Health

Available topics

• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
• Further Useful Information

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

European researchers, who are registered in a health/social security system of the EU Member States, European Economic Area or Switzerland, have access to health care under the same conditions as beneficiaries of the National Health Service during a temporary stay in Portugal, as long as they hold the European Health Insurance Card. The card is issued and may be used in 31 States:

27 EU Member States

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom;

Three States-Party to the European Economic Area

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;

Switzerland.

Each Member State is responsible for issuing and distributing the EHIC in its territory.

The holder of the EHIC is entitled to all the benefits in kind that may become clinically necessary during a stay in the territory of another Member State/State party to the EEA and Switzerland, taking into account the nature of the benefits and the planned duration of stay. In compliance with the principle of equal treatment, the insured person will have to pay only the charges and co-payments that nationals of that State pay to obtain such health care. The EHIC does not cover situations where the insured person goes to another State for the purpose of receiving medical treatment.

For the purpose of issuing the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), the competent institutions are as follows:

In Portugal

In relation to the beneficiaries of the general social security scheme institutions:

in the Continent:

any Centro Distrital do Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P. or local services including Lojas do Cidadão, even if it is not the one of your area of residence.

in the Autonomous Region of the Azores

the services of the Centros de Prestações Pecuniárias.

in the Autonomous Region of Madeira

the services of the Centro de Segurança Social.

In relation to the subsystems beneficiaries:

the services of the subsystem that covers the beneficiary, on direct request of or redirected by a Centro Distrital do Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P.

In a Member State/Party other than Portugal

the institution defined by that Member State/Party

Further Useful Information