Healthcare in Lisbon: GHIC, the S1, the SNS and going private
Portugal has a national health service, the SNS, that works rather like the NHS. How you get into it depends on why you're here: a visit, retirement on a UK State Pension, or work and family life.
The short version
- Visiting: a UK GHIC or EHIC covers medically necessary state healthcare, but it's no substitute for travel insurance [2].
- UK State Pensioners living here: you can usually get an S1, which means the UK pays for your Portuguese state healthcare. You register it with social security and your local health centre [1].
- Everyone else who lives here: register with the SNS as a resident, on the same basis as Portuguese citizens. Your UK GHIC doesn't count once you're resident [1][3].
- Costs: most SNS care has been free of user fees since June 2022; a fee remains for hospital A&E if you go without a referral and aren't admitted [5][6].
- Emergencies: call 112. For advice, call SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 and press 9 for English [2].
Visiting Lisbon: the GHIC
On a holiday or a scouting trip, your UK Global Health Insurance Card (or a still-valid UK EHIC) gets you medically necessary state healthcare on the same terms as locals [2]. The FCDO is blunt that it isn't travel insurance: it won't cover private clinics, non-urgent treatment, repatriation to the UK or extra costs if your plans change [2]. Get proper travel insurance as well, especially if you have a health condition.
Two more things to pack: UK prescriptions aren't recognised in Portugal, so bring enough medication in its original packaging, and expect to see a doctor here for a repeat [2].
If you're on a long-stay visa application, the GHIC won't do as proof of cover. The FCDO says you need proof of healthcare cover when you apply for a visa and when you register as a resident [1].
UK State Pensioners: the S1
If you live in Portugal and get a UK State Pension (or certain other exportable benefits), you may be entitled to an S1 form [1]. The S1 means the UK funds your state healthcare in Portugal, and you're treated like a Portuguese resident.
- Request the S1 by phone from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. There's no online form [1].
- Register it at social security (segurança social) with your S1, passport and residence certificate. You may need your tax number (NIF) too [1].
- Register at your local health centre (centro de saúde), where you'll get your health user number (número de utente) [1].
Dependants of a State Pensioner can be covered on the same S1. When a dependant starts drawing their own UK State Pension, they get their own new S1, which must be registered too [1]. If registration is delayed and you need urgent treatment, gov.uk says to call the Overseas Healthcare Services on 0044 191 218 1999 [1].
The S1 has two other perks. You can get a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for trips elsewhere in Europe, and if you were living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, a registered UK S1 means you may not have to pay for NHS treatment in England when you're back visiting [1]. Without that, you shouldn't expect free NHS care on visits once you've moved [1]. Our guide to the NHS when you live abroad and the S1 covers this in more depth.
Working, retired early or not working
If you live in Portugal and aren't covered by an S1, you join the SNS on the same basis as Portuguese citizens. That's the same if you're employed, self-employed or not working [1]. Employees and the self-employed need their social security number (NISS) [1]. You ask for your número de utente at the health centre for your area, taking your residence certificate, passport and NIF [3].
There's one exception: UK workers posted to Portugal by a UK employer keep using a GHIC, EHIC or S1, and HMRC's National Insurance helpline can confirm which applies [1].
The full registration process, including what to do if you don't have a family doctor yet, is in our guide to the SNS and your utente number.
What it costs
| Situation | What you pay in the SNS |
|---|---|
| Health centre GP or nurse | No user fee since 2022 [5][6] |
| A&E after referral from SNS 24 or your health centre | No user fee [6] |
| A&E that leads to admission | No user fee [6] |
| A&E without a referral, not admitted | A user fee (taxa moderadora) [6] |
| Prescription medicines | A share of the cost [1] |
| Dentist | Not usually covered by the SNS [1] |
Gov.uk's healthcare page still quotes older fees for GP and A&E visits, but Portugal scrapped user fees across the SNS from June 2022, keeping only the charge for A&E without a referral when you aren't admitted [5][6]. Pregnant women, children and people on low incomes are among those exempt [6]. If you leave A&E before you're seen, the hospital can still charge [6]. The lesson: ring SNS 24 first. It's a 24-hour line, and if the nurse sends you to A&E, there's no fee.
Going private
Many Brits in Lisbon use private healthcare alongside the SNS, for faster specialist appointments, English-speaking doctors and dentists. The FCDO says private health insurance is optional once you're registered with the SNS [3]. Policies vary a lot in what they cover, how they treat pre-existing conditions and the age at which they'll take you on, so read the exclusions before you buy. For a visa application, check the policy meets what the consulate asks for.
The big private groups have hospitals with 24-hour urgent care in the city:
| Hospital | Where | 24-hour urgent care |
|---|---|---|
| CUF Descobertas | Parque das Nações | Adults and children [8] |
| CUF Tejo | Alcântara, near the river | Adults; children's urgent care 8am to 9.30pm [8] |
| Hospital da Luz Lisboa | Luz, north-west Lisbon | Emergency service; check hours with the hospital [9] |
Private visits add up quickly if you're paying out of pocket, so ask for prices up front. Ask your insurer which hospitals are in its network before you need one.
Finding an English-speaking doctor
English is widely spoken by doctors in Lisbon, especially in private hospitals, but it's not guaranteed in a busy public health centre. The FCDO publishes a list of English-speaking medical facilities in Portugal, though it was last updated in May 2021 [7]. Your fellow Brits are often the best source of names: our community group for Brits in Portugal regularly swaps recommendations for GPs, dentists and physios.
Before you move: the UK end
Tell your NHS GP surgery you're moving abroad, ask for a copy of your records and a summary of your prescriptions, and bring a few months' supply of regular medication. Once you're resident in Portugal, you're no longer entitled to free routine NHS care on visits unless you have a registered S1 under the rules above [1].
For the latest on travelling, the FCDO travel advice for Portugal was still current at 7 November 2026 when we checked on 8 November 2026, and had last been updated on 11 August 2026 [4].
Sources
- GOV.UK: Healthcare in Portugal (last updated 14 October 2021)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Portugal travel advice – health
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Portugal (last updated 10 July 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Portugal travel advice (still current at 7 November 2026, updated 11 August 2026)
- Portuguese Government: Taxas moderadoras acabam em todo o SNS exceto em urgência hospitalar (May 2022)
- Postal do Algarve: Quando ainda tem de pagar taxas moderadoras nas urgências (20 August 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Portugal medical facilities (last updated 6 May 2021)
- CUF: hospitals and urgent care
- Hospital da Luz Lisboa