Consular Registration
The consular registration system contains the details of Portuguese nationals abroad. The act of registration is free and voluntary, except for those who request a consular act, which is always dependent on prior consular registration.
To apply for consular registration, send a form duly completed, accompanied by a photocopy of the citizen card / passport and proof of the current home address, to the Consulate General of Portugal in London, 3 Portland Place, London W1B 1HR.
Citizen Card
The Citizen Card is an authentic document that contains the citizen’s details relating to their identity, including their Civil Identification Number, Fiscal Number, Health Service Number and Social Security Number.
You may apply for the renewal of the Citizen Card online here.
All applications for the issue / renewal of the Citizen Card at the Consulate General of Portugal in London are done by appointment booked in advance on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online. If you hold a Digital Mobile Key / “Chave Móvel Digital”, you will be able to book an appointment in the separate section “Autenticação GOV.PT”. Find out how to get the Digital Mobile Key / “Chave Móvel Digital” here.
For applications to issue / renew Citizen Cards for minors under 12 years of age, the minor must be present and accompanied by the adult who exercises parental responsability, duly identified with a valid Citizen Card or Passport.
If the parental responsability has been granted to a local authority, presentation of the following documents is mandatory:
- Judicial decision granting the parental responsability to the local authority, regardless of what is mentioned on the Portuguese birth certificate;
- A letter dated and signed by the Director of social services, authorising the social worker allocated to the minor to sign all the necessary documents for the issue of the citizen card;
- Valid passport of the social worker allocated to the minor.
Portuguese citizens over 12 years of age with dual nationality, who wish to apply to obtain their first citizen card, must present a valid foreign passport. If the name on the passport is not the same as that on the Portuguese birth certificate, it is also necessary to present the documents that prove the identity as well as the presentation of:
- two Portuguese witnesses with valid citizen cards/passports; or
- one Portuguese witness who is a close family member (father, mother, spouse, adult child or adult sibling) with a valid citizen card / passport; or
- one non-Portuguese witness who is a close family member (father, mother, spouse, adult child or adult sibling) with a valid passport, as well as proof of the family relationship.
Collection of the citizen card does not require an appointment booked in advance.
Citizen cards may be collected after receiving the PIN letter at the residence declared at the time of application and must be collected within a maximum period of 1 year from the date of application.
A request for a second PIN letter may be submitted within 90 days of the initial application of the citizen card (this request must be done in person at the Consulate-General of Portugal in London and does not require an appointment booked in advance).
The collection of citizen cards for children under 12 years of age has to be done by the person exercising parental responsability or a third party authorised for this purpose, duly identified with a valid citizen card or passport.
Adult Portuguese nationals may request to have their citizen cards sent by post to their address in the United Kingdom, on presentation of this form.
Passport
A passport is a personal travel document that allows the holder to enter and leave Portuguese territory, as well as other countries that recognise it for that effect.
Applications for the issue / renewal of a passport at the Consulate General of Portugal in London are done by appointment booked in advance on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online. If you hold a Digital Mobile Key / “Chave Móvel Digital”, you will be able to book an appointment in the separate section “Autenticação GOV.PT”. Find out how to get the Digital Mobile Key / “Chave Móvel Digital” here.
To apply for the issue / renewal of the passport it is necessary to present a valid citizen card. For the renewal of a passport, it is also necessary to present the old passport. A new passport is granted in exchange of the previous one, except if it contains valid visas that may justify its retention by the holder.
Applications for the issue / renewal of passports for minors can only be done by:
- adults who exercise parental responsability and reside with the minor, upon presentation of their valid citizen card/passport and proof of common address;
- adults who exercise parental responsability but do not reside with the minor, upon presentation of their valid citizen card/passport and authorisation from whoever has parental responsability and resides with the minor (power of attorney);
- a third party duly authorised for this purpose (power of attorney), duly identified with a valid citizen card / passport.
In cases where a local authority exercises the parental responsability and the minor is entrusted to long term foster care, the issue / renewal of a passport depends on the presentation of the following documents:
- Court decision attributing parental responsabilities to the local authority, regardless of whether this is mentioned on the Portuguese birth certificate;
- A letter dated and signed by the Director of social services, authorising the social worker allocated to the minor to sign all the documents necessary for the issue of the passport;
- Valid passport of the social worker allocated to the minor.
