Portugal streamlines Social Security numbers for immigrants

Immigrants applying to regularise their status in Portugal will soon receive a Social Security Identification Number (NISS) automatically, eliminating the need for a separate visit to Social Security offices.

The new system, due to come into effect at the end of July, will link the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) directly with Social Security’s digital platform, allowing the number to be issued in real time during the regularisation process.

The measure was announced by Luís Farrajota, president of the Social Security Institute’s IT department, and forms part of the government’s ongoing digital transformation programme aimed at simplifying access to public services.

Currently, immigrants seeking legal residency are often required to obtain both a tax identification number (NIF) and a Social Security number by visiting separate government offices after attending an appointment at AIMA.

“When the person arrives at AIMA to regularise their status, the agency currently tells them they need a NISS and a NIF and sends them to different public bodies,” Farrajota told the newspaper Público. “What we have done is create a connection between the two services so that AIMA enters the person’s details and we assign the NISS in real time, without the person having to go to Social Security.”

The change is expected to significantly reduce pressure on Social Security counters. According to official figures, around 250,000 immigrants had to visit Social Security offices twice during 2025 – first to request a NISS and later to collect it.

The government says the aim is to reduce face-to-face appointments and enable more administrative procedures to be completed through digital platforms or by telephone, making the process faster for applicants while easing demand on public services.

Inês Lopes

Newspaper editor at The Portugal Resident