Moving to Portugal
NIF, NISS and SNS in Portugal: How to Get All Three Together
Foreign residents who meet the conditions can submit a single free application at participating Espaço Cidadão desks.
Eligible foreign residents with an address in Portugal can request their tax number (NIF), Social Security number (NISS) and National Health Service patient number (SNS) together. You apply at a participating Espaço Cidadão, one of Portugal’s public-service desks. The application is free.
Which residence situations qualify?
The service accepts foreign nationals without a Portuguese Citizen Card. There are separate document requirements for EU citizenship, residence applications and international protection.
EU citizens need the residence certificate issued by their Portuguese municipal council. For Swiss citizens and citizens of non-EU EEA countries, the government page does not specify a separate route. Ask the service about your documents if no other listed condition applies.
If you already hold a residence permit, bring that document. If your application is pending, bring the receipt from AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum. A visa or an appointment booking alone is not the evidence listed for a pending application.
International-protection applicants need their AIMA application receipt. Refugees and other beneficiaries need the certificate granting residence under that regime.
People displaced from Ukraine who have temporary protection receive their identification numbers through the temporary-protection process. Follow up that application if a number is missing.
Check if you can use the combined service
Answer all three questions.
Likely eligible
Use a participating office in the directory below.
What to bring
- If your residence document does not show your current Portuguese address, bring one of the address proofs listed below.
- Passport-linked Chave Móvel Digital or European eIDAS identification.
- EU national identity card or passport, plus the residence certificate issued by your Portuguese municipal council.
Likely not eligible for this route
Check the numbers associated with your Citizen Card and contact the relevant service if a record is missing.
Your situation needs confirmation
Ask Linha Cidadão which documents apply to your situation. Contact details are in the appointment section.
Likely eligible
Use a participating office in the directory below.
What to bring
- If your residence document does not show your current Portuguese address, bring one of the address proofs listed below.
- Passport-linked Chave Móvel Digital or European eIDAS identification.
- Passport or EU identity card, plus the AIMA receipt for your international-protection request. Ask the desk about your case if you cannot produce the listed identity document.
Likely eligible
Use a participating office in the directory below.
What to bring
- If your residence document does not show your current Portuguese address, bring one of the address proofs listed below.
- Passport-linked Chave Móvel Digital or European eIDAS identification.
- Passport plus your residence permit, card or other residence document. CPLP applicants must bring their residence authorisation.
Likely not eligible for this route
The combined request requires a Portuguese address. A separate NIF request can use a foreign address. See the separate routes below.
Likely eligible
Use a participating office in the directory below.
What to bring
- If your residence document does not show your current Portuguese address, bring one of the address proofs listed below.
- Passport-linked Chave Móvel Digital or European eIDAS identification.
- Passport plus the AIMA receipt proving that you have requested a residence permit.
Use the temporary-protection route
The official rules assign these numbers through the temporary-protection process for people displaced from Ukraine. If numbers are missing, check that case before making another request.
Likely eligible
Use a participating office in the directory below.
What to bring
- If your residence document does not show your current Portuguese address, bring one of the address proofs listed below.
- Passport-linked Chave Móvel Digital or European eIDAS identification.
- Passport or EU identity card, plus the certificate granting residence under international protection. Ask the desk about your case if you cannot produce the listed identity document.
What should you bring?
Bring your passport or EU identity card and the residence document for your situation. Applicants from a Community of Portuguese Language Countries country, known as the CPLP, need their residence authorisation.
To sign in, you need Chave Móvel Digital, Portugal’s digital identity service, linked to your passport, or European eIDAS identification. Staff can activate the passport-linked service at the desk. If you use that login, show the passport rather than an EU identity card.
Check the address on your residence document. If it is missing or out of date, bring one of these proofs showing the address you will put on the application.
Accepted proof of address
- A rental agreement.
- A contrato de comodato, which allows you to occupy a home without paying rent.
- A water, electricity or gas bill.
- A land-register certificate or its online access code.
- A statement from the landlord or person responsible for the home, explaining that you live there and on what basis.
The government checklist does not require every applicant to have an employment contract. Tell the desk about numbers you already hold and any applications still pending.
Can a child or a representative apply?
A parent, guardian or legal representative can make the request for a child. The child must attend. Bring proof of parentage or guardianship alongside the child’s identity and residence documents.
An adult can also appoint a representative. In addition to the applicant’s papers, the representative needs the following documents.
Representative’s documents
- Their own identity document.
- A valid procuração, or power of attorney, granting full powers or specifically covering requests and consultations for foreign nationals’ identification numbers.
