NIF, NISS and Utente Number in one go

Tax and legal
1

NIF, NISS and Utente Number in one go

Yesterday, the Portuguese government announced a set of measures to promote the standardisation, simplification, and digitalisation of public services.

One of these is allocating identification numbers for foreign citizens in one go.

With this measure, foreigners will be able to obtain the following data in one go:

  1. Tax Identification Number;
  2. Utente Number and
  3. Social Security Identification Number

You can see the measures announced yesterday here:
document.pdf (463.8 KB)

4 Likes
2

Question regarding the Numero de Udente.
I am waiting for my final GV approval. My numero de udente is temporary and allowed me to receive covid vaccines but no other regular SNS services until I receive my first residence card.

Is the Numero de Udente referenced here the same temporary number that I currently have, or is it a permanent one allowing access to all SNS services?

3

Maxine, if you applied for GV before 2022 you should have access to all SNS services under Despacho n.Âş 12870-C/2021

4

I translated the document to English using DeepL:

Mais Simplificação, Menos Burocracia (EN).pdf (363.0 KB)

You’ll find the relevant part on page 11 (“Identity Numbers for Foreign Citizens at a Glance”).

Supposedly, the implementation deadline is the 4th quarter of 2024.

5

Anyone hear anything else on this? Now that I’ve got my card, looking to get my mobile key, NISS, and numero de utente squared away in case I need them

6

Same here!

NIF I’ve already got obviously, but the two others seem to have gotten trickier to get over the past year or so.

Apparently you now need the NISS to get the SNS number, but you only get the NISS by showing a work contract, self-employment activity, or similar (which I don’t have).

7

Same, confused how I can get these then, for either myself or my wife

Maybe I can put down the equivalent of retired or homemaker?

8

Is it still this endless loop?

9

Gents, I have not done this myself, but a self-employment registration seems like a fairly easy process:

(Followed by equally simple de-registration in case someone later finds it hard work :sweat: to be self-employed :wink:)

10

That’s of course an alternative, however in the case of self-employment they also require two invoices to see that you have clients paying you already. Still doable, but I’d rather see if I the new system gets launched soon (a proxima semana, I’m sure) and makes the process easier and more accessible.

Or maybe I manage to register in person somehow by pleading my case. Dealing with bureaucracy in Portugal is very YMMV as we all know.

1 Like
11

Thomas: is the numero de udente worth anything for people still waiting for residence cards since the government announced that people without legal residency may not receive medical care from the Public system?

12

I think it’s still good to get the SNS number sorted. I believe the legislation that was recently passed is more intended to cull free medical tourism, it’s not meant to deny someone who is waiting for their residence card access to care.

13

I have had a temporary numero da idente since mid 2022 and it has allowed me to get covid boosters, but it will not allow entering anything into the sns system: so no medical certificate for a driving license, no family physician, no other services provided free or at reduced cost for people with citizenship or a residence card. Our centro de saude in Alcobaca is adamant: no residence card, no usable numero de udente.
If there is a public law to the contrary, they do not follow it.

14

@madalenamonteiro @tkrunning
Did this government initiative get anywhere?

I will need to obtain the Utente number in the near future (in order to exchange my drivers license). But if getting the SNS requires me to have the NISS first, then I’m in a dead end, since I’m neither employed nor self-employed in Portugal.

15

As someone mentioned earlier, it may be worth just declaring yourself self-employed to get out of this deadlock.

16

Thank you, Tommy. I have two years to exchange my license, so if things don’t change in the next 12 months, I guess I’ll declare myself self-employed :upside_down_face:

17

https://www2.gov.pt/noticias/lancado-novo-servico-de-numeros-de-identificacao-para-estrangeiros

It’s here!

1 Like
18

In media reports it sounds like you can also apply online if you already have a Digital Mobile Key, however I haven’t found an option for that anywhere.

However, after you apply in person you can access the results here: https://area-reservada.digital.gov.pt/numeros-identificacao-estrangeiros

If I understood it correctly it sounds like they will set up the Digital Mobile Key for you during the in-person application if you don’t have one already. You can then use that to access your results online, as it sounds like the numbers aren’t issued on the spot.

19

FWIW, I find that the DMK/CMD is pretty useless for us non-citizens. Whenever I tried to do something with it online it just rotates the hourglass for a while before throwing up some error message as it does get enough data from the system, so cannot do whatever it was intended to (e.g. login to some government websites or banking etc.)

20

Interesting, for me it works most of the time, including when logging into ActivoBank.

Note that you need to update the CMD whenever you get a new piece of identifying information (e.g. you get assigned a NIF, SNS number, NISS, etc). Not sure if it also needs to be updated when you change your address.