The passport may be sent directly to the home address or, collected at the Consulate General of Portugal in London, without an appointment.
The passport has to be collected within a maximum period of 6 months from the date of issue, on presentation of the application receipt or the citizen card of the applicant. Only adults that exercise parental responsability or a third party authorised for that purpose may collect the passports of minors.
A third party who has been given written authority on the application receipt, and that presents a valid identity document (citizen card or passport), may also collect the passport.
Emergency Travel Document - TVU
An Emergency Travel Document may be issued, in person, to individuals duly confirmed as Portuguese nationals, who have no valid identification documents and, to whom, as a matter of urgency, it would not be possible to issue any other identification document.
The Emergency Travel Document may be issued, without prior appointement, to allow a single travel to Portugal and may only be requested seven days before the date of travel.
The Emergency Travel Document cannot be requested by anyone who never had a Portuguese identification document (identity card / citizen card).
The issue of an Emergency Travel Document depends on the presentation of:
- An expired identity document of identity, if you have it;
- Proof of purchase of the travel to Portugal;
- 2 current passport size photographs;
- Proof of address, for adults resident in the United Kingdom;
- Document containing the authorization for the minor to travel to the United Kingdom where the accompanying person is indicated, in the case of minors who are not resident in the United Kingdom.
Birth Registration
You may request online to register the birth of your child under 1 year of age here.
You may request to register the birth of your child at the Consulate General of Portugal in London if you have an appointment booked in advance on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online.
The presence of the child to be registered is not necessary for the birth registration process.
British birth certificates do not need to be legalised or translated into Portuguese.
Requirements for the birth registration:
- The presence of both parents is mandatory or at least one parent with a power of attorney of the other to authorise the registration;
- Application to register the birth, available here;
- Complete detailed birth certificate of the minor (Full Birth Certificate for those born in the United Kingdom);
- Valid documents of identification for Portuguese parents (citizen card or Portuguese passport);
- In case the Portuguese parent is inhibited from obtaining a citizen card (judicial reason), two witnesses must be present with valid citizen card (or a valid passport for non-Portuguese);
- A valid document of identification for the non-Portuguese parent (passport);
- Proof of the current address;
- Passport of the minor, if born outside of the United Kingdom.
Requirements to register a birth when the applicant is over the age of 14 years:
- The presence of both parents is mandatory or at least one parent with a power of attorney of the other to authorise the registration;
- Application to register the birth, available here;
- Complete detailed birth certificate of the minor (Full Birth Certificate for those born in the United Kingdom);
- Valid documents of identification for Portuguese parents (citizen card or Portuguese passport);
- In case the Portuguese parent is inhibited from obtaining a citizen card (judicial reason), two witnesses must be present with valid citizen card (or a valid passport for non-Portuguese);
- A valid document of identification for the non-Portuguese parent (passport);
- Proof of the current address;
- Passport of the minor (in the case of a minor born in the United Kingdom who does not have a passport, the parents must present two witnesses holding valid citizen card, or valid passport if they are non-Portuguese, to confirm the identity of the minor).
Marriage Registration
Marriage is a contract between two people that wish to live together and have a family.
Requests can be made at the Consulate General of Portugal in London to prepare the preliminary process of marriage, issue a certificate of non-impediment and transcribe a marriage already celebrated abroad, by an appointment booked in advance on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online.
Requests can be sent by post to transcribe a marriage celebrated in the United Kingdom, by sending the respective form (2 Portuguese applicants or 1 Portuguese applicant).
It is not possible to celebrate marriages at the Consulate General of Portugal in London.
If you wish to marry in Portugal, you must request for the organisation of the preliminary process of marriage:
- the presence of both partners is obligatory; if one of the partners does not reside in the United Kingdom, that one may be represented by the other, with a power of attorney granted by a Portuguese Notary or by the Portuguese Embassy/Consulate with jurisdiction over the country of residence;
- the request form is available here;
- Portuguese applicants have to present a valid and updated citizen card and proof of the current address in the United Kingdom;
- the non-Portuguese applicant has to present a valid passport, detailed birth certificate issued within the last six months by the competent authority of the country of birth (in the case of those born in the United Kingdom, the birth certificate does not have to be issued within the last six months), certificate of divorce / death (in case the applicant is divorced or widowed at the date of application), certificate of non-impediment issued by the competent authority of the country of birth (British nationals born in the United Kingdom are exempt from presenting this certificate), a document proving any change of name (in case the name was altered) and proof of the current address;
- this certificate has a validity of six months from the date of issue.
