Health insurance in Portugal.
The visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
The rules
What Portugal asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- D7 and D8 visas: medical travel cover
The official checklist for residence visas, including the D7 and D8, asks for insurance covering medical costs, urgent care and repatriation. A UK S1 or similar agreement can replace it.
Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt - How long: depends on your consulate
A residence visa lasts 4 months, then you apply for a residence permit. Consulates ask for anything from 4 to 12 months of cover, so check yours.
Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt - University students
Students admitted to a recognised university do not have to show health insurance for the visa, according to the official checklist.
Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt - Residents: get an SNS number
With a residence permit, register at your local health centre with ID, a NIF and your address to get an SNS user number.
Source: gov.pt - The number alone is not cover
The official page says getting a número de utente does not guarantee the SNS pays for your care. Your ID, NIF, address and valid residence permit must be linked to your record.
Source: gov.pt - UK pensioners: the S1
UK state pensioners can register an S1 in Portugal and use the SNS on the same terms as Portuguese citizens.
Source: gov.uk
Legal residents register at their local centro de saúde with a passport, residence certificate and NIF, and get a número de utente. Workers also need a NISS. The SNS is not completely free: you pay towards medicines and some visits.
Source: gov.ukLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
Portuguese plans are often cheap but have low limits and age caps. International plans cost more but follow you, and can last for life.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Portugal. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Portugal.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Portugal and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Portugal.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- Age limits
Many Portuguese plans stop taking new customers at 60, 65 or 70, and some end cover at that age. Check the plan lasts as long as you will.
- Cover until your SNS record works
Your SNS number only pays once your permit, NIF and address are linked. Keep the visa policy, or a local plan, running until then.
- Pre-existing conditions
Portuguese plans can apply a waiting time of up to 1 year to a known condition. Read the exclusions list.
- Visa wording
For the visa, the policy must say medical costs, urgent care and repatriation, and run as long as your consulate asks. Local plans often leave out repatriation.
Step by step
Getting covered in Portugal.
- 01Buy cover the consulate accepts. For a D7 or D8 visa, the policy must pay medical costs, urgent care and repatriation, and run as long as your consulate asks, from 4 to 12 months.
- 02Get a NIF. Every foreigner needs a Portuguese tax number. Residents and non-residents can both ask for one, and you need it for the health centre later.
- 03Turn the visa into a residence permit. The visa lasts 4 months. Apply for the residence permit inside that time, and keep your private cover running until the SNS record is complete.
- 04Register at your centro de saúde. Bring your passport, residence certificate and NIF, plus a NISS if you work. You leave with a número de utente.
- 05Check your SNS record is linked. Ask the health centre to confirm your ID, NIF, address and permit are all on file. Until they are, the número de utente won’t make the SNS pay.
- 06UK pensioners: register the S1 twice. Register the S1 at a segurança social office, then again at your centro de saúde.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Thinking an SNS number means free care. It only works once your permit, NIF and address are on your record.
- 02Buying exactly 4 months of cover when your consulate asks for 6 or 12.
- 03Choosing a local plan that ends at 65, then paying much more for new cover later.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Just visiting?For a holiday or a short trip, travel insurance is enough. See what Portugal asks of visitors, and what care costs.
Questions
People also ask.
Do I need health insurance for the Portugal D7 visa?+
Yes, unless an agreement such as a UK S1 replaces it. The checklist asks for cover for medical costs, urgent care and repatriation.
Can expats use the Portuguese public health system?+
Yes, once you are a legal resident. Register at your local health centre with ID, NIF, address and residence permit.
Does the insurance have to be Portuguese?+
The official visa checklist does not say so. Some consulates have extra rules, so check yours.
Is healthcare free in Portugal for residents?+
Not completely. Residents pay towards medicines and some visits, and the SNS only pays once your permit, NIF and address are on your record.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.