LEGAL INSIGHTS

You do not, but you should.

At the time of the appointment with AIMA to apply for a resident permit, applicants need to either submit proof of being registered with the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS for short in Portuguese) or of being covered by a Portuguese private health insurance (or by an international one covering Portugal as well).

The Portuguese publicly funded healthcare system offers universal and affordable healthcare, contributing to the overall well-being and quality of life of the resident population - for instance, in a public emergency room (ER) no one will be rejected but only registered users with the National Health Service will benefit from fully or greatly subsidized fees, whereas unregistered patients will be asked to pay the full price.

Currently, registration with the SNS is only possible when one already holds a residence card but further ahead there is no rule compelling a resident, alien or not, to choose between public and private healthcare. Besides the obvious difference in cost, being registered with the SNS entitles you to:

• Have access to a wide range of healthcare services, including emergency services, general practitioner and specialist consultations, screening tests and hospital treatments, surgery, among others;
• Receive appropriate emergency care without worrying about paying a security deposit as is often the case in the private sector (please note that calling the emergency line 112 (corresponding to 911 in the US or 999 in the UK) determines that you will be taken to a public ER - to be assisted in a private hospital, you will need to hire a private ambulance service);

• Be assigned to a Family Health Unit (USF), which provides comprehensive and personalized healthcare through a team of family physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, who, among other things, manage ongoing medical conditions;

• Preventive Healthcare services such as routine checkups, screening tests and immunization shots (note: as in most other countries, during the pandemic, COVID-19 shots were not available outside the national health service);

• Benefit from subsidised prescribed medication, some possibly only available in hospital pharmacies and dispensaries;
• The best medical specialist doctors in Portugal, some of whom can only be found in public hospitals, although many divide their time between public and private hospitals and their private practices.

However, truth be told, SNS is under a lot of pressure since 2020 and is unable to cater for every need in a timely manner. So having both public and private coverages, if feasible, seems, by all accounts, the most sensible approach.

If you need assistance with registering, please reach out to us at geral@sbpslegal.com.