European Health Insurance Card

This card allows you to receive medical assistance during a temporary stay in a European Union country, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

The European Health Insurance Card is an individual card, so each qualifying beneficiary and family member who travels to Portugal must have their own.

Both the European Health Insurance Card and the Provisional Replacement Certificate will be accepted only in public hospitals or health centres.

The Provisional Replacement Certificate is a document serving as and guaranteeing the same rights as the European Health Insurance Card.

This page provides information on the following:

Applying for the European Health Insurance Card in Portugal

You can apply for the European Health Insurance Card if you live in Portugal and have:

The following are entitled to the card:

  • workers covered by a social security scheme, pensioners and their families and the unemployed
  • beneficiaries of public health subsystems
  • beneficiaries of private health subsystems
  • National Health Service users, if there is no link to Social Security or to a public or private health subsystem.

If you are staying temporarily in Portugal and do not have the European Health Insurance Card, you must apply to the relevant body in your country of residence for a Provisional Replacement Certificate. The relevant body can send you the Provisional Replacement Certificate by email or fax.

The Provisional Replacement Certificate is a document serving as and guaranteeing the same rights as the European Health Insurance Card.

For further information, consult the Social Security Institute FAQ page and the National Health Service website.

Where can I apply for the European Health Insurance Card?

If you live in Portugal, you can apply for the card:

How much does the European Health Insurance Card cost and how long is it valid for?

There is no charge for applying for the card, which is sent to the holder’s address within around 7 working days.

The card is generally valid for 3 years.

The card must be renewed in the same way as the initial application. If the application for renewal is made before the period of validity expires, the full number of the card for which the validity is due to expire must be indicated. There is no charge for renewing the card.

What do I do if I forget or lose my European Health Insurance Card?

If you are in Portugal on a temporary basis, you can ask the relevant authority of your country of residence to send the Provisional Replacement Certificate by email or fax. 

If you live in Portugal, go to one of the Social Security offices to apply for the Provisional Replacement Certificate. You can also ask the Institute for Social Security to send you the certificate by email or fax.

The Provisional Replacement Certificate is a document which replaces and guarantees the same rights as the European Health Insurance Card.

Emergency contacts in Portugal

In the event of an emergency, please contact:

  • Medical emergency – 112

Available 24 hours a day, every day.
112 is the single European emergency telephone number available throughout the European Union. Calls are free of charge.

  • Health Line 24 - 808 24 24 24

For health queries, available 24 hours a day, every day. For administrative contact (non-clinical), available from 8am to 10pm, every day.
The 24 Hour Health Line provides prioritisation, advice and referral in case of illness. The cost of the call is the same as for a call to a landline.

See further useful contacts on the ePortugal portal.