IRN will be providing new services in the field of civil identification
The Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN) will be providing new services in the field of civil identification, namely issuing passports and renewing residence permits.
These competencies have been transferred from the Foreigner and Border Service (SEF) to the IRN, under the restructuring process of the Portuguese border control system, implemented on 29th October.
The IRN is now responsible for granting and issuing the Portuguese Electronic Passport, including the ordinary passport, the special passport, the temporary passport and the passport for foreign nationals.
The service for temporary and permanent Residence Permit Renewal (RAR) applications will also be available at the Registry offices, exclusively by prior appointment in the first phase.
Consequently, the RAR process will have a greater number of service centres (including the citizen's bureaux) and therefore a greater response capacity. On the other hand, renewal cases for victims of human trafficking and for investment purposes are ensured by the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).
Information on online scheduling and the places where foreign citizens can apply for the RAR will be shared in several languages on the IRN and AIMA service network and digital channels.
Within the scope of restructuring the Portuguese border control system, the IRN will also integrate 75 SEF workers into the public service and into the passport decision centre. These workers will keep their roles and be placed in a post in the same district where they previously worked, according to the government statement of 29th October.