NISS

Published 6 November 2026, 09:07

Número de Identificação da Segurança Social

Your 11-digit social security number. Contributions on your salary or self-employed earnings are recorded under it, and benefits are paid under it too: maternity and paternity pay, sick pay, unemployment benefit. If you have a Cartão de Cidadão, you already have a number, printed on the back of the card; everyone else applies using the form on the Segurança Social website. A foreigner who has already applied for or received a residence permit can apply for it at an Espaço Cidadão in a single application together with the NIF and the health number — but they won't get it on the same day.

Where you come across it. Starting a job, opening atividade (registering as self-employed), applying for maternity or paternity pay and sick pay, getting a European Health Insurance Card.

NIF, NISS and número de utente are three different numbers, and people mix them up all the time. Nine-digit numbers are left over from the old system: they were converted to 11 digits back in 2004, and you can still swap an old number for a new one on the Segurança Social website.

Official website: seg-social.pt/pedido-de-niss

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