Portugal

If you need to see a doctor in mainland Portugal, go to the nearest public health centre (Centro de Saúde), show your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and ID, and request treatment in accordance with EU regulations. Public health centres provide general practitioner services. If you contact the National Health Service contact helpline (SNS24) before seeking treatment and receive a referral, you will not have to pay a fee for your treatment.

In urgent cases, go to the emergency department (Serviço Atendimento Permanente, SAP), which is open 24 hours a day, or to a hospital.

Public dental services are limited. You will need to pay a standard fee for treatment unless you have received a referral through the SNS24 contact line. The amount of the fee depends on the procedure or treatment provided.

When collecting prescription medication prescribed by a doctor in Portugal from a pharmacy (farmácia), present your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Part of the cost of medicines listed in the “Official List of Medicines Subsidised by the Health Services” is covered by the state. The amount covered varies, and you will need to pay the remaining share, as well as the full price of medicines not included on the list, upfront.

In some pharmacies, you can buy medicines with an electronic prescription issued by your doctor in Finland. A list of pharmacies that accept Finnish prescriptions is available on the website of the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde, SPMS).

You can purchase the medication by showing your passport or official identity card in the pharmacy. However, not all medicines can be purchased with an electronic prescription abroad. Please check the restrictions on the Kanta.fi website. You can apply for reimbursement from Kela afterwards. Please note that reimbursement is only possible if the equivalent medicine is reimbursable in Finland.

Usually, you need a doctor’s referral from a primary healthcare centre for hospital treatment. At the hospital, show your European Health Insurance Card and ID, and request treatment in accordance with EU regulations. You will be required to pay a standard fee (taxa moderadora) for your treatment. The amount varies depending on the procedure. Emergency patient transport is free of charge.

If you receive a referral for treatment from the healthcare contact line (SNS24), you will not have to pay the fee.

If your illness requires special transport when returning to Finland, you will be responsible for the full cost. It is recommended that you take out travel insurance that covers these expenses.

Remember to make sure that your patient data is transferred between countries. You can provide those responsible for your follow-up care or your health centre with the patient records concerning the treatment you received abroad. If the patient records need to be translated, you will be responsible for arranging that yourself.

The Portuguese Medical Association monitors the competence and legality of physicians’ activities. If you have concerns about a doctor´s competence, you can contact the Medical Association (Ordem dos Medicos, website in Portuguese) directly.

Information about healthcare quality control, complaint procedures, and clinical standards is available on the website of the Entidade Reguladora da Saúde.

In the event of a treatment-related injury, the legislation and patient insurance of the country where the treatment was provided will apply. If you are dissatisfied with the treatment you received, you should first try to resolve the issue with the treatment provider. If you wish to file a complaint, you must contact the Entidade Reguladora da Saúde.

The Portuguese healthcare system consists of three coexisting and overlapping components: the National Healthcare Service (NHS, Serviço Nacional de Saúde, SNS), special public and private insurance schemes for certain professions (health subsystems), and private voluntary health insurance. The system includes a network of both public and private healthcare providers, each connected to patients in its own way.

The National Healthcare Service provides primary, hospital, ambulatory, palliative, and continuous (long-term care) care. It is managed by the Ministry of Health. Some private healthcare providers that have agreements with the National Healthcare Service and charge patients the same fees as public healthcare. For private healthcare services without such agreements, patients must pay the full cost of treatment.