Step-by-step guide to getting your COVID certificate in Portugal

for those that got vaccinated outside of Portugal

I finally managed to get my covid certificate in Lisbon this week. To be honest, the whole process went a lot smoother than I had expected, but with the various government entities streamlining the process of in-person appointments, it has made small tasks like this a lot less painful than in the past.

Before going any further, you would need to be a Portugal resident with a health number (numero utente) to obtain the certificate, so if you are a tourist visiting, this would not work for you.

I have also visited vaccine centers as suggested by the national health service, but the people at the vaccine center directed me back to the health center; while your mileage may vary, visiting your local health center is probably the safest bet.

1. Health number (Numero Utente)

   If you do not already have a health number, you have to obtain it by going to your local health center (centro de saude), where you can register as a user and be given a number. Some health centers still allow walk-ins, while others have instituted strict processes for email-only requests. You can find out more on the government’s website here, or consult your freguesia’s website

   https://www.sns.gov.pt/sns/pesquisa-prestadores/

   The health centers will inform you what you need to bring to your appointment in order to register, but this is usually a fairly fast process.

2. Visit your local health center

   Bring with you your 1) vaccination card, 2) ID, and 3) health number (numero utente) to your health center. Let the people at the reception know that you want to update your immunization record with your Covid vaccine, and they will direct you to a staff who will update your record in the system.

   For me the whole process from entering the center to updating the record took less than 20 minutes. You can also ask them for a printout of the vaccine record.

   Important note - My vaccine record was entered incorrectly as the staff scrambled the date/month order from my US vaccine card, so be sure to verify the record before leaving.

3. Get your digital certificate!

   I was able to get my certificate online in about 15 minutes after I had left the health center. You can make the request either on mobile or desktop at the following link

   https://www.sns24.gov.pt/certificado-digital-covid/#aceder

   Be sure to click on the vaccine picture before filling out the form and clicking submit for the request. An SMS will be sent to the number that is associated with your health number, and once that information has been verified, the digital certificate will be sent to your email address.

   To unlock the digital certificate document, which is a protected PDF, you will need your health number as the password. I suggest opening the document on your phone then save the document as a screenshot.

That’s it! Now reward yourself with a cold drink at an esplanada!

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