Public services and online portals

Key authorities

• Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT, "the Finanças"): NIF, tax address, IRS, VAT, IMI, IUC. Serviços de Finanças counters by appointment (atendimento por marcação), call centre +351 217 206 707 (working days, 9:00 to 19:00), e-balcão messaging on the Portal das Finanças.
• Câmara Municipal (town hall): issues the Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001) and sets the municipality's IMI rate.
• Junta de Freguesia (neighbourhood or parish town hall): the closest level; among other things, it issues certificates of residence, which AIMA cites as proof of address.
• Segurança Social: NISS (social security number), contributions of the self-employed, benefits. Segurança Social Direta portal on seg-social.pt.
• SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde): registration at the centro de saúde in your neighbourhood, utente number (sheet PT-SANTE-TOUS-001), SNS 24 line: 808 24 24 24.
• AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo): residence permits for non-Europeans and non-European family members, permanent residence for Europeans after 5 years, Portuguese courses for migrants. Contact centre +351 217 115 000 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00), Lojas AIMA and local migrant support centres (CLAIM). AIMA replaced the SEF: some official pages still cite the old name.
• IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes): driving licence and vehicle registration (PERMIS sheet to come).
• IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional): the public employment service: job offers and training.
• Lojas do Cidadão and Espaços Cidadão: counters that bring together several public services. For example, you can switch your NIF to resident status there (Loja do Cidadão, by appointment) or activate the Chave Móvel Digital (Espaço Cidadão). The list of services varies from one counter to another.

Online services

• Chave Móvel Digital (CMD): the State's digital identifier (code by SMS or app) to log in and sign online. A foreign national activates it at the counter (Espaço Cidadão, certain consular services) with a passport, a residence permit or an EU citizen's certificate of residence; with the last two documents, the NIF is requested (not with the passport). With an EU citizen's certificate of residence (the one for the first five years), the CMD lets you log in but cannot be linked to the digital signature, according to gov.pt. Online and video activations are reserved for holders of the Portuguese citizen card (video is in fact indicated as temporarily unavailable).
• gov.pt: the single portal for public services (the former ePortugal now redirects to it): practical guides and procedures.
• Portal das Finanças: with your NIF and a password (received by post) or the CMD: tax address, invoices, IRS, IMI.
• Segurança Social Direta: NISS application online (form and copy of the identity document), contributions, declarations.
• Online or not? A resident's first NIF is requested at the counter, by appointment (sheet PT-NIF-TOUS-001). The NISS is requested online and collected at the Segurança Social counter after receipt of a registered letter. The registration certificate is requested at the town hall of your municipality (the official pages read do not say whether the application can also be made online: ask your Câmara).

Steps

1. NIF (tax number): as soon as you arrive, or before with a tax representative if you live outside the EU or the EEA. You need it to rent, open an account, sign a contract (sheet PT-NIF-TOUS-001).
2. Housing and bank account, with the NIF.
3. Registration certificate at the Câmara Municipal, between the end of your 3rd month and the 30th day that follows (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens; €15).
4. Resident NIF: update your tax address at the Finanças within 60 days (sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-001).
5. NISS if you work (your employer can request it for you) and utente number at the health centre.
6. Chave Móvel Digital at the counter, to do the rest online (school enrolment, IRS, Segurança Social).

Common pitfalls

• Turning up without an appointment. Finanças, Segurança Social, AIMA and many Espaços Cidadão work by appointment: book early, waiting times vary depending on the city.
• Keeping a non-resident NIF. The foreign address linked to your NIF blocks you for certain procedures and distorts your IRS.
• Confusing AIMA and the town hall. An EU citizen does not go to AIMA for their first certificate: it is the Câmara Municipal.
• Ignoring your tax electronic mailbox. Notifications from the Finanças and the Segurança Social may arrive in your online accounts instead of by post: check them regularly.
• Azores and Madeira. The main national rules apply, but health and education there come under regional services (not detailed here); in the Azores, the RIAC counters (Rede Integrada de Apoio ao Cidadão) also activate the Chave Móvel Digital.

What changes by country of origin

• EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: route above, without a visa or AIMA for the first five years.
• Non-European family members: residence card from AIMA, by appointment, within the same deadline as the certificate.
• British citizens (Scots included): those settled before 31/12/2020 come under AIMA (withdrawal agreement); new arrivals follow the regime for third-country nationals (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).