Portugal Healthcare: The Complete Guide for Expats in 2026

Portugal offers some of the best healthcare in the world, ranking 21^st  in the 2026 Numbeo Healthcare Index, with accessible prices for retirees, visitors, and American families. 

In fact, Portugal healthcare expenses are a fraction of the costs that American citizens spend on US healthcare. Even private health insurance in Portugal is accessible with no hidden costs, deductibles, or high co-pays.  

Foreigners who become Portuguese residents can access public healthcare in Portugal through the National Health Service (SNS). With the SNS, the majority of essential medical services are either free or heavily subsidized, while prescription medication, dental care, and some specialized diagnostic tests remain very affordable. 

In this article, you can read more about how Portugal’s healthcare system works for expats in 2026, the medical expenses in public and private institutions, and the overall quality of care. 

Portugal Healthcare for Foreigners: Key Takeaways

Portugal offers both public and private healthcare channels, allowing foreigners to choose based on budget and service needs.

Foreigners living in Portugal can access the public healthcare system (SNS) once they register and obtain a healthcare user number.

Portugal’s public healthcare provides low-cost primary care, emergency services, hospital treatment, and routine medical support.

Access generally requires proof of legal residency, a residence card, and registration through local health centers.

Private health insurance is widely used for faster appointments, access to specialists, and expanded coverage options.

The Portuguese healthcare system has three main pillars: The National Health Service (SNS), occupational health subsystems for certain professions, and private insurance schemes (which are optional).  

The Portuguese public healthcare system (Serviço Nacional de Saúde – SNS) operates under the authority of the Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde), which defines national health policy and regulatory frameworks.  

The second health subsystem is the Health Subsystem Program in Portugal, which offers specialized social health insurance to civil servants, military, banking professionals, and police officers. It is an important public health subsystem that is occupation-based and works in parallel to the SNS.  

The third pillar is the voluntary private healthcare. One of the main networks for private healthcare in Portugal are Medis, AdvanceCare, and Multicare. You can buy private health insurance from non-Portuguese and Portuguese insurance companies. 

Regional Health Administrations (Administração Regional de Saúde – ARS) implement regional health policies and coordinate primary care services and hospital networks. However, Portugal is currently transitioning toward new organizational structures such as Local Health Units (ULS). 

The Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) provides central support to the Portuguese healthcare system, mainly in financial management, human resources, procurement, and infrastructure planning. 

Tip: To access Portugal’s public healthcare system (SNS), Portuguese residents must register with the SNS at their local health center (Centro de Saúde). Here, they will obtain an SNS user number (Número de Utente) and get assigned a family doctor (médico de família). From here on out, the family doctor (general practitioner – GP) becomes their first point of contact and provides SNS referrals, prescription medication, routine care, and other medical services.  

Portugal’s healthcare for foreigners is not completely free. However, if you obtain a legal residency status, you can get long-term access to public healthcare in Portugal.  

Through the SNS Portugal (Serviço Nacional de Saúde), most essential services are free, such as: 

• GP appointments 
• Specialist appointments (with SNS referral) 
• Hospital treatment (i.e., surgery and inpatient care when medically necessary) 
• Maternity care (i.e., childbirth, postnatal care, prenatal care) 
• Children’s healthcare  
• Routine vaccines under the National Vaccination Program 
• Preventive screenings 
• Tests and diagnostics (i.e., blood tests, X-rays, and other diagnostic tests prescribed by an SNS doctor) 

Keep in mind that public healthcare in Portugal doesn’t fully cover medical services such as cosmetic procedures, dental care, eye care, emergency room visits (without an SNS referral), and most prescription medications.  

While some of these medical expenses are partially subsidized, others often come with an additional cost. Even so, healthcare costs in Portugal remain more affordable than in the US and the UK. Portugal’s SNS system is very accessible to most expats with legal residency status and to Portuguese citizens. 

Roughly 20% to 25% of the Portuguese residents and locals opt for private health insurance in Portugal to supplement their public healthcare.  

Private healthcare in Portugal offers shorter waiting times, quicker access to medical services and specialist consultations, a higher percentage of English-speaking staff, and potential coverage for vision and dental care.  

In general, private Portugal healthcare for tourists and locals is more comfortable, since clinic visits are faster and the queues are shorter. Many private healthcare facilities tend to have rooms with better privacy and skilled English-speaking staff.  

Keep in mind that rural areas have fewer options for healthcare services and specialists, which often means that you may need to travel to nearby towns or major cities. For an insured person, private coverage can be useful where private providers are more widely available. 

However, there are downsides. Depending on your Portugal health insurance plan and the provider, you might need to pay a copayment, cover the upfront costs, and then submit a claim for reimbursement.  

Without private health insurance in Portugal, private healthcare costs can add up. With Portugal’s public health system, most of the medical care is free or comes with a nominal fee, and prescription medicine is often subsidized.  

That said, in 2022, most user fees (taxas moderadoras) were abolished in Portugal’s public healthcare system by Decree-Law No. 37/2022 (Decreto-Lei n.º 37/2022, de 27 de maio). 

Here is the difference in Portugal’s healthcare costs between the public and private systems (with and without insurance) for 2026.

Keep in mind that these are just general estimates only and will vary based on your insurance coverage, health issues, age, and other factors.

Hospitals, health centers, and clinics all deliver Portuguese healthcare services for women.

