Insurance in Portugal for Expats in 2024: Public and Private Insurance (2024)

Overview ofinsurance inPortugal

Residents ofPortugal are obliged tohave health and social insurance. Other mandatory insurance types are house insurance and car insurance.

Optional types ofinsurance include unemployment insurance, life insurance, and any kind ofinsurance needed inaddition tomandatory options— tohave thecontents ofahouse insured, one needs topay extra forprivate insurance.

Prices forprivate insurance plans inPortugal are generally affordable— from€10 monthly. Insurance companies offer various types ofplans. Forexample, one can protect their vehicle fromtheft, which is nottypically covered bybasic car insurance plans.

Are you a perfect fit for the Portugal D7 Visa?

Discover your eligibility with our simple quiz!

Explore Now

Health insurance inPortugal

Thehealthcare system inPortugal has three components: Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), public healthcare, healthcare subsystems, and private healthcare.

Public healthcare, or SNS. Inall regions ofPortugal, public clinics and hospitals offer free medical care forcountry residents. As of2021, Portugal allocated 11% ofits GDP tothehealth sector. Public health insurance covers almost all kinds ofprimary medical procedures. Exceptions are dental services and cosmetology.

Tourists and those holding short-term visas do notqualify touse state-provided types ofinsurance. These are only forcitizens and residents ofthecountry.

There are also co-payments fornon-essential services, usually nomore than €15 per visit.

Dental services are provided onapaid basis inPortugal. Costs depend ontheservice needed and theclinic chosen.

Onaverage, theapproximate price foran initial appointment inadental clinic is €5. Subsequent visits are also paid, withtheprice depending ontheservices provided. Forexample, towhiten your teeth, you can expect topay €100+ and toextract wisdom teeth— €40. Checkups or cleansing are cheaper, forabout €30 per visit.

Toreceive atreatment plan and estimated cost, you should contact adental clinic inPortugal.

Here are some ofthetop-ranked dental clinics inLisbon:

• Medidental Dental and Wellness Clinics;
• CPRO Clinic— Oral Prevention and Dental Rehabilitation Clinic;
• DentalTeam.

Dental services inPortugal are often included inprivate insurance plans. Basic private dental insurance costs from€80 ayear forasingle person. Afamily of4 can expect topay about €200 per year.

Healthcare subsystems. There are free healthcare programs forthose who work inthegovernment, forservants oflocal administrations, and specific professional groups such as police officers and correctional officers. Thestate ofPortugal funds these healthcare subsystems, which are unavailable forindividuals outside its professional focus.

Private healthcare. Despite there being well-developed public healthcare inPortugal, private healthcare is famous notonly among non-Portugal nationals but among Portuguese citizens. Portuguese households spend about 30% ofall healthcare expenses onit.

People tend topay extra tohave their dental and cosmetic surgery covered sincethese are notcovered bythestate.

Private clinics are available foreveryone. Sinceout-of-pocket payments are typically higher, paid health insurance helps save money onpersonal services.

There is adifference betweenprivate health insurance and private health plans:

1. Health insurance is provided byan insurer ofchoice and covers medical services inhospitals underinsurance. An insurer provides thelist ofhospitals.
2. Healthcare plans are supplemental and do notcover hospitalisations and surgeries. Theprice forahealthcare plan is calculated individually and is usually less than theinsurance price— about €10–15 amonth.

Travel insurance inPortugal

Travel insurance is mandatory fortourists visiting Portugal— it is impossible toapply foravisa without atravel insurance confirmation. Theminimum coverage fortheSchengen countries is €30,000.

Aconvenient way topurchase travel insurance is todo it online or inan office ofaprovider. Insurance must be valid intheSchengen Area and cover emergency treatment, hospitalization, evacuation, and repatriation expenses.

Medical tourism expenses and non-emergency cases are notincluded inatravel insurance plan. Medical tourism insurance covers possible risks duringmedical procedures and recovery periods. However, this type ofinsurance cannot replace health insurance.

Some ofthemost popular travel insurance providers are:

• Allianz,
• AXA,
• MondialCare.

Thebest travel insurance forPortugal must meet all travel insurance requirements oftheSchengen Area and be valid duringyour stay.

