How to collect a Citizen Card?

Once you have applied for or renewed your Citizen Card, you can either collect it from one of the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) service desks or have it delivered to your home. With automatic renewal, the card is always sent by post. With online and face-to-face renewal, you have both options.

If you collect your card from an IRN service desk, ask to activate your card’s digital certificates so that you can use the authentication and digital signature functions.

This page provides information on:

Who can collect a Citizen Card?

A Citizen Card can be collected from an IRN service desk by:

  • the Citizen Card holder or another person who has been nominated in advance
  • the representative of a Citizen Card holder lacking capacity (persons who are minors and/or unable to carry out the necessary actions and/or exercise their will due to illness or disability).

Cards renewed online can only be collected by the Citizen Card holder.

Cards sent to a home address can only be delivered to the Citizen Card holder or to a third party, if the holder is a minor.

What do you need to collect a Citizen Card?

To collect a Citizen Card, you need to take the Citizen Card PIN codes letter with you.

This letter is sent to the address you indicated when you applied for or renewed the Citizen Card.

NB: Keep the PIN letter for the entire period of validity of the Citizen Card (5 or 10 years). The PIN letter is the document containing the codes for the Citizen Card’s digital functions. Find out more about the Citizen Card PIN letter.

Where can you collect a Citizen Card?

As well as providing the PIN codes for using the Citizen Card’s digital functions, the Citizen Card PIN codes letter tells you where you need to go to collect your Citizen Card. Keep hold of the letter or make a note of all the codes in a secure location, even after you have collected the card.

Most of the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) service desks, including those located in Citizen Shops, allow you to collect a Citizen Card with or without a prior appointment.

However, some IRN service desks only offer face-to-face service if a prior appointment has been made.

In these cases, you must make an appointment:

  • online – via the SIGA portal or the SigaApp mobile application (available on Android and iOS)
  • by telephone, via the Citizen Card Line on +351 210 990 111 or by contacting the IRN service desk directly.

What is the time limit for collecting a Citizen Card?

You have 1 year starting from the application date to collect your Citizen Card from the registration service desk. After this period, you will not be able to collect the card and you will need to apply for a new one.

How do you activate the Citizen Card’s digital certificates?

When you pick up your Citizen Card, ask to activate the digital certificates so that you can log in to the public portals and to private portals that use the same authentication means, make use of online services and sign digital documents.

For security reasons, you can only activate the authentication and digital signature functions in person. Make sure you take the PIN codes letter with you.

If you received the card at home, you will need to go to one of the Citizen Card collection desks to activate the digital certificates for authentication and signature.

Information updated on 7 March, 2024