What is the Citizen Card app?
Launched in 2019 under the Simplex+ program, the app (officially id.gov.pt) lets citizens store, consult, and share identification documents digitally on their smartphones. It was created by the Administrative Modernization Agency (AMA).
Purpose and Functionality
It provides a secure, eco-friendly alternative to physical documents. Users can prove their identity before authorities or private services by displaying digital versions of documents such as:
- Citizen Card (National ID)
- Driver’s License
- Vehicle Registration Document
- Professional cards (e.g., Former Combatant ID, Defense ID)
How to Access
To use the app, you need an active Digital Mobile Key (Chave Móvel Digital — CMD); without it, authentication is impossible. The app is available for download on the App Store (iOS), Google Play Store (Android), and AppGallery (Huawei).
Validity
In the EU It generates a PDF digital certificate automatically signed with a qualified electronic signature, recognized and certified by the Portuguese State (EU Regulation 910/2014).
In Portugal: Documents presented via the app have the same legal value as physical ones (Law No. 37/2014). Authorities can validate them in real time using the QR code in the app’s top corner.
Duarte Marques Mano | [email protected]