Virtual Citizen Shop: the project centralising public services online in a single channel

The Virtual Citizen Shop is the new centralising platform for digital public services in Portugal, integrated into the gov.pt portal and managed by the Agency for Technological Reform of the State (ARTE).

Its creation was formalised by Decree-Law No 121/2025 of 14 November, legislation that introduces a structural change in the way citizens, businesses, and Public Administration interact, establishing a new service model based on integrated digital channels.

The guiding principle of the project is clear: citizens should not need to understand the internal structure of the State in order to access a public service, nor be required to provide information that Public Administration already holds.

At launch, the platform offered 150 integrated digital services. That number has now risen to 225 services, 107 of which include video call assistance.

The problem that gave rise to the project

The Virtual Citizen Shop was created in response to several constraints identified in public service delivery in Portugal.

Among the issues most frequently reported by citizens and businesses were:

• Long waiting times;

• Unavailability of tickets for in-person appointments;

• Different service models across bodies;

• Growing reliance on prior booking;

• Fragmentation of Public Administration's digital channels.

Although many public services were already available online, they were spread across multiple portals, applications, and standalone systems. This required users to know in advance which body was responsible for each matter.

The Virtual Citizen Shop seeks to eliminate this complexity by creating a single access point for multiple public services.

The legislative framework

Decree-Law No 121/2025 formally establishes the Virtual Citizen Shop and provides that all bodies with a presence in physical Citizen Shops progressively integrate their services into the new digital platform. The legislation also transfers to ARTE the management of the Integrated Service Management System (SIGA), which provides technological support for service delivery at the Citizens' Shops.

The central technical principle: 'once only'

One of the project's technological pillars is the once only principle, promoted by the European Commission. In practice, this principle determines that the State should not request from citizens or businesses information that already exists in other public systems. Interoperability between platforms is the mechanism that makes this model possible, in alignment with the European Once-Only Technical System (OOTS), integrated into Mosaico in 2026.

How the Virtual Citizen Shop works

The Virtual Citizen Shop is available through the gov.pt portal. Services can be accessed using the Digital Mobile Key or the Citizens' Card.

The platform was designed with an incremental integration architecture. This allows each public body to integrate its services progressively, without the need to immediately replace its internal systems. This model reduces technological risk, facilitates institutional adoption, and accelerates the expansion of the service catalogue.

Available services

The platform's catalogue includes services for citizens and businesses, prioritising areas of greatest demand and impact in the relationship with Public Administration.

For citizens

Available services include:

• Change of address on the Citizens' Card;

• Renewal of Driving Licence;

• Application for the Central Register of Beneficial Owners;

• Renewal of the Citizens' Card;

• Activation of the Digital Mobile Key.

For businesses

Key business services available include:

• Online company formation;

• Update of business data, including name, registered office, and objects;

• Application for the Central Register of Beneficial Owners.

To view the full list of services, visit the Virtual Citizen Shop on the gov.pt portal.

A digital model that does not replace in-person services

The creation of the Virtual Citizen Shop does not replace in-person service delivery. The legislation itself reinforces the importance of an omnichannel model, ensuring that the digital transition does not exclude citizens with lower digital literacy or those requiring personalised support.

Alongside the creation of the platform, the Government announced the opening of 18 new Citizens' Shops by June 2026, as well as the creation of 16 new Citizens' Spaces in areas with lower population density. This strategy demonstrates that the modernisation of public services is not based on replacing in-person with digital service. Rather, it is based on complementarity between channels.

The project in the spotlight

The Virtual Citizen Shop was also publicly presented in various media outlets, including an episode of the CNN Inovação programme, broadcast in April 2026 and dedicated to digital transformation projects in Portuguese Public Administration.

The episode explores the platform's implementation model, the progressive integration of public services, and the expected impact on the relationship between citizens, businesses, and the State.

Watch the episode: TVI Player – CNN Inovação

Strategic outlook to 2030

According to the Portuguese Government, the goal is to ensure that all relevant public services are available in digital format by 2030.

In this context, the Virtual Citizen Shop plays a central role in the country's administrative modernisation, establishing itself not merely as a technological platform, but as a new model for the relationship between the State, citizens, and businesses.