Renew the Citizen Card

The renewal has to be done by all citizens (national or Brazilian) with a Citizen Card, in case of:

• end of validity (from six months before the end of the validity date)
• change of personal data  on the card (photograph, surname, given names, sex, signature, parentage, nationality)
  • note: it is not necessary to renew the card if you just want to change the address or if you change your marital status
• loss, destruction, theft or robbery
• damage to the chip’s card
• you forgot the PIN codes*.

The renewal of the Citizen Card usually takes an average of 7 business days until the new card is available for withdrawal. However, it is possible to request this service on an "urgent" and "extremely urgent" basis.

* In the case of citizen cards issued after 16 April 2018 it is possible to recover the PIN codes of address, authentication and digital signature.

The validity of the Citizen Card varies according to age

Portuguese citizens:

• Less than 25 years – Citizen Card valid for 5 years
• From 25 years old – Citizen Card valid for 10 years (Citizen Cards issued after August 13, 2021 have an expiration date of August 3, 2031, not 10 years). 

Brazilian citizens covered by the Porto Seguro Treaty:

• Less than 25 years - same as the residence card, up to a maximum of 5 years
• From the age of 25 - same as the residence card, up to a maximum of 10 years.

O prazo de validade do Cartão de Cidadão depende da idade e da nacionalidade.

Pessoas com nacionalidade portuguesa:

• Menores de 25 anos - Cartão de Cidadão válido por 5 anos
• Maiores de 25 anos - Cartão de Cidadão válido por 10 anos (exceto os cartões emitidos após 13 de agosto de 2021, que caducam a 3 de agosto de 2031).

Pessoas com nacionalidade brasileira abrangidas pelo tratado de Porto Seguro:

• Menores de 25 anos - igual ao cartão de residência, até um máximo de 5 anos
• Maiores de 25 anos - o mesmo que o cartão de residência, até um máximo de 10 anos.

Automatic renewal of the Citizen's Card

The automatic renewal service for the Citizen's Card covers portuguese citizens residing in Portugal, with the following conditions

• are 25 years old or older
• have the Citizen's Card expired, or will expire within 60 days, and have not yet asked for the renewal in another way (online or in person)
• have updated their biometric data (photo and fingerprints) at the last renewal
• are not subject to the accompanied adult regime
• do not need to change their name, signature, photograph, address or contacts

Those whose Citizen's Card has expired or is about to expire, and have not yet asked for a renewal, will receive a PIN letter by mail to renew it automatically, without changing the data.

As of July, the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN) will send the PIN letter with the codes of the new Citizen's Card to the cardholder's home address 60 days before the document expires. If you do not receive the PIN, you can request a second copy by calling the Citizen's Card Hotline (+351) 210 990 111. 

The letter includes an ATM reference for the payment of the renewal service. After the payment within the indicated period, the new Citizen's Card will be sent to the holder's home.

Learn more about the service of delivery of the Citizen's Card by mail.

Citizen's Card online renewal

Portuguese citizens aged 25 or older who need to change their surnames, address and contacts may renew their Citizen's Card online (or at a "Espaço Cidadão"), provided that one of the following conditions applies

• if the card is at the expiration date
• due to loss, destruction, theft or robbery (the card to be replaced must be valid for more than 60 days and the new card maintains the validity of the card to be replaced)

If you have lost your Citizen's Card or if it has been destroyed, stolen or stolen, you need to cancel the card before you can renew it online. 

To renew your Citizen's Card online (or at a Citizen's Space) you need to meet the following requirements:

• the card to be renewed has been applied for before October 1, 2017
• have been fingerprinted in the previous request
• valid Citizen's Card or one that expired less than 30 days ago
• authentication done through active Mobile Digital Key or a valid Citizen Card (with PIN codes and a smartcard reader).

Important: if the Citizen Card has expired less than 30 days ago, you can only perform the service with a Mobile Digital Key that has been activated during the validity period of the Citizen Card. In case you have an expired Citizen's Card you will not be able to activate the Mobile Digital Key, so you need to go to a Citizen's Shop or a counter of the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN). 
 

Face-to-dace Citizen Card Renewal

The in-person renewal of the Citizen's Card can be done by any citizen, but is subject to prior scheduling of the date and place of service.

You can request the renewal on:

• IRN service desks (including Registry Offices and Citizen Shops)
• Citizen Spots (online service conditions apply *)
• Portuguese consular stations
• RIAC Azores Citizen Service Desks
• Service desks of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

External service for the renewal of the Citizen's Card

The Citizen's Card external service is aimed at people with reduced mobility, hospitalized or imprisoned, and who cannot physically go to a counter or are unable to renew their card online.

A representative of the IRN will go to the home, hospital or establishment where the person is to process the renewal request. 

Learn how to request the external service of the Citizen's Card. 

If you receive two PIN letters, because you have already done the renewal through another way (online or in person), you should only consider the PIN letter without information of the ATM reference and ignore the automatic renewal letter. 

When the renewal is automatic

After the automatic renewal of the Citizen's Card, and the respective payment within the indicated period, the card is sent to the domicile of the holder of the document.

