Portuguese Passport Renewal in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

One rule governs the whole Portuguese system: you cannot get a passport without a valid citizen card. The cartão de cidadão is the underlying identity document, it must be obtained in person by appointment, and everything else depends on it. People who arrive asking only for a passport are usually sent to renew the card first.

Quick facts

The network publishes a consular fee table in both euros and dollars, revised periodically with the exchange rate. That is unusually transparent and worth consulting before you pay, because the dollar figure moves even when the euro one does not.

Fees breakdown

Note the gap between collecting in person and having it posted: €30. For a family renewing several passports, that adds up quickly.

How to renew

1. Check that your citizen card is valid, and renew it first if it is not.
2. Book the appointment online with the post covering your area.
3. Attend in person; biometric data is captured at the counter.
4. Choose collection or postal delivery, bearing the difference in mind.
5. Pay the tariff in the form the post accepts.
6. Keep the old passport, since failing to return it can attract a charge.

Required documents

• Valid citizen card, which is the essential prerequisite.
• Current or most recent passport.
• Proof of U.S. residence, such as a driving licence, for the consular record.
• Police report where the passport was lost or stolen.
• Documents supporting any name change.
• Appointment confirmation.

Where to apply

At the consular section in Washington or one of the consulates general. Portugal maintains one of the larger networks in the United States, concentrated in the Northeast and California.

Additional notes

The citizen card comes first

For a first card the post requires a Portuguese birth certificate and a foreign identity document, preferably the passport of your country of birth. Without the Portuguese certificate there is no card, and without the card there is no passport.

Consulate at home

The network runs a mobile service that reaches communities far from a permanent post. Where it visits your area, it can save a long drive.

Keep the old document

Not returning a previous document can result in a charge. Bring it even when it is long expired.

Address changes are cheap

Updating the address on a citizen card costs about three euros, and keeping it current avoids problems with post and with the electoral register.