The Portuguese health system covers maternity and childcare services, and expectant mothers generally receive care at a public hospital near their homes. Private medical care is also an option if the expectant mother has health insurance.

Prenatal care takes place at the hospital. During the initial appointment, the mother-to-be receives a Pregnancy Booklet (Boletim de Saúde da Grávida), and her doctor will record the ongoing medical information as the pregnancy progresses.

Maternity wards offer prenatal classes, though they are not generally covered by public health insurance. Midwives are on hand to help with the birth.

Gynecologists can be accessed through your GP. They work at health centers and clinics, providing health advice and performing routine examinations.

Children receive free healthcare in Portugal. They have regular health checks from birth and can access services such as screenings, examinations, vaccinations, and nutritional healthcare.

They will also have a record that charts their progress. In Portugal, primary doctors and pediatricians are responsible for medical care for children.

Portugal has a national vaccination system for children through the SNS, vaccinating against diseases such as Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, COVID-19, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.

Portugal also has a system to help children under six who are lagging in development, called the Sistema Nacional de Intervernção Precoce na Infância (SNIPI). The SNIPI has units in all areas of Portugal, and it employs the following specialists: nurses, social workers, educators, speech therapists, and physiotherapists.

Mental healthcare services in Portugal are provided by mental health teams operating in hospitals and health centers. Studies have shown that around one in five Portuguese people have experienced mental health problems.

While mental health and substance abuse are issues in Portugal, the mental healthcare system and the provision of mental healthcare are not as developed as in many other countries. Consequently, there is a shortage of mental health specialists relative to the Portuguese population.

Portugal has around 12 psychiatrists per 100,000 inhabitants, which is below the EU average, according to OECD and WHO data. OECD and WHO reports also note workforce shortages and access pressures in mental healthcare services.

Your GP should be your first point of contact for accessing mental healthcare services through the SNS. Depending on your situation and the service availability where you are living, your GP can:

• Prescribe medication
• Refer you to counseling or a specialist
• Refer you to an emergency or psychiatric unit in more serious circumstances
• Refer you to a community-based program

Portugal’s national health service only provides basic mental health assistance. To access a wider range of services, it is best to have private health insurance.

Pharmacies, known in Portuguese as farmácias, are widely distributed throughout Portugal. Many medicines, including over-the-counter medications, are subsidized when obtained with a prescription, making them very cost-effective.

Remembering the generic name of any medication or prescription drug you might need is advisable, as brand names can vary from country to country.

For example, Fluoxetine is commonly sold under the brand name Prozac in the US, but it is often sold under different brand names in other countries. In Portugal, it’s most commonly sold under the name Nodepe.

If you require assistance for a medical emergency, phone the European Emergency Number on 112. This number is directed to the ambulance, police, and fire services.

You can also call the SNS (public health services) information hotline: 808242424, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The service is available in English and is free of charge. Emergency departments in Portugal include semi-private, curtained-off areas like most US emergency departments.

Non-Portuguese residents who visit Portugal, have a holiday home there, or stay in the country for less than 90 days have different healthcare coverage in Portugal based on their residency status and insurance entitlement.  

EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens

If you visit Portugal as a citizen of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland, you can rely on your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) 

You can obtain the EHIC in your home country before you travel to Portugal. The EHIC card offers access to necessary medical care in Portugal’s healthcare system. 

Non-EU citizens

To enter Portugal, Schengen visa applicants require insurance coverage of at least €30,000, which can cost anywhere from €90 to €130 for three months. 

Many non-EU citizens (e.g., the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Japan) are visa-exempt and don’t need mandatory insurance to enter Portugal, although it is highly recommended. 

For comprehensive options, many expats prefer to check quotes from insurers like World Nomads, Atlas Travel, Europ Assistance, and AXA for Schengen Zone insurance, to name a few. 

UK citizens

After Brexit, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) has replaced the EHIC for British citizens. The GHIC provides similar coverage within EU countries, including Portugal. We suggest you obtain a GHIC card before you travel to Portugal.  

Long-term residents in Portugal

After you become a resident in Portugal and you are working in Portugal (regardless if you are self-employed or employed), your legal residency, registering for a SNS user number (Número de Utente), and your contributions to the Social Security system (Segurança Social), make you eligible for public healthcare in Portugal.  

Retired EU citizens 

Retired EU citizens obtain coverage in Portugal via reciprocal arrangements with their countries of citizenship.  

To register for healthcare in Portugal as an EU pensioner, follow these steps:

• Receive an S1 form: Before you move to Portugal, request the S1 form (formerly E121) from the health insurance institution in the EU country that pays your pension. The S1 confirms your entitlement to healthcare in another EU/EEA country. 
• Register with Portuguese authorities: After you arrive in Portugal, show the S1 form to the Portuguese Social Security Institute (Segurança Social) in the area where you plan to live.  
• Register with the local health center: With your processed S1 form, go to the Centro de Saúde (health center) in your area of residence. Here, you will register for an SNS user number (Número de Utente) that people often refer to as the Portuguese health card in everyday language. 

In big cities such as Lisbon, Porto, and Faro, many healthcare professionals speak English, which can make moving abroad easier for expats.  

In Portugal’s public hospitals, doctors and medical specialists are more likely to speak English than the administrative staff. However, in rural areas and at health centers in smaller towns, you may encounter language barriers.  

When it comes to private healthcare in Portugal, English is more widely used by the administrative staff as well as doctors and specialists.