Check the status of your card renewal on the Justice portal (available only for automatic renewals).

At the time of delivery, you must present an official document with photo, such as an expired Citizen's Card, passport or driver's license. 

If you are not at home at the time of delivery, the Citizen's Card should be picked up at the nearest CTT post office. Alternatively, the SIGA service (service provided by CTT) allows you to change the place of delivery. 

If the document is not picked up at the post office, it will be sent to the counter of the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN) indicated in the PIN, where it can be picked up after prior scheduling.

If, for any reason, you need to change the Citizen's Card pick-up location, you should contact the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN) through one of the following ways:

• Registry desk to which the Citizen's Card will be returned (information is indicated in the PIN letter), by telephone or in person
• Citizen's Card Line (+351 210 990 111), which operates working days, from 9am to 6 pm. 

When the renewal is done online

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as an exceptional and temporary measure, if the request for renewal of the Citizen's Card is made online, you can choose to receive the document at home through the Post Office (same delivery procedure as for automatic renewals) or pick it up at a Post Office counter. The average delivery time via CTT is 30 days. If you choose to pick up the Citizen's Card in person you must schedule your pick up in person at one of the Registry counters.  

When the renewal is done in person

When the Citizen's Card is ready for collection, the holder will receive a letter with PIN codes at the address associated with the card. If the letter states that delivery is to be made to the home address, you will receive an SMS the day before delivery to confirm delivery. 

If the letter indicates a branch of the Registry for withdrawal, the holder must schedule the Citizen's Card withdrawal by phone (210 990 111, working days, from 9 am to 6 pm) or via the Internet. 

Delivery times

Normal requests:

• Mainland Portugal, Azores (on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, Faial, Pico and Santa Maria), and Madeira - 7 business days (on average)
• Azores (on the islands of Graciosa, Corvo, São Jorge and Flores) and Europe - 9 business days (on average)
• Macao, Canada, United States of America, Venezuela, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, India and East Timor - 9 business days (average)
• Rest of the world - 11 business days (on average).

Urgent requests:

• Mainland Portugal - 3 business days
• Azores (on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, Faial, Pico and Santa Maria) and Madeira - 4 business days
• Azores (on the islands of Graciosa, Corvo, São Jorge and Flores) and Europe - 5 business days
• Rest of the world - 7 business days.

“Extremely urgency" requests

Service only available at the Justice Campus in Lisbon and at the Porto Citizen Shop - cards available on the same day as the request or on the following working day.

Activate the Citizen's Card digital functionalities

The Citizen's Card digital functionalities allow the citizen to authenticate himself, perform services over the Internet or sign digital documents.

To use the functionalities of the Citizen's Card, you need a smartcard reader and the PIN codes of the card.

The activation of the authentication and digital signature functionalities can only be done in person, at the Citizen's Card collection counters. So, if you receive the Citizen's Card at home, you must go to a Citizen's Card collection counter to do the activation. Take the Citizen's Card PIN with you.
Before going to the counter, you will have to make the appointment online or through the Citizen's Card Line, (+351) 210 990 111 (working days, from 9 am to 6 pm). 

For automatic renewal

The automatic renewal PIN card contains a Multibanco (ATM) reference valid for 60 days. You can make the payment at the Multibanco or at home, through your homebanking, in the option Payment of services. The cost of the automatic renewal of the Citizen's Card is 16.20 euros.

If you have the cell phone number associated with the Citizen's Card, you will receive an SMS from CCIDADÃO confirming the payment.

If you do not make the payment within 60 days, the card will not be issued and you will have to renew it online or in person. 

For online orders

In case of loss, destruction, theft or robbery:

• If the validity of the new card is less than 5 years, it costs 13.50 € (18 € for withdrawal abroad).
• If the validity of the new card is longer than 5 years, it costs 16.20 € (20.70 € for withdrawal abroad).

In case of end of validity, the new card will cost 16.20€ (20.70€ for withdrawals abroad).

For Urgent and Extremely Urgent requests made through the online renewal, the prices of the face-to-face service apply.

Payments for the online service are made via Multibanco reference. In the case of cards for withdrawal abroad it is also possible to pay by credit card (Visa or Mastercard).

For requests in the face-to-face service

Normal requests, with withdrawal:

• in Portugal - cost of 15 € for cards valid for 5 years, and 18 € for cards valid for 10 years
• abroad - cost of 18 € for cards valid for 5 years, and 23 € for cards valid for 10 years.

Urgent requests, with withdrawal:

• in Portugal - cost of 30 € for cards valid for 5 years, and 33 € for cards valid for 10 years
• abroad - cost of 45 € for cards valid for 5 years, and 48 € for cards valid for 10 years.

"Extremely urgent" requests:

The extreme urgent service costs 50 € for cards valid for 5 years, and 53 € for cards valid for 10 years.

In the face-to-face service requests you can pay in cash, multibanco, with a certified cheque or bank draft from a bank with representation in Portugal or with a postal order to the order of IRN, IP.