Blanca Valbuena

A great activity to do with kids is the Discoveries Monument in Belem

How to Get Portuguese Medical Insurance

15 Comments / Europe Travel, Health, Portugal Travel, Travel / By
When you are going through the process to move to Portugal by getting the D7 residency visa, one of the requirements is that you have health insurance. The process is not hard, but you need to check off a few boxes. Portuguese medical insurance is said to be some of the best in the world. In fact, the World Health Organization ranked it the 12th best. On top of this, compared to medical insurance in the US, Portuguese Medical Insurance is significantly cheaper. Before we get into how to get health insurance here, let’s discuss how the system works:

How the Portuguese Medical Insurance Works

STATE MEDICAL INSURANCE

Servicio Nacional de Saude
The Servicio Nacional de Saude is very affordable, but it can take a long time to get appointments.
State healthcare is available to Portuguese citizens via the Servicio Nacional de Saude (SNS). This service is run by the Ministry of Health and is not the easiest to figure out. The overall service is good, but most likely – if you’re an expat, you won’t have the patience to work with this system. The system has a lot of subscribers and waiting times for services can take what seems like forever. The state-run system covers a percentage of care, so if you have a particular illness or a pre-existing condition; private health insurance will most likely cover more of what you need. Portuguese health insurance also does not cover dental. Eye care is complicated. You need to see your health center to get a referral and since the system is so booked up, getting an appointment can take months. Contact lenses and glasses are also not covered. For all these reasons, we decided to just pick up private health insurance (covered at the bottom of the post).

State Medical Insurance for Portuguese Employees

Portuguese Employee Insurance
Insurance for expats working in Portugal for Portuguese Employers
If you work in Portugal for a Portuguese company, the company will enroll you and set up payments into their social security system. If you are self-employed, you need to apply the Instituto da Solidariedade e da Segurança Social  BEFORE you apply for state-run Portuguese Medical Insurance. Once you are in the Social Security system you will need to:
  • Visit your local centro de saude
  • Bring your social security card, passport & residence permit
When you go, you will be assigned a doctor and given a temporary registration certificate. A permanent cartão do utente (healthcare card) will be mailed to you. You need to bring this card with you anytime you visit the health center to get your discounted services.

State Medical Insurance for Non-Portuguese Residents

Those who haven’t received their residence permit can go to their local Junta da Freguesia (town hall). Ask them for a certificate of residency (you will need ID, NIF & your lease – takes a few days). The health center also accepts this for the cartão do utente.

PRIVATE PORTUGUESE INSURANCE

In case you don’t meet the qualifications for Portuguese state insurance or that you need to have wider coverage, you can procure private medical insurance. State-run insurance does not cover dental and their vision services are narrow, so if you need to visit the dentist or eye doctor, this will be a must for you. Private healthcare in Portugal will make you privy to short wait times, better medical centers, more choice, and even more English speaking doctors. It also comes in handy if you should need to go in for an emergency room visit in Lisbon. How much you pay depends on which insurance agency you choose, but the prices aren’t anywhere near what you’d pay in other countries.
NOTE: Many of the private insurance companies won’t accept or will cancel people once they reach 55 years old. Make sure that if you are close to this age that you discuss what the policy is as you get older so you don’t get a nasty surprise.

List of Portuguese Medical Insurance Companies

These are a few Portuguese Medical Insurance companies you can choose from and the average price for their services. We’re still researching these and will update as the companies get back to us. Ageas Seguros: Cost is around €130/month Allianz: Will insure over 65 with a partnership with Afpop. Medis: Will insure people under 65, if you buy your insurance before your 65th birthday, you can stay on forever. Cost is around €130/month for younger people and €130/month for a younger couple. Multicare: Will insure over 55 years. AXA: I’ll update once I get more details from them. Tranquilidade: I’ll update once I get more details from them. Regency: I’ll update once I get more details from them.
PRO TIP: If you have a pre-existing condition and you want your insurance to cover treatment, wait around 6 months before you start doing tests and seeing specialists (only if it is not an emergency – medical issues should be dealt as quickly as possible – so this is not medical advice). If you start to get tests a month or two after you get your insurance, they may decline pre-authorizations because of “pre-existing” conditions – even if you never had signs of the issue before.

