At the end of June, Foreign and Border Services (SEF) launched an innovative pilot project, Smart SEF ID, which will allow foreign college students to renew their residence permits via a mobile application.
Smart SEF ID is an innovative and new project in Europe.
According to Cristina Gatões, SEF director, the purpose of this application is for foreign citizens to be able to do the whole process of renewal of residence permit on time or the same day. To start the process, foreign citizens need to have the SEF application installed on their mobile phones and go to a kiosk to collect the biometric data and confirm that it is on the SEF services.
The pilot project will take place for a few months with foreign students from the University of Coimbra. If the result is positive, it will be extended to other higher education establishments and institutions.
