 20 May 1903 | Joaquim Pedro Vieira Júdice Biker, Governor | |||
| 5 May 1901 to 1901 | António Alves de Oliveira, acting Governor | Acting for Biker | ||
| 1901 | Joaquim Corte Real Pires, acting Governor | Acting for Biker | ||
| 1901 to 6 December 1901 | Amadeu Gonçalves Guimarães, acting Governor | Acting for Biker | ||
| 20 May 1903 to 23 July 1903 | José Mateus Lapa Valente, acting Governor | 1st time | ||
| 23 July 1903 to 9 August 1904 | Alfredo Cardoso de Soveral Martins, Governor | |||
| 23 April 1904 to 1904 | Joaquim Corte Real Pires, acting Governor | Acting for Martins | ||
| 1904 | António Marques Perdigão, acting Governor | Acting for Martins | ||
| 9 August 1904 to 2 February 1905 | José Mateus Lapa Valente, acting Governor | 2nd time | ||
| 2 February 1905 to 13 August 1906 | Carlos de Almeida Pessanha, Governor | |||
| June 1905 to 13 February 1906 | José Mateus Lapa Valente, acting Governor | Acting for Pessanha | ||
| 13 August 1906 to 29 June 1909 | João Augusto de Oliveira Muzanty, Governor | |||
| 19 July 1907 to 18 November 1907 | Joaquim Corte Real Pires, acting Governor | Acting for Muzanty | ||
| 1908 | Joaquim José Duarte Guimarães, acting Governor | Acting for Muzanty | ||
| 29 June 1909 to 16 August 1910 | Francelino Pimentel, Governor | |||
| 12 October 1909 to 1910 | António Marques Perdigão, acting Governor | Acting for Pimentel | ||
| 23 October 1910 to 16 August 1913 | Carlos de Almeida Pereira, Governor | |||
| 17 March 1912 to 23 October 1912 | Sebastião José Pereira, acting Governor | Acting for Pereira | ||
| 16 August 1913 to 22 November 1913 | Sebastião José Pereira, acting Governor | 1st time | ||
| 22 November 1913 to April 1914 | José António de Andrade Sequeira, Governor | 1st time | ||
| April 1914 to 7 May 1915 | Sebastião José Pereira, acting Governor | 2nd time | ||
| 7 May 1915 to 24 August 1915 | Josué de Oliveira Duque, Governor | 1st time | ||
| 24 August 1915 to 25 August 1915 | Sebastião José Pereira, acting Governor | 3rd time | ||
| 25 August 1915 to June 1916 | José António de Andrade Sequeira, Governor | 2nd time | ||
| June 1916 to 10 January 1917 | Sebastião José Pereira, acting Governor | 4th time | ||
| 10 January 1917 to 13 July 1917 | Manuel Maria Coelho, Governor | |||
| 13 July 1917 to 9 August 1918 | Carlos Ivo de Sá Ferreira, Governor | |||
| 9 August 1918 to 21 April 1919 | Josué de Oliveira Duque, Governor | 2nd time | ||
| 21 April 1919 to 31 May 1919 | José Luis Teixeira Marinho, Governor | |||
| 31 May 1919 to 16 June 1920 | Henrique Alberto de Sousa Guerra, Governor | |||
| 16 June 1920 to 21 June 1921 | Sebastião José Pereira, acting Governor | 5th time | ||
| 21 June 1921 to 20 December 1926 | Jorge Frederico Vélez Caroço, Governor | |||
| 1 June 1923 to 5 April 1924 | Alfredo Vieira, acting Governor | Acting for Caroço | ||
| 20 December 1926 to 10 April 1927 | António José Pereira Saldanha, acting Governor | |||
| 10 April 1927 to 17 April 1931 | António Leite de Magalhães, Governor | |||
| 1 September 1928 to December 1928 | José Manuel de Oliveira de Castro, acting Governor | Acting for Magalhães | ||
| October 1929 to December 1929 | José Alves Ferreira, acting Governor | Acting for Magalhães | ||
| 17 April 1931 to 8 May 1931 | José Alves Ferreira, acting Governor | |||
| 8 May 1931 to 30 May 1932 | João José Soares Zilhão, Governor | |||
| 30 May 1932 to 10 March 1933 | José de Ascenção Valdez, acting Governor | |||
| 10 March 1933 to 1940 | Luís António de Carvalho Viegas, Governor | |||
| 10 May 1933 to September 1933 | José Peixoto Ponces de Carvalho, acting Governor | Acting for Viegas | ||
| August 1936 to 1936 | José Salvação Barreto, acting Governor | Acting for Viegas | ||
| 1938 | Augusto Pereira Brandão, acting Governor | Acting for Viegas | ||
| 1940 to 1941 | Armando Augusto Gonçalves de Morais e Castro, acting Governor | |||
| 8 May 1941 to 1945 | Ricardo Vaz Monteiro, Governor | |||
| 25 April 1945 to 20 January 1949 | Manuel Maria Sarmento Rodrigues, Governor | |||
| 1948 | Mario Ribeiro da Costa Zanatti, acting Governor | Acting for Rodrigues | ||
| 1948 to 1949 | Pedro Joaquim da Cunha e Meneses Pinto Cardoso, acting Governor | Acting for Rodrigues | ||
| 21 June 1949 to 1953 | Raimundo António Rodrigues Serrão, Governor | |||
| 1953 to 1954 | Fernando Pimentel, Governor | |||
| 1954 to 1956 | Diogo António José Leite Pereira de Melo e Alvim, Governor | |||
| 1956 to 1957 | Álvaro Rodrigues da Silva Tavares, Governor | |||
| 1957 to 1958 | Abel de Castro Roque, acting Governor | |||
| 1958 to 1962 | António Augusto Peixoto Correia, Governor | |||
| 1962 to 1964 | Vasco António Martins Rodrigues, Governor | |||
| 20 May 1964 to 1968 | Arnaldo Schulz, Governor | |||
| 20 May 1968 to 6 August 1973 | António Sebastião Ribeiro de Spínola, Governor | Following the Carnation Revolution, served as President of the National Salvation Junta and President of the Republic (April–September 1974) | ||
| 21 September 1973 to 24 September 1973 | José Manuel Bettencourt Rodrigues, Governor | |||
| 24 September 1973 | Independence unilaterally declared (State of Guinea-Bissau)[1] | |||
| 24 September 1973 to 26 April 1974 | José Manuel Bettencourt Rodrigues, Governor | |||
| 27 April 1974 to 2 May 1974 | António Eduardo Mateus da Silva, Governor | |||
| 2 May 1974 to 7 May 1974 | São Gouveia, Governor | |||
| 7 May 1974 to 10 September 1974 | Carlos Alberto Idães Soares Fabião, Government Delegate of the National Salvation Junta | |||
| 10 September 1974 | Independence as State of Guinea-Bissau[2] | |||
For continuation after independence, see: List of presidents of Guinea-Bissau