Access Code: How It Works for Each Type of Certidão

If you've requested more than one type of certidão in Portugal, you may have noticed the "access code" doesn't always work the same way. Here's what changes:

Permanent Commercial and Property Certidão

Requested at the Conservatória Virtual. The access code links to a version of the registry that's always up to date — not a copy frozen in time. Checking with the code is free during the validity period shown on the receipt.

Permanent Vehicle Certidão

Works the same way, but with a fixed cost: €10 digital, €17 paper. Once issued, the code allows free checks and can be shared with a vehicle buyer without needing extra authentication. See the full guide →

Civil Registry Certidões (birth, marriage, death)

Requested at Civil Online. Here the access code isn't linked to a "live" registry — it's access to a fixed document, issued at the moment of the request. It costs €10, arrives by email/SMS within 48 hours of payment, and is valid for 6 months (except death certidões, which have no limit).

Tax Authority and Social Security Certidões

These don't use an "access code" — the tax residency and no-debt certidões are generated and downloaded instantly, as PDFs, directly on the portal where you logged in. There's no sharing by code: each person generates their own copy whenever they need it.

Summary

Related Content