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Chave Móvel Digital 2026: How to Activate It in Portugal

Updated 25 October 2026· Checked against official sources

Ler em português

Chave Móvel Digital (CMD — “mobile digital key”) is the “key” that lets you log in to Portuguese government websites — Portal das Finanças, Segurança Social Direta, SNS 24, gov.pt — and sign documents digitally, using only your mobile phone. Think of it as a single government login for many public services.

What is Chave Móvel Digital used for?

With the CMD you can:

• Log in to public portals without a card reader or a different password for each site.
• Sign documents digitally (contracts, applications) with the same legal value as a handwritten signature.
• Access Segurança Social Direta and the Portal das Finanças.
• Use the gov.pt app and keep digital documents on your phone.

In practice, every time you log in, you enter your mobile number, your PIN of 4 to 8 digits and a security code sent by SMS (or through the app).

Ways to activate Chave Móvel Digital

According to the autenticacao.gov.pt FAQ, you can also activate it by video call, for example when you activated through the Portal das Finanças and never received the letter with the temporary PIN. Check the current conditions there.

How to activate the CMD with the gov.pt app

This is the fastest way for people with a Cartão de Cidadão (Portuguese citizen card).

1. Install the gov.pt app (Android, iOS or Huawei) from the official store.
2. Choose the option to activate Chave Móvel Digital.
3. Follow the instructions: the app reads your Cartão de Cidadão and asks for a face check with the camera, which is compared with the photo on the card.
4. Enter your mobile number and set your PIN.
5. Confirm with the code received by SMS. The CMD is active immediately.

How to activate it with the Cartão de Cidadão on a computer

1. Connect the card reader to your computer and install the Autenticação.gov software.
2. Go to autenticacao.gov.pt, Chave Móvel Digital area, and choose to request the key.
3. Insert the card and enter the authentication PIN (the one you received in the Cartão de Cidadão letter).
4. Enter your mobile number (and, optionally, your email) and set the CMD PIN.
5. Confirm with the SMS code.

How to activate it with the Portal das Finanças password

1. On autenticacao.gov.pt choose registration via Portal das Finanças.
2. Log in with your NIF (tax number) and Finanças password and authorise the data sharing.
3. Enter your mobile number.
4. You receive a letter with a temporary PIN at the address on your Cartão de Cidadão.
5. The first time you use it, change the temporary PIN to a permanent PIN.

The letter is sent to the address on the Cartão de Cidadão; the official source does not give a delivery time. If it takes long, see the alternatives in the CMD FAQ.

If you do not have a Finanças password, see how to get the Portal das Finanças password.

I’m a foreigner: how do I get Chave Móvel Digital?

Law no. 37/2014 allows foreign citizens to link the CMD to their passport number. The online methods (app and card reader) require a Portuguese Cartão de Cidadão, so the usual route for foreigners is in person:

1. Have your NIF (see how to get a NIF).
2. Book an appointment at a desk that offers the service (for example, a Loja do Cidadão — citizen service centre).
3. Bring your passport and, if you have it, your residence permit. Before you go, check the documents and which desks handle the request with the Autenticação.gov helpline (210 489 010 or 300 003 990, working days from 9am to 6pm).
4. Give your mobile number — preferably a Portuguese number, which will receive the SMS.
5. Set the PIN at the desk or follow the instructions you are given.

Brazilian citizens with a Cartão de Cidadão under the Treaty of Porto Seguro (equal rights status) can activate the CMD, but not through the gov.pt app or by video call (according to autenticacao.gov.pt).

Common problems and mistakes

• I blocked my PIN: after 5 wrong attempts in a row with the signature PIN or the security code, the signature is blocked, but login still works. You unblock it through the service shown on autenticacao.gov.pt (“Desbloquear, alterar PIN e cancelar” — unblock, change PIN and cancel).
• I changed my mobile number: the CMD only accepts one number. Change your details or cancel and request a new key.
• The letter with the PIN never arrived: check the address on your Cartão de Cidadão; alternatively, activate through the gov.pt app or cancel and apply again.
• Cartão de Cidadão cancelled or expired: the CMD still works for login until the expiry date of the cancelled card plus 30 days, but signing stops working immediately. After you renew the Cartão de Cidadão (in Portuguese), the CMD takes the new validity.
• Fake SMS: there are phishing campaigns using the CMD name. Never click links received by SMS and never share the security code with anyone.

Final tip

After activating, test your login on the Portal das Finanças and Segurança Social Direta straight away. If something fails, contact the Linha Cidadão (citizen helpline) from the phone number linked to the CMD.