- Their professional credential if acting as a lawyer, solicitor or notary.
- Consular certification or a Hague Apostille for copies of the applicant’s identity documents.
A representative can sign in with Chave Móvel Digital, a Portuguese Citizen Card or eIDAS. Keep a record of the login used. It is needed to retrieve the proof later.
Do you need an appointment?
The Cedofeita parish office in Porto requires an appointment. Its booking number is shown in the directory. The government page gives no single booking rule for the other offices, so contact your chosen desk before travelling.
Laranjeiras offers Portuguese Sign Language support through a video interpreter, by appointment. For help with an application or booking, call Linha Cidadão on +351 210 489 010 or +351 300 003 990, weekdays 09:00–18:00.
Participating Espaços Cidadão
The government page names these 10 offices but says the service operates at 12. An older Social Security guide also lists Cascais and Oeiras Parque. Their current participation could not be confirmed.
No matching entries.
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Espaço Cidadão de Braga - Município
Braga
Praça Conde de Agrolongo, 4704-514 Braga
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 09:00–17:30
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão de Lagos
Lagos
Edifício Paços do concelho, Século XXI Praça do Município, 8600-293 Lagos
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 09:00–17:00
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão de Olhão
Olhão
Largo Sebastião Martins Mestre, 8700-349 OLHÃO
The office catalogue does not repeat the combined service listed on gov.pt. Confirm availability.
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 09:00–16:00
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão da Loja de Cidadão do Saldanha
Lisboa
Rua Eng.º Vieira da Silva - Mercado 31 de Janeiro, 1º Piso, 1050-094 Lisboa
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 09:00–19:00
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão da Loja de Cidadão das Laranjeiras
Lisboa
Rua Abranches Ferrão, n.º 10, 1600-001 Lisboa
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 08:30–19:30. Saturday 08:30–14:00
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão de Loures - LoureShopping
Loures
Avenida das Descobertas 90, Quinta do Infantado - Centro Comercial LoureShopping Loja 0010A, 2670-457 Loures
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 09:00–20:00. Saturday 09:00–17:00
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão Nova SBE - Citizen Lab
Cascais
Rua da Holanda, n.º 1, 2775-405 Carcavelos
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 09:30–13:00, 14:00–18:30
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão da União das Freguesias de Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória
Porto
Rua Oliveira Monteiro n.º 385, 4050-443 Porto
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 09:00–17:00
- Appointment
- Required. Book at the desk or by phone.
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Espaço Cidadão Pólo Zero - Federação Académica do Porto
Porto
Rua de São Filipe de Nery, S/N, 4050-546 - Porto
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 10:00–13:00, 14:00–18:00
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
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Espaço Cidadão da Loja de Cidadão de Setúbal
Setúbal
Avenida Bento Gonçalves, n.º 30, 2910-431 Setúbal
Tickets may run out before closing.
- Opening hours
- Weekdays 08:30–12:00, 13:00–19:30. Saturday 08:30–12:00, 13:00–14:00
- Appointment
- Confirm directly with this office.
Will you receive all three numbers at the appointment?
The desk submits the request to AIMA for review and sends you a confirmation email. A second email gives the decision. The government service page does not publish a completion deadline or promise same-day issue.
The decision email uses one of three outcomes.
- Deferido
- Approved. All requested numbers have been assigned.
- Deferido com condições
- Approved with conditions. Some numbers have been assigned. The email explains what remains unresolved.
- Rejeitado
- Rejected. No numbers have been assigned through this request.
Follow the email’s instructions for any missing number. If no next step is given, the desk or Linha Cidadão can help identify which authority to contact.
How do you retrieve the numbers and use them?
Sign in to the gov.pt reserved area with the same authentication method used for the application. Choose “Obter o meu comprovativo” for your own proof or “Obter comprovativo para outra pessoa” for someone you represent. Representatives also need the applicant’s identity-document type, number and issuing country.
Download the proof and check the details. The identification numbers do not expire when a passport or residence permit changes.
After receiving an SNS number, ask your health centre to check that your patient registration and healthcare coverage are recorded correctly. The number identifies you, while those records determine how care is funded.
When is it better to request each number separately?
You can request a NIF with a foreign address before moving. The separate NISS application is online. A public health centre or hospital can assign an SNS number, including when you first need care. None requires you to try the combined service first.
The combined service launched on 14 March 2025. The government announced a 12-office network and further expansion in June 2025. Its current named list remains limited, so check the office itself before relying on an old announcement.
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