Each Loja do Cidadão has counters staffed by public and private companies, enabling members of the public to get various types of paperwork done in one place.

There were 12,000 Citizen's ID Cards made at shops and 17,000 online, Silva said, one month after the launch of iSimplex 2019, the scheme to simplify red tape and bureaucracy.

Because of high demand in recent months, solutions were put in place to solve the long queues for those having to renew their Citizen’s ID Cards, including an online renewal scheme, which has been running since 20 June.

Regarding the long queues outside Lojas do Cidadão, service tickets are being distributed outside first thing in the morning, before the shops open, which has reduced queues a lot because people do not have to queue to get a ticket inside, she said.

The online application process continues to grow and the aim is to extend it to other regions of the country, thus to respond to the diverse demands of emigrants and nationals

In Lisbon, when an ID Card is about to expire, the holder now receives an SMS text with a proposed date and time for renewal at the Loja do Cidadão. This has greatly reduced the long queues.

Asked about the opening of the new Loja do Cidadão in the Picoas area of Lisbon, which was planned for the first half of the year, the minister said it would happen in August.