Old ID cards no longer valid for international travel
As of August 3, 2026, the old Portuguese Identity Card (Bilhete de Identidade) is no longer accepted for travel within the European Union and the Schengen Area due to the lack of a machine-readable zone. Travelers must now use a valid Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão) or a passport for international trips, though the old ID remains valid for domestic use within Portugal.
The Cartão de Cidadão (Citizen Card) is Portugal’s national identity card, introduced in 2007, used for in‑person ID and many online public services; it contains your civil identity data and supports digital authentication and signatures. It is issued to Portuguese citizens—foreign residents use a residence permit for ID—so non‑citizen expats should keep their passport and residence card for official matters.
The Schengen Area is a zone comprising 29 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and border control at their mutual borders. It allows for the free and unrestricted movement of people, goods, and services, functioning as a single jurisdiction for international travel purposes (Espaço Schengen).
