Allen T. Says:
Do I need to be a citizen to use Portugal’s public healthcare?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Allen,
The National Health Service of Portugal (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) is available to citizens as well as both temporary and permanent residents.
As an expat, you must arrange for a Portuguese Número de Contribuinte, the tax number for the country, at your local Finanças office. It is also good to have a Número de Segurança Social, the local social security card.
Once you have your Portuguese ID number and residence permit, head to your nearest Health Center to receive a User’s Card with a Número Utente. This allows unquestioned access to the state medical system.
If you are a citizen of a European Union country, your ID from that country is honored in Portugal as well, entitling you to the same medical care available to Portuguese residents.
You must have a European Health Insurance Card to receive care, though. This card can be applied for through your home country health service for those who are residents of an EU country.
In Portugal it is applied for through the Segurança Social web portal. You must have applied for a Número de Segurança Social before you can request it. This is different from the Número de Contribuinte mentioned above.
It’s important for non-EU immigrants to obtain as it allows travel throughout the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein without concern about a medical emergency.
You can read more about healthcare in Portugal in Chapter 7 of Escape to Portugal, available on the IL Bookstore.
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