Guidance

British nationals hospitalised in Portugal

Published 6 February 2023

If you’re hospitalised in Portugal and the British Consular Services are notified, we will try to contact you as soon as possible to see how we can help you. We will then aim to provide assistance according to your needs and how vulnerable you are.

Find out how we can help if you are hospitalised.

To decide how to support you, we will consider factors such as your condition, whether you can speak on the phone, whether you are being supported by a tour operator or insurance company representative, or have relatives or friends with you.

Depending on how vulnerable you are, if you are alone and in hospital in the Algarve or near Lisbon, we will aim to visit you as soon as possible. We do not usually contact or visit people who have travelled specifically for medical treatment.

Going into hospital

In an emergency, you are admitted to hospital through A&E (‘Urgência’).

If you arrive by ambulance, the crew will call ahead and a medical team at A&E will be waiting for you.  Depending on your condition, you may go straight to a specialist ward or you may be kept under observation in a ward next to A&E.

If you do not arrive by ambulance, you’ll be pre-assessed on arrival by a nurse or doctor and assigned a colour-coded bracelet depending on how severe your condition is: Red (very urgent), Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue (not urgent). This is called the Manchester triage system. A doctor will then see you and decide on the appropriate treatment.

Waiting times will depend on the colour you are assigned.

If you are admitted to hospital, give personal belongings you do not need (such as jewellery, your wallet and identification documents) to a family member or friend for safe keeping. If you’re alone, ask the hospital staff for a form so you can authorise someone to collect your belongings.

While you’re in hospital

As a patient, you will need to bring your own towels, toiletries, nightwear, etc. The hospital will provide these in an emergency situation, but you might want to ask family or friends to bring them after you’ve been admitted.

Meals are provided free of charge. You will normally get 3 meals each day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) but menus and meal times may vary according to your medical condition.

There are usually between 3 and 6 beds on each ward. If you want a single room, you may need to pay to go to a private hospital (‘hospital particular’ or ‘clínica’). A laundry service for personal items of clothing is not normally provided, so make sure you have enough clothing. In some hospitals, you can find volunteers from local charities to help.

You can view information in English about Patients’ Rights and Duties (PDF 414KB) in Portugal.

Different wards often have different visiting times and regulations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals’ visiting arrangements may have further restrictions. Check Portugal Travel Advice for more information.

Social workers

There are social workers (‘assistente social’) in most hospitals who can help you contact your family or the British consulate. Hospital social workers can also assist with practical information and have direct access to the Portuguese Social Security records. If you or your relative is resident in Portugal, they may support you to apply for a place in a care home, if needed. Ask your medical team, the ward administrative assistant or the hospital’s customer services office (‘Gabinete do Utente’) if you would need to speak to a social worker.

Paying for your treatment

If you have a UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)

You can use your EHIC or GHIC to cover the cost of state-provided healthcare if you need it when you’re visiting Portugal.

While emergency hospital admissions and treatment are free-of-charge, you will have to make a co-payment (taxa moderadora) for some other healthcare services. Read more about using your EHIC/GHIC abroad, including what it covers in Portugal.

If you are receiving treatment at a private hospital (‘hospital particular’ or ‘clínica’), your EHIC/GHIC will not be accepted, unless the private hospital has an agreement (‘convenção’) with the public health authority. If you go to a private hospital, you should contact your insurance company.

The British Embassy and consulates in Portugal cannot pay medical bills.

If you do not have your EHIC or GHIC with you

You’ll need to apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) from the UK if you need medical treatment and you do not have your EHIC or GHIC, or your card has been lost or stolen.

You need to contact the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team:

NHS Overseas Healthcare Team
Telephone: 0191 218 1999
Telephone from outside UK: +44 191 218 1999

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Contact your insurance company

Your EHIC or GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It may not cover all health costs and it never covers repatriation costs.

If you have travel insurance, you or a member of your family should contact your insurance company immediately.

We can only help you to liaise with your insurance company in exceptional circumstances, if:

• you are unable to call them yourself, and
• you have no one who can do this for you

You should also contact your GP in the UK, as your insurance company may want to speak to them as well.

Your insurance company may not accept your claim if you did not disclose a previous condition.

Remember to keep any receipts (including general expenses with travel, meals and accommodation for relatives accompanying you) and any medical reports. You may need them to make a claim for reimbursement of expenses on your return home.

Making a complaint

If you’re not happy with the care you’re receiving, you can make a complaint to the hospital’s customer services office (‘Gabinete do Cidadão’). See the list of hospitals in Portugal.

You can make a complaint in person, on the phone or in writing. You can submit a complaint online via the Health Service regulatory body Entidade Reguladora de Saúde - ERS.

For more serious complaints, you should seek legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Portugal.

The European Charter of Patients’ Rights (PDF 268KB) explains your rights.

Before you leave hospital

When you’re discharged, you’ll receive a letter in Portuguese outlining your diagnosis and any medication prescribed (‘Nota de Alta’).

Check with your airline if you need a Fit to Fly Certificate (‘certificado de aptidão para voar’). If you do, you must the treating doctor to provide one. They may not automatically give this to you.

Make sure you give the hospital your EHIC/GHIC or Provisional Replacement Certificate information before you leave, to avoid receiving an unexpected medical bill later.

Full medical report

If you want a full medical report (‘relatório médico’), you can request it from your treating doctor whilst you’re in hospital, or online after you’ve been discharged.

The hospital website usually provides information on how to apply for it. Application procedures vary in different hospitals. Some hospitals may be able to send your medical records to your postal address in the UK.

Medical repatriation

If you have travel insurance, you should contact your insurance company as soon as you are hospitalised. This will give them time to check whether your policy covers your condition, and get your permission to access your medical records through your GP. Once they have validated your policy, they will liaise with your treating doctor to agree the best way for you to travel home. It may be some time before you are well enough to travel, and communication between hospital staff and the insurance company representatives is vital to assess and plan your repatriation.

If you do not have travel insurance and you wish to be medically repatriated, you (or your next-of-kin) may wish to consider paying for repatriation yourself. We cannot help with the cost of repatriation, and we recommend you contact a few medical repatriation companies to obtain an estimate of the cost.

View a list of medical repatriation companies.

Our contact details

British Consulate Lisbon

Rua de São Bernardo 33
1249-082 Lisboa
Portugal

Telephone +351 21 392 4000

Use our contact form for consular enquiries:
www.gov.uk/contact-consulate-lisbon

British Vice Consulate Portimão

Edificio A FábricaAvenida Guanaré
8501-915 Portimão
Portugal

Telephone +351 282 490 750

Use our contact form for consular enquiries:
www.gov.uk/contact-consulate-portimao

Further guidance

Find out more:

• Healthcare for UK nationals visiting the EU

• In hospital abroad

• Healthcare for UK nationals living in Portugal

• Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)

• List of private medical facilities in Portugal

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by UK Government officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither the UK Government nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.