The Citizen Card is valid until the date printed on the document, as it has been until now, despite the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2025/1208, which establishes new security and interoperability requirements between identification documents of Member States.

The clarification, sent by the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) to Notícias ao Minuto, comes after several media outlets reported that thousands of Portuguese citizens would have to renew their Citizen Card before the printed expiry date.

According to the IRN, “it is not true that Citizen Cards issued before 2021 may cease to be valid sooner than expected due to rules imposed by the European Union” and “it is not true that thousands of Portuguese citizens will have to renew their Citizen Card before its expiry date”.

The IRN also explains that the Citizen Card has had MRZ (Machine Readable Zone) technology since 2007 and a contactless chip since June 2024.

The IRN thus reinforces that “the Citizen Card remains valid until the date printed on the document, under normal circumstances”.

According to the IRN (National Registry Institute), the Citizen Card was updated to be “in accordance with the common model and security standards established for the identification documents of citizens of the European Union by Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019”.

The institute recalls that the European regulation introduced “changes to the information contained in the Citizen Card and to the way it is stored and accessed, namely the mandatory contactless access”.

Regarding travel documents, “the card complies with the specifications and security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO/OACI), being valid within the European Union and in the Schengen Area countries,” assures the IRN, adding that “Regulation (EU) 2025/1208 establishes a transition period until August 3, 2031, for documents that do not comply with the new European security standards.”

Chips

Cards issued from June 11, 2024 (current model) include a dual-interface chip (contact and contactless) and other enhanced security requirements, “complying with all the standards of the European Regulation.”

The Portuguese Citizen Card is also accepted as a travel document within the European Union and in the Schengen Area countries and, as such, “includes an optical reading zone (MRZ) on the back that allows identity verification at the boarding gates of airports in those countries.”

The IRN (Portuguese National Registry Office) also emphasizes that “the card is valid until the date printed on the front of the document.”

Cards issued up to June 10, 2024 (previous model) include a contactless chip and an optical reading zone (MRZ), and are valid until the printed expiry date, which is at the latest August 3, 2031.