If you wish to marry abroad, you must request for a certificate of non-impediment:
- the certificate of non-impediment issued by the Consulate General of Portugal in London cannot be legalised; if the relevant authorities of the country in which the marriage will be celebrated require the certificate to be legalised by apostille, this certificate must be requested from the relevant Registry Office in Portugal and legalised by the office of the Attorney General (“Ministério Público”);
- only the presence of the Portuguese partner, who must present a valid and updated citizen card and proof of current address in the United Kingdom, is required;
- regarding the non-Portuguese applicant, it is necessary to present a copy of a valid passport, detailed birth certificate issued within the last six months by the relevant authority of the country of birth (in the case of those born in the United Kingdom, the birth certificate does not have to be issued within the last six months), certificate of divorce / death (in case the applicant is divorced or widowed at the date of application), a document proving any change of name (in case the name was altered) and proof of the current address;
- this certificate has a validity of six months from the date of issue.
If you wish to have your marriage celebrated in the United Kingdom transcribed to the Official Portuguese Registry:
- the request may be made by either spouse, or by a third party, if they have legitimate interest in the transcription;
- you must present the respective form (2 Portuguese applicants or 1 Portuguese applicant) and the documents therein indicated.
If you wish to have your marriage celebrated abroad (United Kingdom not included) transcribed to the Official Portuguese Registry:
- the request may be made by either spouse, or by a third party, if they have legitimate interest in the transcription;
- it is necessary to present a certificate of marriage (catholic marriage – certificate issued by the Catholic church; civil marriage or religious non-catholic – certificate issued by the Civil Registry Office of the locality where the marriage was celebrated);
- the Portuguese spouse(s) must present a valid and updated citizen card and proof of residence in the United Kingdom;
- the non-Portuguese spouse must present a valid passport, detailed birth certificate issued within the last six months by the competent authority of the country of birth (in the case of those born in the United Kingdom, the birth certificate does not have to be issued within the last six months), certificate of divorce / death (in case the applicant is divorced or widowed at the date of application), a document proving any change of name (in case the name was altered) and proof of the current address;
- indication of the Registry Office or Portuguese Embassy/Consulate where the publication of Banns took place;
- prenupcial agreement, if any;
- indication of the existence of children from previous relationships, if any;
- indication of the first marital residence.
Change of name as a result of the marriage:
- Portuguese spouse: may add up to a maximum of two surnames of the other spouse and cannot lose all own surnames;
- Non-Portuguese spouse: may alter the name if an identification document with the altered name, as a result of the marriage, is presented.
Death Registration
You may request the registration of the death of a Portuguese national who died in the United Kingdom at the Consulate General of Portugal in London, by an appointment booked in advance on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, or by post, presenting the required form available here and the documents therein indicated.
You may request the registration of death of a non-Portuguese spouse at the Consulate General of Portugal in London, by an appointment booked in advance on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, or by post, presenting the required form available here and the documents therein indicated.
Repatriation:
- in order to repatriate a deceased Portuguese citizen, who died in the area of jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Portugal in London, it is necessary to register the death and request a repatriation permit;
- this consular act does not require a prior appointment;
- the family of the deceased should contact a Portuguese funeral agent, who will, in turn contact the Consulate General of Portugal in London by email (consulado.londres@mne.pt ) in order to arrange the death registration and the repatriation permit.
Transportation of Ashes:
- if the urn is made of plastic or cardboard, only the supporting document of the cremation issued by the crematorium or funeral director, is required;
- if the urn is made of wood, the transporting Airline must be contacted to confirm if a permit to transport the Ashes is required (if so, the urn has to have a hole in the base, the size of a 50p coin, in order to be sealed).
Divorce registration
The Consulate General of Portugal in London does not grant divorces.
If you wish to get divorced, you should contact a British Court. Once you are divorced, you must register the divorce with the Portuguese authorities. Alternatively, you may apply for a divorce directly to a Civil Registry Office in Portugal.
