Documents in Portugal

The numbers and papers you will collect in your first months — what each one is for and who issues it.

Blue-and-white azulejo façade of a church
Photo: Yana Marudova / Unsplash

Tax, social security and health numbers

The personal numbers almost everyone needs, and how to get online access.

Residence documents

Registering where you live.

Certificates, translations and licences

Foreign documents, legalisation and your driving licence.

The essentials

Who issues what

A lot of Portuguese administration runs on a small set of personal numbers, and each one tends to unlock the next. This table shows who issues each one.

Document or number What it is for Issued by
NIFPortugal's nine-digit taxpayer number, issued by the Tax and Customs Authority (AT). You need it for leases, bank accounts, employment and most contracts. (tax number) Leases, bank accounts, contracts, employment, tax Tax and Customs Authority (FinançasThe everyday name for the Tax and Customs Authority (AT) and its local tax offices (Serviços de Finanças).)
NISSYour social security number. Employers need it before you start work, and self-employed people need it to pay contributions. (social security number) Employment, self-employment, contributions Segurança SocialThe social security system and the public body that runs it: contributions, NISS numbers and benefits.
Número de utenteYour user number in the national health service (SNS). You get it when you register at the health centre for your address. (SNS user number) Using the public health service Your local health centre (Centro de SaúdeYour local public health centre — where you register with the SNS and are assigned a family doctor.)
Residence permit Legal residence for non-EU nationals AIMAThe public agency that handles residence permits for non-EU nationals. It replaced SEF for these matters in 2023.
CRUEThe registration certificate for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who live in Portugal for more than three months. It is usually issued by the municipal council (Câmara Municipal). Registration of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens Usually the municipal council Check
Atestado de residênciaA proof-of-residence certificate issued by your parish council (Junta de Freguesia). Some registrations accept it as proof of address. Proof of address Parish council (Junta de FreguesiaThe parish council — the most local level of government. It issues certificates such as the atestado de residência.)

A sensible order

Most people start with the NIF, because a lease, a bank account and many contracts ask for it. Keep your address up to date with Finanças: official letters are sent to your Morada fiscalYour tax address registered with Finanças. Official letters are sent there, so keep it up to date when you move.. Next usually come the NISS and the Chave Móvel Digital, which lets you use most public portals online.

Many public services can also be requested at a Loja do CidadãoA Citizen's Shop: a building where several public services, including Finanças counters, have desks under one roof. or Espaço CidadãoA Citizen Spot: a smaller in-person help point where staff assist with a range of online public services. — the gov.pt portal lists services and locations.

Guides by situation

Official sources

We check our guides against these official pages. If something has changed, the official source wins.

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