In a statement on the Brits in Portugal Facebook page, the British Embassy announced: “We have some good news for all those of you who have told us that it would be useful to have an ID card, similar to the one issued to Portuguese nationals, which includes your tax, social security and health user number.
“The Portuguese government has announced that, towards the end of 2019, they will extend the issue of ‘Foreign Citizens’ Cards’ to all foreign nationals who are resident in Portugal”.
The ID card will substitute the current residence card and incorporate personal tax, social security and Portuguese NHS numbers. It is part of a series of innovative measures that fall under the Portuguese government’s Simplex scheme to streamline and simplify bureaucracy.
According to the Ministry for Home Affairs, the new card will come into circulation during the last quarter of 2019.
It was created in collaboration with the Ministries of Presidency and Administrative Modernisation, Justice, Finances, Health, and Labour, Welfare and Social Security.
The card’s purpose, the Ministry says, is to “aggregate on a residency card all information that is on the [national] Citizen’s Card, and extend its issue to all foreigners who request it - including those from the Schengen Area”.