Buying a house: How to change address online?

Being a property owner can be a challenge: If you need help with bureaucratic issues regarding real estate or financing, you can contact the real estate agency Casa no Minuto or the credit intermediaries from Poupança no Minuto. To learn about the steps to change an address, read on.

Bought a property? Find out how to change your address

If you bought a property and are now the owner of a house, you must change your address within a maximum period of 90 days. You can do it in person or online.

To change your address on all services, simply change it on your Citizen Card first, which will automatically update it on Records, Finance, Social Security, National Health Service, and Electoral Registration.

First, it is necessary to place the order, in order to receive a letter sent by mail to the new address indicated, with a code, which allows you to confirm the change of address.

But let's see more details on how the process of changing the address on the citizen's card works.  

Who can change the address?

Not all people can change their address on the citizen card, as specificities are established.  

So, any Portuguese with a valid citizen card can make the change, with the following exceptions:  

• An individual under 12 years old must be accompanied by a legal representative or with parental responsibilities (with citizen card, identity card, authorization or residence permit/document of registration in a valid consulate) in order to request a change of address;  
• People of Brazilian nationality covered by the Porto Seguro treaty with a valid citizen card, must request the change in person with proof of the new address.

Where can I make the change of address?  

You can change your address at a physical counter, at Citizen Spaces or at Citizen Card customer service counters. In this case, you need to bring your citizen card and a document proving the new address.

But it is also possible to proceed with the online change, if you have a compatible card reader where you can insert your ID card and the authentication PIN (which is in the PIN code letter received with the card), or through the Digital Mobile Key. To proceed, you must know how to indicate the new address complete.

Does this process have costs? 

In person, yes, you can: If you proceed with changing your address at the service desks of the Citizen Card, of the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN), you must pay a cost of 3 euros at the time of the request.

In these cases, you can pay via Multibanco, cash, check (certified or bank), from a bank with representation in Portugal, postal order payable to the IRN.

However, if you advance with the request physically in the Citizen Spaces, it is free, as well as digitally.

How to proceed with changing the address?

In person, you should then go to a service counter that deals with the Citizen Card, the IRN, through the Digital Mobile Key or directly from the citizen card.

At the counter, you need to indicate the new complete address to proceed with the request for change. Afterwards, within five working days, you will receive a letter at the new address to confirm the change. This deadline may vary, in case the address is abroad, in the Azores or Madeira.

To conclude the process of alteration, you must do it on the ePortugal portal of the government, or by going again to an IRN counter with the confirmation letter, Digital Mobile Key or citizen card.

Finally, the change of address is completed and defined in the card chip, with the new one being considered for public entities (Tax, Social Security, National Health Service, and Electoral Registration).  

Digitally, the process is different

If you change your address online, you must follow these steps:

• Start by accessing the portal and choosing whether you want to authenticate with your citizen card (if you have a card reader) and authentication PIN, or with the Digital Mobile Key;
• Note that if the change is for a third party, you must select "On behalf of a third party" and insert the card of the person making the request in the card reader.  
• Follow the instructions and write the new full address.
• Afterwards, the process is the same: Within five business days, you will receive the confirmation letter to change the address at the specified location, and you must confirm the change on the portal.

Need to check the status of the address change process? In your private area of the ePortugal portal, access "Reserved Area - Citizen Services - ePortugal".

If you still have doubts about changing your address, you can contact the ePortugal portal support at the numbers 210 489 010 or 300 003 990, or by scheduling a video call.

If doubts involve real estate issues, the agency Casa no Minuto is available to help you, as well as the intermediary Poupança no Minuto regarding credits, financing needs and insurance.