The Citizen Card generally has a validity of five years for persons under 25 and ten years for holders aged 25 or older. However, there are exceptions to this rule: cards from the previous model issued from August 13, 2021, before the June 2024 transition, were subject to the limit of August 3, 2031, even if this means a duration shorter than the usual ten years. This exception results from adaptation to European security requirements for identification documents, and citizens must respect the expiration date printed on the card, if this is before 2031.
The new model of the Citizen Card came into effect on June 11, 2024, featuring a larger photograph, changes in security elements and technology that allows contactless reading. Its entry into circulation did not require citizens to immediately replace documents they already had, since cards from the previous model remain valid until their respective expiration dates, except in situations such as loss, damage or data changes.
The renewal request can be made six months before the validity expires. Some citizens aged 25 or older may also benefit from automatic renewal, receiving the new card at home, provided they have Portuguese nationality, reside in Portugal, have updated their biometric data at the last renewal and do not need to change data. The payment reference sent is valid for 60 days; if payment is not made within that period, the reference expires and it will be necessary to use online renewal or in-person service.
In case of card loss, there is not necessarily a right to a new document with an additional ten years of validity. The Justice Portal explains that in certain replacement requests made online due to loss, theft, damage or deterioration, a duplicate is issued with the same expiration date as the previous card.
