Showing your driving licence on your smartphone, signing documents digitally with legal validity, or logging in to different public authorities using a single account: in Portugal, many digital public services have long been part of everyday life.

The gov.pt app plays a central role in this. It brings together functions that were previously spread across various applications: users can access their digital identity via the app, save official documents, authenticate themselves to public authorities and create qualified electronic signatures. The app now contains more than 30 digital documents.

In doing so, Portugal is pursuing an approach that goes beyond the mere digitisation of individual forms: Citizens and businesses should be able to access public services as easily and securely as possible via a single point of access.

A portal for more than 2,300 public services

When everything is bundled in one place, it can quickly become confusing. A multilingual, AI-powered assistant therefore helps users search for and navigate through more than 2,300 public services. The digital offering is complemented by telephone, mobile and in-person contact points. The aim is to ensure that administrative services function as consistently as possible, regardless of the preferred access channel.

This omnichannel approach is particularly important to ensure that digital administration is not only efficient but also easily accessible. Portugal’s digital strategy combines technological modernisation with inclusion and universal access.

Europe’s first digital business wallet

With the Digital Business Wallet, Portugal introduced the first corporate wallet within the European Union in early 2026.

Companies and their representatives can use it to access and securely share important documentation in one central location. This includes, for example, company details, tax and social security certificates, information on beneficial owners and other official documents. The information is automatically updated and can be verified via a QR code, amongst other methods.

The solution thus extends the principle of digital identity from individuals to businesses. At the same time, it is aligned with the European eIDAS Regulation, which has recently been revised – a model for cross-border digital business processes.

Public administration as a shared platform

Behind all these applications lies a coordinated digital government strategy. The Agency for State Technological Reform, or ARTE for short, is responsible for steering and implementing the technological transformation of public administration.

The focus is on shared technical infrastructures, interoperable systems, secure authentication and a consistent user experience. Public authorities should no longer develop isolated digital solutions, but instead draw on shared platforms, data and standards.

The so-called Mosaico model demonstrates just how consistently Portugal is pursuing this approach. It defines binding principles for user-centred and accessible public services. These include a shared design system, centralised payment and notification services, and standardised methods for secure login.

World leader in digital government

In the OECD Digital Government Index 2025, Portugal achieved a score of 0.86, placing it well above the OECD average of 0.70. Compared with the previous survey, the country improved by 0.22 points and moved into the global leading group.

Portugal performed particularly well in the areas of ‘Digital by Design’, ‘User-Driven Government’, ‘Government as a Platform’ and ‘Proactiveness’. According to ARTE, the country even took first place in the ‘Government as a Platform’ category.

The index does not merely assess the number of services available digitally. Rather, it examines whether a country has common strategies, infrastructure and governance mechanisms in place to ensure the long-term development of its public administration in a digital, data-driven and user-centred manner.

Digitalisation for all

Despite all its successes, Portugal’s digital transformation is not yet complete. The national strategy is guided by the principle ‘Where digital simplifies’: technology should simplify collaboration between the state, the economy and society – not create additional barriers.

Trust, transparency, inclusion, sustainability and responsible innovation are therefore among the strategy’s core principles. Digital services are complemented by training programmes, personalised support and the option to continue speaking directly to a member of staff.

This is because digital skills remain a challenge in Portugal too. Whilst the European Commission acknowledges the country’s high-performance networks and progress in digital public services, it sees a need for further action regarding basic digital skills and the use of artificial intelligence by businesses.

From a digital to a smart country

The next stage of development therefore goes beyond traditional e-government services. Cloud infrastructures, artificial intelligence and automation are intended to integrate administrative processes more closely and make public services more proactive.

Among other things, Portugal is planning a sovereign cloud infrastructure, additional computing capacity, a national AI factory and, with “AMALIA”, its own Portuguese language model.

At the same time, cities and rural regions are to be viewed more as a cohesive digital ecosystem. To this end, the “Digital and Intelligent Nation” initiative combines technologies such as AI, the Internet of Things and 5G with issues such as demographic change, climate adaptation, territorial cohesion and the provision of public services.

Consequently, the objectives are also changing: it is no longer simply a matter of replicating existing processes online. Digital technologies are intended to make a targeted contribution to better addressing social and economic challenges.

Portugal at the Smart Country Convention 2026

As the official partner country of the Smart Country Convention 2026, Portugal is bringing its experience with digital identities, interoperable administrative platforms and user-centred public services to Berlin.

The country demonstrates that successful digitalisation of public administration does not begin with individual applications. It arises when political strategy, shared technical foundations and people’s actual needs are considered together.

From 13 to 15 October 2026, the Smart Country Convention will offer the opportunity to learn about Portugal’s solutions, exchange experiences and discuss together how a modern, efficient and accessible public sector can be shaped in Europe.