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Health Care and Social Security

Health Care

The Portuguese Constitution establishes that all citizens are entitled to receive global health care. The public health system is under the supervision of the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde – SNS), which depends of the Ministry of Health.

The beneficiaries of the "National Health Service" (SNS) are: Portuguese citizens, EU Member-States citizens (in conformity with the CE Regulations), foreign citizens residing in Portugal in conditions of reciprocity, stateless persons residing in Portugal and asylum seekers.

Foreign citizens residing legally in Portugal have equal treatment as beneficiaries in the access to the health services and provision of medicines. Foreign citizens having a residence permit or a working visa have to obtain a national health service card (cartão de utente) and be assigned to a family doctor. If you don’t pay for social security you have to pay for your treatments.

European Union Member State residents are entitled to treatment under the same conditions as nationals ("European Health Insurance card"). The same applies to residents of third countries that have signed a bilateral agreement with Portugal, such as Brazil ("PB4").

The National Health Service Card ("Cartão de Utente do SNS") is a document that proves the identity of its holder to the bodies and services that form part of the NHS. It is provided free of charge. It should be presented for health care treatment, arranging doctor’s appointment, supplementary diagnosis and therapeutic services, as well as for prescribing and obtaining medicines. This card can be obtained in the local Health Centre in your area of residence or in a desk of "Loja do Cidadão".

For further information, please consult the website of the NHS, Direção-Geral de Saúde.

Social Security

The applicable social security regime varies according to the socio-professional status: employees or self-employed workers (includes scientific research fellows).

Workers may only receive social-insurance payments if they are registered in the Regional Social Security Centre covering the area where they work.
Once registered, workers receive a social security beneficiary card.

In the case of employees, the employer is responsible for the registration, which has to be completed by the end of the month following the date when the activity started. The worker also has to declare to the Social Security Institution that this activity has been started.

Guaranteed Protection:

• Disease: subsidy and compensatory payments.
• Maternity (as well as paternity and adoption): maternity, paternity and adoption subsidies, medical assistance on minor or disabled descendants, medical assistance subsidy on deep disabled and chronicle patients, specific risks subsidy, parental license subsidy, special subsidy on grandparents' absence.
• Unemployment protection: unemployment, social and partial unemployment subsidy.
• Family charges: benefits on juveniles and children (education support) and funeral subsidy.
• Disability protection: pension, complement on dependence and complement on pension for partner under charge.
• Old-age protection: pension, complement on dependence and complement on pension for partner under charge.
• Death: survival pension, complement on dependence, death subsidy and reimbursement for funeral expenses.

Affiliation is mandatory in the case of self-employed workers when the gross yearly income is 6 times above the national minimum wage and optional when annual income is equal to or below that amount. The affiliation of the self-employed is not compulsory for the first 12 months, after they start their activities.

Guaranteed Protection:

• Maternity, paternity and adoption
• Disability
• Old-age
• Death
• Professional diseases
• Family charges
• Social Security Regime

Voluntary social security regime is normally applied to scientific research fellows. It is an optional contribution regime.

Guaranteed Protection:

• Disability (minimum number of months of contributions)
• Old-age (minimum number of months of contributions)
• Death (survival pension/subsidy for death: minimum number of months of contributions)
• Disease
• Maternity, paternity and adoption
• Professional diseases
• Family charges

For further information, please consult the website of the Portuguese Social Security.