Portuguese Insurance for EU Citizens

Citizens of the EU have it way easier than other expats. Through the European Health Insurance Card, they get access to the Portuguese healthcare system. Most treatments are free or require a small fee. In the long run, an EU citizen moving to Portugal will probably want to fully move either into the Portuguese health system or pick up private insurance, but in the short term, the European Health Insurance card should be just fine. Have more questions about Portugal? Leave it in the comments and we’ll get back to you!

15 thoughts on “How to Get Portuguese Medical Insurance”

  1. Maria Marin

    Hi!

    My parents are soon moving to Portugal for 3 months and I am looking for an insurance for them. You mentioned that you opted for a private insurance and I want to do the same. If I may ask, which of the private insurances that you mention in this blog is the one you selected? how has it been with them?

    I have been reading the policies from the insurances you linked and I am a bit confused. If my parents would like to go for a check up or because of the flu or any pain to the general doctor, can they use these insurances? All the insurances talk about hospitalization but I don’t see them list what happens when you just go to the normal doctor…

    Thank you!

  2. Blanca Valbuena

    Hi Maria,

    A big congrats to your parents on moving to Portugal. I opted for Medis and they have been wonderful.
    It all depends on the Portuguese Insurance plan your parents choose. The one I chose allows me to go to the doctor and pay $15 per visit. This includes my general practitioner, podiatrist, nutritionist, etc…
    An emergency room visit costs $40.
    This post has a bit more info on the cost of medical procedures in Portugal, hope it helps >> https://blancavalbuena.com/healthcare-prices-portugal/

    Blanca

  3. A.fassihiani

    Hi
    I am moving to Lisbon on D visa in January . I would. Like to know wether l can present a state medical insurance instead of private medical insurance to SEF for getting my resident permit. If it is possible to do so, from where an d what documents are required to get a state medical insurance .
    Thank you

  4. Blanca Valbuena

    Hi,

    AFAIK, if you are coming in on a D7 visa, you are expected not to use public services like the public healthcare system. That’s why one of the requirements is that you have health insurance. I would speak with your Portuguese Immigration lawyer for the latest laws, but last I checked using the state healthcare system was a no go.

    Definitely update me if you hear otherwise.

    And congrats on your moving to Lisbon. It’s a wonderful place to live!

  5. Tony

    Hi Blanca,
    Love your fantastic blog!
    My wife and I, 75 and 80 yrs. old, respectively, plan to move to Portugal this year and your informative blog has been hugely helpful, thanks for sharing.
    Regarding the required medical insurance for applicants for the 4-month,, temporary residence visa, because of our ages, none of the providers we’ve looked at will cover us. If, by any chance, you happen to know of, or have heard of, providers which may, however, we’d appreciate hearing.
    Cumprimentos.

  6. Blanca Valbuena

    Thanks for the kind words, Tony…and congrats on making the move. You’re looking for travel insurance to fit your requirement, is this correct?

  8. Tony

    Thanks for your reply, Blanca. Not so much travel insurance as health insurance: the Washington Consulate has informed us we would need to have €30,000 coverage for at least one year. Any suggestions as to an affordable provider?

    Keep up the good work!

  9. Tony

    Thank you Antonio, appreciate having your input. Any relevant suggestions would be welcome. Look forward to hearing from you, then.

  10. Blanca Valbuena

    Hey Tony,

    This won’t help with your US insurance issue for the visa…but once you get through all that – in PT I was told you could check out Allianz because they will insure someone older than 70 if they are a member of Afpop (Google it for some more info). When you do find an insurance that fits your needs for the 4-month requirement, make sure to update us here. I am sure that info can help a ton of people just like you 🙂

  11. Tony

    Despite my best efforts, Blanca, we still haven’t solved the insurance issue. We both have NIFs but haven’t found a provider willing to insure us for a year, as required by the DC Consulate, because of our ages, 80 & 75, I think. We really hope you can suggest a solution.

    Thanks for all you do, your vocation for helping and your public-spiritedness is outstanding. Bless you!

    I happen to know of a Portuguese lawyer who charges 150€ to get an NIF and be a Fiscal Representative per year until the client does take up residence, should you be interested in sharing this information.

  12. Blanca Valbuena

    Hi Tony,

    Not sure if you saw my response, but I may have someone who I trust that can help you with the health insurance. Let me see what they say. And sure. I actually just wrote an article on English-speaking lawyers in Lisbon, and plan on expanding the list. Are they here or in another city?

    Blanca

  13. kerstin

    Hi Blanca, we have the same problems. My grandparents are 80+. Can they purchase any medical insurance in portugal?

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