How to get your NISS

What the NISS is

The NISS (Número de Identificação de Segurança Social — Social Security identification number) is an 11-digit number that links you to the Segurança Social (Social Security) system. It is what records your contributions, the months you have worked and, later on, what underpins your unemployment benefit, family allowance, sick pay or pension.

If you are going to work in Portugal — as an employee or self-employed — you will need it. Without a NISS, nobody can declare to Segurança Social that you have worked, and so there are no contributions recorded in your name. It is asked for less often day to day than the NIF, but it is equally mandatory the moment you enter the labour market.

NISS vs. NIF: not the same thing

It is the most common mix-up among newcomers. These are two numbers, from two different bodies, for different things.

In short: the NIF belongs to Finanças and is asked for almost everywhere; the NISS belongs to Segurança Social and comes into play when you start working. If you do not yet have a NIF, sort that out first — I have written a separate guide about it.

Who needs to request it (and who does not)

Not everyone has to make an active request. Some people receive the NISS automatically:

• Do you have a Cartão de Cidadão (Citizen Card)? The NISS is assigned automatically. You do not have to request anything.
• Companies and legal entities also receive the NISS automatically when they are created.

The manual request is mainly for two groups:

• Foreign citizens who do not yet have a NISS.
• Portuguese citizens with a lifetime identity card (the old document, without a Cartão de Cidadão).

And there is a route that spares you from doing anything at all: if you are about to start work as an employee, it is often the employer who requests the NISS for you. More on that below.

Apply online (foreign citizens)

For foreigners, the request is made through a dedicated form on the Segurança Social website — Pedido de NISS – Cidadão Estrangeiro ou Cidadão Nacional sem obrigatoriedade de ter cartão de cidadão (NISS request for a foreign citizen, or a national not obliged to hold a citizen card). You do not need a Segurança Social Direta password to fill it in.

1. 1
   Open the form
   On seg-social.pt, find the Pedido de NISS for foreign citizens. The form runs in four blocks: Motivo e representação, Identificação, Morada e contactos, Resumo.
2. 2
   Fill in your details and attach documents
   Identification, the reason for the request, an address in Portugal and a contact email. You upload scanned copies of your documents (next section).
3. 3
   Submit and save the request ID
   After submitting you get a request ID. Keep it with the email you used — you'll need both to check the status on the Consultar pedido de NISS (check NISS request) page.

Documents needed

The documents depend on your nationality. You have to attach them as scans, all of them valid.

Citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland

One of these:

• Civil identification document from your country of origin (and a plain copy), or
• Passport, or
• Residence card.

Citizens of third countries (outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland)

Usually all three:

• Passport;
• Work visa;
• Residence permit (temporary or permanent), or another civil identification document from your country of origin.

Depending on the reason for the request, you may be asked for proof of your employment situation — an employment contract, self-employment paperwork, company registration or proof of voluntary social insurance. Have them to hand before you start.

Via your employer (employees)

If you are starting a job and do not have a NISS, there is a simpler route: the company requests the NISS for you. From their side, the flow goes like this:

• They sign the employment contract with you;
• They request your NISS from Segurança Social, attaching the contract;
• Once the NISS is assigned, they report the employment relationship through the Segurança Social portal.

That admission report has a deadline. Since 1 January 2026, under the new rules for reporting to Segurança Social, the employer must report the worker by the day before the contract takes effect — that is, before you start working (the old rule was 15 days in advance). In specific situations, such as very short contracts or shift work, the report can be made within the 24 hours following the start. At the end, the employer gives you a declaration with your NISS, your NIF and the admission date. Keep it.

If you are starting a job, ask HR right at the outset "do you handle the NISS, or do I have to request it myself?". It saves you the worry of running a parallel request that turns out not to be needed.

Timeline and pickup

Through the foreign-citizen form, the NISS does not appear on screen straight away. After you submit the request, you receive a registered letter at the address you gave, saying the NISS can now be collected at a Segurança Social service desk. Collection is done by presenting your valid identification document.

Between the request and the letter there are usually a few working days, but Segurança Social does not publish a fixed, guaranteed deadline — and times vary with demand. While you wait, you can follow the status on the Consultar pedido de NISS (check NISS request) page, using the request ID and the email you gave.

Once you have it

With the NISS in hand, two practical steps remain that are worth doing early:

• Register on Segurança Social Direta (SSD). This is the online portal where you see your contributions and declarations and where, if you are self-employed, you manage your contributory situation. The access password is requested separately and arrives by post.
• Check that the number is correct. Before using it on forms, it is worth validating the 11 digits — a badly copied number causes problems with your employer's reports.

If you are going to work for yourself, the NISS is one of the building blocks for opening activity (abrir atividade) and issuing recibos verdes (green receipts). It is the natural next step — I've left the link alongside.