Nationals ofcertain countries are notrequired tohave travel insurance, e.g., residents oftheUAE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, or Saint Lucia. However, it is highly recommended tohave travel insurance toavoid risks.

Prices fortravel insurance vary from€20 to€50 per trip, depending onthelength ofstay inPortugal and thecoverage chosen.

Expat insurance inPortugal

Public insurance inPortugal is available forall legal residents, including expats.

Expats who are tovisit Portugal using aPortugal D7 Visa do notqualify touse public healthcare. However, afterobtaining aresidence card, they can sign up forthepublic health insurance plan.

Travel and health insurance are obligatory toapply foraD7 Visa Portugal if you plan toobtain aresidence permit after.

Aresident can have voluntary private healthcare insurance incase they need extra coverage— or they plan tostay inPortugal forless than 90 days. Inthis case, they do notqualify forSNS services.

Forthose living or working inPortugal, it is essential tocontribute tothesocial security system tobe able touse public healthcare services. An employer usually does it. Self‑employed must contribute bythemselves.

Major European and international insurance providers offer extended packages forexpats. These packages typically include health, travel, and life insurance and are adjustable.

Thecost ofacustom insurance plan that includes all mandatory types ofinsurance forexpats is calculated individually.

Car insurance inPortugal

It is obligatory tohave car insurance inPortugal. Minimum coverage includes damage and injuries toathird party and thecost ofdamage toathird party’s property. This coverage costs from€100–150 ayear and covers aminimum of€6 million forinjuries and €1 million forvehicle damage.

Fully comprehensive car insurance costs about €350 ayear. It includes all possible risks, damage toan owner’s risk, and civil liability insurance.

Extended types ofthepolicy usually cover repairs such as glass repairs. Thefinal cost ofcar insurance depends ontheage ofthevehicle, theowner’s driving record, and other factors.

Portugal car insurance is valid when traveling toone oftheEU countries and theUK. However, if you plan tomove toanother EU country, you might need tore-register your vehicle— an insurer might notbe authorized tocover you abroad.

When traveling tonon-EU countries, check every country’s requirements forcar insurance. Insurance providers offer overseas car insurance policies. These policies are customized depending onthecountry ofvisit.

Home insurance Portugal

If you buy property inPortugal, you are legally required tohave minimum housing insurance. It costs €80–100 ayear and usually covers damage caused bynatural disasters such as floods and hurricanes and thehuman element, e.g., heat waves damage and explosions.

Owners who want tohave extra coverage pay forprivate house content insurance and liability insurance.

Home insurance typically does notcover unoccupied property. If an owner plans tolive intheir property seasonably, they should consider additional insurance forunoccupied property.

Holiday home insurance inPortugal. This type ofhome insurance covers damage caused tounoccupied property— forexample, aholiday house only visited once aseason.

Private insurance companies offer plans withall possible damage included. Holiday homes can be protected fromnatural disasters, theft ofproperty and money, and loss ofproperty duetoelectrical surges.

Travel costs incase offleeing tothearea where theholiday home is located can also be covered.

Theaverage cost ofextended coverage starts from€100 annually and is calculated individually, depending onfactors such as thesize ofaproperty.

Home contents insurance inPortugal. An insured can cover thecontents oftheir own house, as well content they bring withthem toarented property. Fire insurance is obligatory forhomeowners, and it commonly covers possible damage caused totheir belongings.

Forexample, insured events forthis policy’s basic plan include theft and electrical damage. Damage caused bytheowner does notmake insured events: if they left taps running, thedamage would notbe covered.

Furniture and electronic devices are themost common contents tobe covered. Expensive goods such as art and luxury items might need extra coverage depending ontheir price.

Onaverage, home contents insurance prices start from€80 ayear. Plans that include coverage forexpensive items cost more. Damage caused bymultiple risks that are notcovered inbasic plans will also add up toprices.

Social insurance inPortugal

There is asystem ofstate-funded social security benefits forcitizens and residents inPortugal:

• Workers pay contributions throughtheir employees. Contributions vary from11% to21.4% and are deducted frommonthly salary;
• Self-employed workers contribute bythemselves and pay 21.4% ofincome monthly.

