In 2023 the Citizen Card will undergo some changes! This information was provided by Mário Campolargo, the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Administrative Modernization.

The new changes aim to modernize the card and make it safer for all citizens! Furthermore, the changes will speed up operations!

Despite being scheduled for this year, the changes do not yet have a fixed date. In other words, if your card is close to expiring, or has already expired, the upcoming renewal will be in the old model.

But, if you don't have or don't know what the Citizen Card is for, let's refresh your memory. It is very important that you apply for your Card in 2023.

In this way, the Citizen Card is a Portuguese document that contains all your data and information. Thus, it replaced the old Identity Card and became the official document of Portugal!

In other words, it is essential that you have your card and renew it regularly, to be able to use all your citizen benefits.

In fact, this card also condenses civil, electoral, tax, Social Security and health data. Additionally, you have access to government portals via the internet through the Citizen Card.

Furthermore, obtaining scholarships and registering for public competitions, only with the Citizen Card, but what are the changes for 2023?

First, the government announced the changes in a generic way. In other words, all the details are not yet known. However, some planned changes are aesthetic and others are related to safety. Shall we understand better?

The main change in the Citizen Card for the year 2023 is that it will feature contactless technology. In other words, you can use the card via contact. This way, there will be no need for card readers.

Furthermore, it was said that the Card will be more secure, creating an encryption scheme to protect users' data!

A change that is very successful is the free Card for newborns up to 20 days old. Another new feature is the card image, let’s check out more details!

Therefore, the first aesthetic change to the Card is the increase in some elements, such as its photography and textual elements!

In addition, the European Union flag icon will be added to the Card with the acronyms PT. Another aesthetic change is the addition of the English term “Identity Card”. Furthermore, the chip will be transferred to the back of the document.

In other words, all these measures aim to create an appealing and attractive Citizen Card!

In addition to the news about the Citizen Card, the government of Portugal intends to open new Citizen Stores throughout the country in 2023. Thus, eight new establishments will be opened in total!

Furthermore, service continues to be partially in person. In other words, 50% of the service must be made via internet appointment.

These changes and the launch of the new Citizen Card are scheduled for the last quarter of 2023. Therefore, the replacement will be carried out little by little, as the cards expire and citizens renew.

But there is still some time left for this to happen. So, if your card is expiring or has already expired, you need to renew it as soon as possible, right? Let's see how to request renewal in 2023?

Well, to renew your Citizen Card in 2023 it must have expired or you need to change some important data! So, we will guide you step by step so you don't get lost!

So, firstly, you must make an appointment online! You can make this schedule through the Follow application! Another option is to book via telephone, at (+351) 210 990 111, following opening hours.

Then, you can go to a counter at one of the institutions that handle renewal requests, such as:

In the event of loss, theft or destruction of your identity card, it is necessary to follow some steps. First, cancel the document before renewing it.

Thus, this process can be done online, at counters or even over the phone.

Furthermore, only after cancellation can you request a new one. In this case, the request can be made completely online!

It is worth emphasizing that for now you will not receive the Citizen Card with the changes scheduled for 2023. So, be patient!

For normal orders, the card delivery time is 7 days for mainland Portugal, Madeira and some regions of the Azores. On the other hand, in the case of an urgent order, the deadline is reduced to 3 days!

In normal orders abroad, deadlines are on average 11 working days. In the case of urgent requests, the deadline drops to seven working days!

Additionally, prices vary depending on whether you order online or in person. Additionally, your card's expiration date also dictates the price.

Therefore, cards that are expired or are closer to expiry, the amount charged is higher. Furthermore, urgent orders are also more expensive. Thus, the values vary from 15 euros to 53 euros.

Now that you are up to date with all the news about the Citizen Card for 2023 and how to go about renewing it, how about finding out about other programs in Portugal?

Have you ever heard of the Document Exchange? This is an application created to facilitate the daily lives of citizens and public agents. This way, with it you can condense several documents in just one virtual place.

This keeps all your documents safe! So, do you want to know how to download and use the application?

So, check out our exclusive step-by-step guide on how to subscribe to the Document Exchange below!