Chave Móvel Digital for Non-Residents: How to Get It in Portugal

The Chave Móvel Digital (CMD) is Portugal’s mobile digital key: a government-issued login that gives you secure access to online public services and lets you sign documents digitally. You do not have to be a resident to get one — as a non-resident you can apply for it in person at a Loja do Cidadão in Portugal. This guide covers what to bring, where to go and what happens at the desk. You need a NIF first; if you do not have one yet, get a NIF online.

What to bring

• A valid international passport or EU ID card.
• Your Portuguese tax number (NIF).
• A mobile phone number — Portuguese or international — that is active and can receive SMS codes.

Where to go

Visit a Loja do Cidadão (Citizen’s Shop). You find them in most major cities — Lisbon, Porto, Cascais and others — and the CMD has its own service desk inside.

Step by step at the Loja do Cidadão

1. Go to the CMD desk at a Loja do Cidadão. Visit a Loja do Cidadão and go to the CMD service desk inside.
2. Present your passport and NIF. Show your passport or EU ID card and your NIF at the desk.
3. Give the mobile number to link to the CMD. The officer registers you and sends an activation code by SMS to that number.
4. Set your CMD PIN. You are asked to set a PIN — the personal code you will use with your mobile number to sign in.

After activation

You can log in to official Portuguese portals — Portal das Finanças, SNS, Segurança Social Direta — with your mobile number and your CMD PIN, and use the CMD to sign documents digitally. On Portal das Finanças, the CMD is the alternative to the NIF-and-password login: on the “Autenticação” screen, choose the autenticacao.gov.pt tab instead of “NIF”. See how to log in to Portal das Finanças for the password route, how to receive your NIF password if you do not have one yet, and how to change your password once you are in.

Cost

Activation of the Chave Móvel Digital is free of charge.