How to Find a Doctor in Portugal: Public and Private Healthcare

Portugal has a universal public health service, the SNSPortugal's national health service, available to legal residents. SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) is its triage and advice line; in an emergency call 112. (Serviço Nacional de Saúde), and a large private sector that many residents use alongside it. Knowing which door to knock on – the health centre, the SNS 24 line, the hospital emergency department or a private clinic – saves time and money.

This guide explains how to register with the SNS, how to see a GP, what to do in an emergency, when private care makes sense and how to find a doctor who speaks English.

In short:

• Register at your local health centre (centro de saúde) to get a número de utente (SNS user number).
• Ask to be assigned a family doctor (médico de família) – but be prepared for waiting lists in some areas.
• For anything non-urgent but worrying, call SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 first.
• In an emergency, call 112.
• Going to a hospital emergency department without referral can cost €14–€18 (max €40 per visit) if you're not admitted; with an SNS 24 referral, it's free.
• Private clinics offer faster access; a consultation typically costs €50–€100 without insurance.

How healthcare is organised in Portugal

For a broader overview of the system, see healthcare in Portugal.

Step 1: Get your número de utente

The Número de utenteYour user number in the national health service (SNS). You get it when you register at the health centre for your address. is your SNS user number. You need it to book appointments, get prescriptions at the public rate and use SNS services.

Who can register

• Residents in Portugal, including EU citizens with a registration certificate and non-EU citizens with a residence permit or a pending application.
• In some cases, people without a residence permit can get a provisional or temporary number.

How to register

1. Go to the health centreYour local public health centre — where you register with the SNS and are assigned a family doctor. that covers your address. You can find it on the SNS website by postcode.
2. Bring documents:
   • Passport or EU ID card
   • NIF
   • Proof of address (rental contract, utility bill or atestado de residência)
   • Residence permit, EU registration certificate (CRUE), or proof of your AIMAThe public agency that handles residence permits for non-EU nationals. It replaced SEF for these matters in 2023. application
   • NISS, if you have one
3. Ask for registration (inscrição) and for a family doctor.

Foreign residents can also request the NIF, NISS and SNS number together through the gov.pt services for migrants.

Your number appears on a printed document or in the SNS 24 app. Keep it handy.

Step 2: Get a family doctor (médico de família)

Once registered, you can ask to be assigned a family doctor at your health centre. Your family doctor:

• Sees you for routine and acute problems
• Renews prescriptions
• Orders tests
• Refers you to hospital specialists

The reality: Portugal has a shortage of family doctors, and well over a million SNS users don't have one assigned, especially in Lisbon and the Tagus Valley and the Algarve. If none is available, you'll be put on a waiting list but can still get appointments for acute problems (consulta aberta or consulta de doença aguda), usually on the same or next day.

Booking an appointment

• In person at the health centre
• By phone
• Online or in the SNS 24 app, if your health centre allows it

SNS consultations at health centres are free.

Step 3: SNS 24 – your first call when unsure

SNS 24 is the national health line and digital service:

• Phone: 808 24 24 24 – 24 hours a day. Nurses assess your symptoms and tell you whether to rest at home, see your GP, go to an emergency department or call 112. Calls are possible in English.
• App and website – manage your SNS details, see prescriptions, book some appointments, download vaccination records and sick notes.

Why call first? If SNS 24 refers you to the hospital emergency department, you don't pay the emergency fee, and you'll often be seen faster.

Emergencies

When to call 112

Call 112 for life-threatening emergencies: chest pain, stroke symptoms, serious accidents, heavy bleeding, difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness. The INEM emergency medical service will respond.

Hospital emergency departments (urgências)

• Extra tests can add charges, but the maximum per visit is €40.
• No fee if you were referred by SNS 24, your health centre or INEM, or if you're admitted to hospital.
• Children, pregnant women and people on low incomes are among those exempt.

All other SNS services – GP consultations, hospital outpatient appointments, tests requested by SNS doctors – are free of user fees.

At the emergency department, patients are triaged using the Manchester triage system (colour-coded wristbands). Non-urgent cases can wait many hours.

Private healthcare

Many residents, including Portuguese families, use private healthcare for faster access to specialists, tests and paediatricians.

Main private hospital groups

• CUF
• Luz Saúde (Hospital da Luz)
• Lusíadas Saúde
• Trofa Saúde (mainly in the north)
• Many independent clinics and specialist practices

Typical private prices (without insurance)

Health insurance

Private health insurance (seguro de saúde) is widely used and relatively affordable. Common providers and networks include Médis, Multicare (Fidelidade), AdvanceCare and insurers such as Allianz and Ageas. Policies typically give discounted or co-paid access to a network of private doctors and hospitals.

Things to check:

• Waiting periods (períodos de carência) for some services
• Exclusions for pre-existing conditions
• Age limits for new policies – some insurers won't accept new customers over 60–65
• Whether the policy gives reimbursement for doctors outside the network

Many residence visa applications require health insurance until you're registered with the SNS – see our visa guides.

Finding an English-speaking doctor

• Private hospitals in Lisbon, Porto, Cascais and the Algarve usually have English-speaking doctors – you can often filter by language when booking online.
• Health centres: many younger doctors speak English, but it isn't guaranteed. Bring a Portuguese speaker or use a translation app for complex appointments, and learn some basic Portuguese.
• Embassies often publish lists of English-speaking doctors.
• Our healthcare services directory lists official services and the languages they work in.

Prescriptions and pharmacies

• SNS prescriptions are electronic: you get an SMS or email with a code, or see them in the SNS 24 app. Show it at any pharmacy.
• The SNS subsidises medicines (comparticipação) at different rates; you pay the rest.
• Pharmacies (look for the green cross) are a good first stop for minor problems; pharmacists can advise on over-the-counter medicines.
• Out of hours, each area has a duty pharmacy (farmácia de serviço), listed on every pharmacy door and online.

Dentists, eye care and mental health

• Dentists are mostly private. The SNS offers dental vouchers (cheques-dentista) for some groups (children, pregnant women, older people on low incomes) and dental care in some health centres.
• Optometrists and opticians are private; ophthalmology appointments on the SNS require a referral.
• Mental health: ask your family doctor for a referral, or call SNS 24, which has a psychological support option. Private psychologists typically charge €50–€80 per session.

Visitors and EU citizens

• EU/EEA/Swiss visitors can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) at SNS facilities for necessary care during a temporary stay.
• Non-EU visitors should have travel insurance; SNS treatment for non-residents may be charged.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 112.