Lisbon, Feb. 10, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's Social Security system has made a new form of payment available, with it now to be possible for companies and individuals to pay contributions by bank transfer, using a unique virtual bank account number indicated on the payment document.

"Social Security has made a new form of payment available, via bank transfer, making the process simpler and more efficient," reads a note published on Friday on the website of the Social Security Institute (ISS).

According to the institute, "citizens and companies" can make payments to Social Security "via the virtual IBAN indicated on the payment document.

"For each payment document issued, an IBAN reference is generated, which is used only once for the payment of the amount indicated therein," adds the same note, emphasising that "the IBAN is now included not only in the payment documents issued by citizens, but also in those that are automatically made available by Social Security."

To access the payment document, citizens and companies should log into the Segurança Social Direta portal, go to the "Conta Corrente" menu, then "Pagamentos Segurança Social" and then "Consultar monantes a pagar e emitir documentos de pagamento," the note explains.

During a recent hearing in parliament, the minister of labour said that the government wanted to "continue to deepen the digital transformation of Social Security." 

To this end, she said, it will "launch a programme in the coming months to reduce queues... step up the fight against undue payments" and "implement the option of paying Social Security by MB Way" - an online payment system, the minister announced at the time, noting that this last measure will be brought forward, as it was planned "for next year."

JMF/ARO // ARO.

Lusa