Pharmacies (drug stores)

Weekdays: 9am to 1pm and 3pm to 7pm
Saturdays: 10am to 1pm
Sundays: Closed

Pharmacies have a rotational system. Each day, one of them per area is open for 24h, you can check the open pharmacies around Lisbon here.

Public hospital treatment is available for anyone entering Portugal regardless of where you are resident; payment is required. Foreigners (EU and non-EU) with a valid Portuguese residence permit are entitled to access the national health service at a discounted rate.
Foreigners with legal residency who are working and contributing to Social Security (Segurança Social) must obtain a Número de Utente and be assigned a physician. Those not holding a residence permit can access the national health service by obtaining a document from their local Junta de Freguesia certifying that they have been resident in Portugal for at least 90 days. This document, along with a passport or allowable photo ID and IRS number are taken to their local health centre in order to obtain the Número de Utente. This entitles the holder to discounted health treatment. Basic national health coverage includes all care except dentistry.

Once an individual begins working in Portugal and is registered with social security, they are automatically registered for healthcare coverage. Deductions for coverage are automatically taken from their pay and a healthcare card is issued by the Portuguese Ministry of Health. This healthcare card is called the card Cartão do Utente (service user card).

If you are an EU citizen, be sure to get the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which replaces the no-longer valid E111 certificate. Search at your home country where you can apply for this card. The EHIC will not cover you for non-emergencies or emergency repatriation. Citizens from other countries should find out if there is a reciprocal arrangement for free medical care between their country and Portugal.

The EHIC entitles the holder to the same treatment at the same cost as a national of that country. For example, if medical care is provided free of charge in the member state where treatment is required, the patient will be entitled to free medical care on presentation of the card or an equivalent document. Presentation of the EHIC also guarantees reimbursement of the medical costs on the spot, or soon after returning home. The card is only valid for state provided services and not private hospitals or treatments.

For more information, you can check the Angloinfo website.

If you wish to be further covered, and need more health insurance, strongly consider a policy that covers you for the worst possible scenario, such as an accident requiring an emergency flight home. Find out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures. The former option is generally preferable, as it doesn’t require you to pay out of pocket in a foreign country.

Recommended Vaccinations

The World Health Organization recommends that all travellers should be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, regardless of their destination. Since most vaccines don’t produce immunity until at least two weeks after they’re given, visit a doctor at least six weeks before departure.

Emergency Telephone Numbers

European emergency number (112) calls to 112 are free from any phone. The operator will put you in contact with the emergency service!

Glossary of emergency terms and phrases

Health system in Portugal

Health system in Portugal care is made up of both state-run and privately run healthcare facilities. It provides total healthcare coverage to registered individuals and citizens and is funded through taxation. There is also a private healthcare system in Portugal providing high quality medical services to patients. Any person registered for social security coverage is also covered for healthcare in Portugal. All healthcare benefits are administered by the Ministry of Health (Ministério de Saúde) while social security benefits (pensions, disability, maternity/paternity benefit) are administered by the Social Security Institute (Instituto da Solidariedade e da Segurança Social).

Ministry of Health

Alameda D. Afonso Henriques, 45
1049-005 Lisboa
Portugal
Phone: 21 843 05 00
E-mail: geral@dgs.min-saude.pt
Metro: Estação Alameda
Bus: 10, 22, 708, 717, 718, 720, 735

Social Security Institute

Address: Rua Rosa Araújo, nº 43, 1250-194 Lisbon