Divorce granted in the United Kingdom between 01/03/2001 and 31/12/2020:
- you may request to register your divorce at the Consulate General of Portugal in London by an appointment booked in advance on consulado.londres@mne.pt , or by post, presenting the request form available here and the documents therein indicated;
- if you chose to register the divorce directly with a Civil Registry Office in Portugal, the divorce sentence must be translated and legalised by apostille.
Divorce granted in the United Kingdom before 01/03/2001 and after 31/12/2020:
- it is not possible to register the divorce at the Consulate General of Portugal in London;
- the divorce sentence (Decree Absolute) has to be duly translated and legalised by apostille, and then reviewed and confirmed by a Court of Appeal in Portugal.
Divorce granted in the European Union (except Denmark) after 01/03/2001:
- you may request to register the divorce at the Consulate General of Portugal in London, by booking in advance on consulado.londres@mne.pt ;
- you must present the decision that grants the divorce, together with the certificate referred to in article 39.º of the Council Regulation (EC) n.º 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003, concerning the jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters, duly completed and authenticated by the authority that granted the divorce (these documents have to be legalised by apostille and accompanied by the necessary translation into Portuguese, duly certified).
Divorce granted in the EU before 01/03/2001:
- it is not possible to register the divorce at the Consulate General of Portugal in London;
- the decision that grants the divorce has to be duly translated and legalised by apostille, and then reviewed and confirmed by a Court of Appeal in Portugal.
Divorce granted outside of the EU:
- it is not possible to register the divorce at the Consulate General of Portugal in London;
- the decision that grants the divorce, duly translated (if it is not in Portuguese) and legalised (by apostille, if the divorce was granted in one of the member countries of the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, concluded in the Hague, on the 5th October 1961; by a Portuguese Embassy/Consulate in the respective issuing country, if the divorce was granted in another country), will have to be reviewed and confirmed by a Court of Appeal in Portugal.
Recognition of paternity
The voluntary recognition of paternity must be registered on the child´s birth certificate. If the recognition of paternity concerns an adult offspring, he or she must give consent in person to the recognition of paternity.
To book an appointment for this consular act, please contact the Centro de Atendimento Consular on telephone number +44 (0) 20 3433 3624 or by contact form.
Change of name/gender
The name stated on the birth certificate may be altered by a special procedure, if the rules established for the composition of the name are respected. The alteration of a minor´s name must be requested by both parents.
The request may be sent by post directly to the Central Registry Office in Lisbon. You may obtain the request form here. To pay for this online, you must send an email to the Accounts Department of the Central Registry Office ( rcentrais.contabilidade@irn.mj.pt ) requesting for its banking details.
Alternatively, the request may be presented at the Consulate General, by an appointment booked in advance from the Centro de Atendimento Consular on telephone number +44 (0) 20 3433 3624 or by contact form. The necessary documents for this consular act are: application form duly completed; Deed Poll (if applicable); proof of the use of the name in the country where the name was altered (if applicable); criminal record certificate for individuals over the age of 16 years (except if the Central Registry Office is authorised to access the criminal record).
To adopt or renounce a surname from a marriage you must present a valid citizen card (Portuguese spouse), or valid passport with the intended name (non-Portuguese spouse). After the divorce, the consent from the Court or from the former spouse is required to maintain the surname acquired from marriage (the consent may be given in person, at the Consulate General, by the former spouse, who needs to hold a valid citizen card, or a valid passport if non-Portuguese).
The request to alter the gender and given names can be presented at the Consulate General, by an appointment booked in advance from the Centro de Atendimento Consular on telephone number +44 (0) 20 3433 3624 or by contact form. Citizens over the age of 18 years will have to present a request form duly completed, which may be obtained here , and a valid and updated citizen card. If the applicant is between 16 and 18 years old, the request form, which may be obtained here , will have to be presented by the applicant and their parents/legal representatives, all duly identified; a medical report must also be presented in order to confirm exclusively the applicant's decision-making capacity and informed will, without references to gender identity diagnosis.
Notary and certificates
The Consulate General of Portugal in London can perform notary acts requested by Portuguese or non-Portuguese nationals that are intended for effect in Portugal.
