The Portuguese National Health System (SNS) is composed of health units (Hospitals and Health Centers), providing full health coverage for registered individuals and citizens. There is also a private healthcare system in Portugal that provides high-quality medical services to patients. Portugal also has an Integrated Medical Emergency System, which ensures the provision of fast and accurate health care to victims of accidents or sudden illness.
All foreigners residing or employed in Portugal normally obtain the same healthcare rights as Portuguese nationals, because your employer must automatically enrol you and arrange payments into the Social Security system in Portugal.
It is also possible to take out private health insurance in Portugal. Private healthcare generally offers shorter waiting times, better facilities, greater variety and fewer language barriers. Private insurance can be obtained to cover the costs of glasses, contact lenses, general dentistry and orthodontic treatment that are not covered by the public health system.
Supplementary health insurance is mandatory by law for those applying for a temporary visa with no source of income and no eligibility for coverage from another EU country.
If you have private health insurance, check whether your provider has agreements with a private hospital outside the public service. If you need to go to the Hospital, the national network of units belonging to the National Health Service is available:
https://www.sns.gov.pt/sns/pesquisa-prestadores/
If you need to use the National Health Service, remember that you can get medical assistance at your nearest local Health Centre. In case of emergency, you can resort to Hospital Emergency Services (serious trauma, poisoning, burns, heart attacks, thrombosis, respiratory problems, etc.). Call the European emergency number: 112. There is also an information line where you can get advice and assistance on health matters - Health Line 24 – (+351) 808 24 24 24 .
To benefit from public health care you must register with the health center in your area of residence. You will need to bring your social security card, passport and residence permit with you. If you have not yet received your residence permit, you can obtain a certificate from your “Junta de Freguesia” confirming more than 90 days of residence in Portugal. After registering, the health center services will give you a health service user number (user card), which you must carry with you at all times, and you will be able to access the medical services of the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS). If you come from a non-European country with which the Portuguese State has concluded an international agreement on health and social security, you must also present a certified declaration, issued in your country of origin, which gives the right to access medical care in Portugal (for example, the cdam/pb4 form, in the case of citizens of Brazil). If you come from a country in the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you must present your European Health Insurance Card. In other cases, you must present your private health insurance. Current legal taxes will be applied according to each situation.
Pharmacies are typically open all day Monday through Friday (although some close at lunchtime) and on Saturday mornings. Some pharmacies are open on Sundays. In any case, there are always 24-hour facilities in each area for urgent medical issues. Lists of pharmacies with 24-hour service are available at any pharmacy, or on the website: www.farmaciasportuguesas.pt
Ambulance transport in an emergency situation is included in the provision of care as it is supported by the treating hospital. Transportation of non-urgent patients is also available and can be used in certain situations during a temporary stay, such as when traveling from the hospital to the unit where the patient will undergo hemodialysis or when the patient does not have alternative means of transportation.
This is a free card that gives access to necessary and state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost. It is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare costs or costs such as a flight back to your home country or lost/stolen property. Do not cover your costs if you are traveling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment. Since each country's healthcare system is different, services that cost nothing at home may not be free in another country. People from non-EU countries who are legally resident in the EU and are covered by a state social security scheme are also eligible for a card. The European Commission has developed a smartphone tool that provides details on how to use the EHIC in different EU countries. It summarizes treatments, costs, reimbursement procedures, and emergency numbers.
Aon Student Insurance is an insurance program designed for students, staff or faculty on the go, with the option to subscribe individually directly through the Aon website.
