NISS Rejected or Delayed? What to Do

Last checked: 5 October 2026 · By Haider Shah, accounting technician in Portugal

You asked Social Security for a NISS (your Social Security number), and weeks later you still have nothing, or the request came back refused. This guide explains how the request works now, how to check it, the most common reasons it fails, and the other routes you can use. If you have never asked for a NISS, start with how to get a NISS in Portugal.

This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the official Social Security practical guide on NISS for foreign citizens (version 1.18, published 24 September 2025) and the gov.pt service page (updated 3 September 2026). Procedures can change without notice, so check those pages before you act.

Is there an official deadline?

No. Neither the gov.pt NISS page nor the Social Security practical guide gives a processing time for a NISS request. Waiting times you see online are personal experiences, not a rule. What the guide does say is that the standard request is made online (there is also a combined in-person route, explained below), and that you follow it with your request ID.

How to check your request

1. Go to the Social Security website, menu Ajuda > Número de Identificação de Segurança Social (NISS) > Consulta do pedido de NISS (gov.pt links to this page).
2. Enter the request ID you got when you submitted, the email linked to the request and the date of birth of the person the request is for.
3. Complete the security check and click Consultar pedido. You see the data and documents you sent and the status of the request.
4. When the NISS is assigned, choose Obter comprovativo do NISS. You need to pass a biometric check to download the proof.

If the biometric check doesn’t work, the guide says you can collect the NISS proof through a video appointment, booked by phone, or at a Social Security service desk. The Social Security line is 210 545 400 or 300 502 502, on working days from 9:00 to 18:00 (from the guide).

Why NISS requests get refused or stuck

Social Security doesn’t publish a list of refusal reasons. But the guide is clear about what each request must contain, so these are the first things to check:

• No link to Social Security. A NISS is only given when there is a reason linked to Social Security, for example a work contract, self-employed activity, being a company officer, voluntary social insurance, or needing a Social Security benefit.
• Wrong proof of the reason. For a job, the guide asks for the work contract, translated into Portuguese. For self-employment, a copy of your start of activity at Finanças and copies of your invoices or receipts. For a company officer, the permanent commercial registry certificate. For digital nomads, the contract with the foreign employer.
• Your employer didn’t do their part. If the reason is a job, the NISS is only given after the employer signs the contract and declares the work relationship in Segurança Social Direta.
• No accepted residence document. Non-EU citizens must add a residence permit, a visa listed in the guide (for example a work, residence, seasonal work, job-seeker or digital nomad visa), or proof that they applied for a residence permit (including the CPLP visa or CPLP permit certificate).
• An expired or unreadable ID. The passport or residence card must be valid on the day you apply. Upload front and back separately, with all edges and the photo fully visible and no glare.
• The wrong file. Only PNG, JPG or PDF files up to 3 MB are accepted.

Applying without a work contract

Many people ask for a NISS before they have a job. The current guide makes this harder: it lists Despacho n.º 4-I/SESS/2022, which allowed foreigners to be identified without a contribution link, as revoked by Despacho n.º 2/SESS/2024. So in practice you need one of the reasons above.

Some routes don’t need an employment contract:

• Self-employed: open activity at Finanças first (see how to open activity), then apply with your start-of-activity proof and invoices. Our free Social Security tool for self-employed workers estimates what you will pay after the first year.
• AIMA needs your NISS first: the guide has an exception for people with a job-seeker, student or temporary-stay visa, where AIMA requires a NISS before it grants a permit that allows work. In that case you attach your ID and a declaration or request from AIMA explaining why you need the NISS.
• Benefits for children: there are specific rules and documents for a child or young person who will receive Social Security support. For a newborn, see NISS for a baby born in Portugal.

The in-person route: NISS, NIF and health number together

Besides the online form, the guide describes a single request for NISS, NIF and the national health user number (NNU) at ten Espaço Cidadão counters: Braga (Município), Lagos, Cascais Loja do Cidadão, Saldanha Loja do Cidadão, Laranjeiras Loja do Cidadão (Lisbon), Setúbal Loja do Cidadão, Loures (LoureShopping), Oeiras Parque, Olhão, and the Porto city-centre parish union (Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória).

It is only for people who have already applied for or obtained a residence permit, EU citizens, and people who asked for or have international protection (not temporary protection). You log in with Chave Móvel Digital or the European eIDAS login; the guide says you can activate the Chave Móvel Digital on the spot with your passport. If you already asked online and then use a counter too, you still get only one NISS.

Why AIMA cares about your NISS

Your NISS is how Social Security records your contributions, and AIMA checks them. The Foreigners Law (article 78, consolidated) says a temporary permit is only renewed if you have met your tax and Social Security obligations, and AIMA’s permanent residence page asks for proof of the same. That is why a missing or wrong NISS can hold up a renewal years later.

Once you have your NISS, create your Segurança Social Direta password, check every month that your employer declares your salary, and learn how to download the no-debt certificate AIMA asks for.

What to do if your request was refused

1. Check the status and any message in Consulta do pedido de NISS, and in the emails Social Security sent you.
2. Fix the document that failed: a translated contract, a valid ID, a clearer scan, or your employer’s declaration in Segurança Social Direta.
3. Submit a new request with the correct documents, and keep the new request ID.
4. If you don’t understand the reason, call the Social Security line or book a service desk appointment, and bring paper copies of everything.

Be careful with anyone who offers to “speed up” a NISS for a fee. The official guide describes no fee and no paid fast track.

FAQ

How long does a NISS take?

There is no official deadline. The gov.pt page and the Social Security guide don’t state one, so plan for delays and keep checking your request online.

Can my employer ask for my NISS?

Yes. An employer can apply for you, but only after signing your contract and declaring the work relationship in Segurança Social Direta. That request only assigns the number; the employer must then report that you started working.

Can I get a NISS as a tourist?

The guide asks non-EU citizens for a residence permit, an accepted visa or proof of a residence permit application, plus a reason linked to Social Security. A tourist entry on its own doesn’t appear in that list.

I applied twice. Will I get two numbers?

No. The guide says that if you apply online and also at a counter, both requests are handled but only one NISS is assigned.

Official sources

• gov.pt – Pedir o Número de Identificação da Segurança Social (NISS)
• Segurança Social – Guia Prático: Pedido de NISS, cidadãos estrangeiros (v1.18, 24 Sep 2025)
• Segurança Social – NISS online request and request status
• ePortugal – How to request the NIF and the NISS for foreign citizens
• Foreigners Law (Lei 23/2007), consolidated (PGDL) – article 78
• AIMA – Permanent residence (art. 80): documents

This guide is general information, checked against official sources on 5 October 2026. Rules and portals in Portugal change often, so confirm the current rules with the official source before you act. It is not legal advice.