The following notary acts may be requested, in person, by an appointment booked in advance on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online:
- Power of Attorney
- Marital consent
- Authentication of private document
- Recognition of signature, or handwriting and signature
- Certification of fotocopies
- Proof of life certificate
- Criminal record certificate
- Travel authorization for minors
The following notary acts may be requested, exclusively by post, by sending an application to the “Consulate General of Portugal in London, 3 Portland Place, London W1B 1HR”:
- Residence certificate (administrative purposes)
- Residence certificate (fiscal purposes)
- Residence certificate (PROGRAMA REGRESSAR – MAREP)
- Residence certificate (PROGRAMA REGRESSAR – tax benefits)
- Residence certificate (University education in Portugal)
- Residence certificate (ISV - tax exemption on the importe of vehicle)
- Baggage certificate
- Civil registry certificates (birth, marriage, divorce or death)
Power of Attorney:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Notariado > Procuração;
- when you have a confirmed appointment, send an email with a draft of the power of attorney to notariado.cglondres@mne.pt , indicating your full name and the details of the appointment (date and time);
- at the beginning of the appointment, please present a valid citizen card (Portuguese citizen) or a valid passport (non-Portuguese citizen), and proof of current address.
Marital consent:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Notariado > Procuração;
- when you have a confirmed appointment, send an email with a draft of the marital consent to notariado.cglondres@mne.pt , indicating your full name and the details of the appointment (date and time);
- at the beginning of the appointment, please present a valid citizen card (Portuguese citizen) or a valid passport (non-Portuguese citizen), and proof of current address.
Authentication of private document:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Notariado > Procuração;
- at the beginning of the appointment, please present a valid citizen card (Portuguese citizen) or a valid passport (non-Portuguese citizen), and proof of current address.
Recognition of signature, or handwriting and signature:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Notariado > Reconhecimento de assinatura;
- at the beginning of the appointment, please present a valid citizen card (Portuguese citizen) or a valid passport (non-Portuguese citizen).
Certification of fotocopies:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Notariado > Certificação de documentos;
- at the beginning of the appointment, please present a valid citizen card (Portuguese citizen) or a valid passport (non-Portuguese citizen), and the document whose fotocopy you wish to certify.
Proof of life certificate:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Certificados > Certificado de vida e de identidade;
- at the beginning of the appointment, please present a valid citizen card (Portuguese citizen) or a valid passport (non-Portuguese citizen).
Criminal record certificate:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Certificados > Registo criminal;
- at the beginning of the appointment, please present a valid citizen card (Portuguese citizen) or a valid passport and proof of current address (non-Portuguese citizen);
- for further information, including on how to request this certificate online, please check the website Direção-Geral da Administração da Justiça .
Travel authorization for minors:
- on the Plataforma de Agendamento Online, select Notariado > Autorização de viagem de menores;
- at the beginning of the appointment, the person who has parental responsibility over the minor must present a valid citizen card, a copy of the document of identification of the minor (citizen card or passport) and a copy of the document of identification of the person accompanying the minor (citizen card or passport);
- check here for further information on Portuguese regulations regarding the entry and exit of minors.
Residence certificate (administrative purposes):
- request form and instructions available here.
Residence certificate (fiscal purposes):
- request form and instructions available here.
Residence certificate (PROGRAMA REGRESSAR – MAREP):
- request form and instructions available here ;
- for further information, check the website PROGRAMA REGRESSAR .
Residence certificate (PROGRAMA REGRESSAR – tax benefits):
- request form and instructions available here ;
- for further information, check the website PROGRAMA REGRESSAR .
Residence certificate (University education in Portugal):
- request form and instructions available here ;
- for further information, check the website Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior .
Residence certificate (ISV - tax exemption on the import of vehicle):
- request form and instructions available here ;
- for further information, check the website ePortugal .
Baggage certificate:
- request form and instructions available here .
Civil registry certificates:
- request form and instructions for birth, marriage and death certificates available here .
- request form and instructions for divorce certificates available here .
Driving licence
The Consulate General of Portugal in London does not issue driving licences.
Driving licences are issued in Portugal by the IMT and in the United Kingdom by the DVLA .
Portuguese citizens residing in the United Kingdom may request to exchange their Portuguese driving licences for British driving licences. For further information, check the website DVLA .