Medical Care

Portugal has a public health system (SNS) accessible to EU citizens with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The quality of medical care is good to very good in cities — Lisbon and Porto have excellent hospitals. In rural areas, however, the nearest emergency room may be far away.

Points of Contact

• Centro de Saúde — local health centers for non-urgent cases. Waiting times can be long (several hours)
• Urgências (Emergency Room) — in all major hospitals. Free for EU citizens with EHIC (in urgent cases)
• Private Clinics — significantly shorter waiting times. A consultation costs €50–100. Grupo CUF and Hospital da Luz are the largest private chains
• Farmácia (Pharmacy) — Pharmacists in Portugal are well-trained and can advise on minor ailments. Many medications that are prescription-only in Germany are available here over the counter. Pharmacies are marked by a green cross

Recommendations

Travel health insurance is highly recommended — it costs only a few euros per year and covers repatriation and private treatment, which are not covered by the EHIC. In tourist areas of the Algarve and Lisbon, there are also doctors who speak German or English. The German embassy can mediate doctors in an emergency.

The emergency number in Portugal is 112 (Europe-wide). The emergency medical service (INEM) responds quickly in cities, but waiting times may occur in rural areas.