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Pension question, Portugal

Can I use Seguranca Social Direta from abroad?

The self service route is Seguranca Social Direta, which needs a NISS plus a password, a Cartao de Cidadao read by a card reader with its software installed, or a Chave Movel Digital. The password is issued against the address Seguranca Social already holds, with a verification code sent by SMS, email or post in about eight working days.

  • Source: seg-social.pt, read 4 October 2026

What to do next

  1. Find your Portuguese social security number (NISS) on old payslips.
  2. List each Portuguese employer and the years you worked there.
  3. Run our free check, then order a report if you want us to identify what is held in your name.

Check your own working life for free

Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.

Run the free check

Questions people also ask

Is the address on file usually current?

Someone who left Portugal decades ago is rarely in that file at a current address.

  • Source: seg-social.pt, read 4 October 2026

Do you give advice on what to do?

No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.