Insured events include unemployment, sickness, parental leave, invalidity, elderly disability, loss ofaspouse, and accident survivor benefits.

Private social insurance costs €20+ per month, depending ontheinsured person’s needs.

Life insurance inPortugal

Life insurance is apaid and non-mandatory option inPortugal. It covers possible death and disability risks.

Thecost and theamount oflife insurance can be recalculated annually, considering thepolicyholder’s health. It is also possible tofix theamount foraset period. Life insurance is calculated individually, and theaverage annual cost is €50–100.

Some exceptions do notform insured events forlife insurance inPortugal:

• suicide attempts;
• substance abuse;
• death while committing acrime;
• private airplane accidents;
• injuries caused byprivate cars accidents;
• natural disasters.

There are different types ofinsurance needed forevents listed above, such as travel insurance and health insurance.

Liability insurance inPortugal

There are public and private types ofliability insurance inPortugal. Liability insurance protects third parties fromany possible damage.

Liability insurance is mandatory foran EU-registered vehicle inPortugal. It covers injuries ofdrivers, passengers, and third parties incase ofan accident.

Landlords are required tohave liability insurance. If you rent an apartment, you must include liability insurance inyour home insurance plan.

Civil liability insurance protects individuals fromunpredictable damage, e.g., collapses ofbuildings or falling fromslippery stairs.

Thecost ofprivate liability insurance is calculated individually. Still, theminimum cover is €6 million per insured event forasingle person and €1 million per insured event formaterial damage caused.

Unemployment insurance inPortugal

There is asystem ofstate-funded unemployment benefits inPortugal. Involuntary unemployed citizens and residents ofcertain professions qualify forit. Forinstance, domestic service workers, invalidity retirees, school teachers, and agricultural workers.

First job seekers also qualify forsocial unemployment benefits inPortugal.

Social benefits are provided toindividuals who support thepublic insurance system bytaxation.

Expats who want toprotect themselves fromlosing ajob often pay forprivate unemployment insurance. Banks can often ask their client tohave private unemployment insurance beforeconcluding aloan agreement.

Thecost ofprivate unemployment insurance is calculated individually.

Commercial insurance inPortugal

Commercial insurance is apaid option inPortugal. However, businesses are obliged tohave public liability insurance. Other types ofbusiness insurance are voluntary.

Public liability insurance. Forbusiness inPortugal, there is mandatory public liability business insurance. It protects businesses fromfinancial or reputational damage.

Forexample, an unsatisfied client’s claim ends up withalawsuit against thebusiness— inthis case, public liability insurance will cover legal fees. It will also include coverage forphysical and moral damage caused tothird parties.

Asingle employee as well can be covered bythis type ofinsurance.

Business interruption insurance is optional. It helps businesses that have tostop functioning forany reason— forexample, incase ofapandemic. Business interruption insurance protects insurers fromlosing profit duringinvoluntary standstill.

Building insurance and equipment insurance protects abusiness fromlosing operational facilities and equipment onwhich thebusiness depends. Forexample, owners ofcoffee shops can cover their equipment— coffee machines.

Business owners can also provide their employees withinner coverage plans fortheir health and workplace safety.

Building insurance cost is calculated byan insurer based onatype ofbusiness but is, onaverage, €72 per year.

How tobecome aPortugal expat?

Toqualify forusage ofPortugal state-funded insurance, you need tobe acitizen ofPortugal— or aresident withalong-term visa.

APortugal D7 Visa is available forindividuals fromnon-EU countries. Theprincipal applicant should be over 18 withnocriminal record. They should have astable passive income ofover €760 amonth and buy or rent property inPortugal.

Aspouse, financially dependent parents, and children up to21 can be included intheapplication— theincome foraspouse or parent is 50% oftheinvestor’s and 30% forachild's.

Noinvestment is required foraPortugal D7 Visa, which can be obtained remotely fromacountry oforigin.

TheD7 Visa will be valid for4 months, duringwhich one can enter thecountry toapply foraresidence permit via theImmigration and Border Services (SEF).

There is aresiding term: tomaintain thestatus, you must reside inthecountry for183 days ayear.

Living inPortugal has multiple benefits. Legal residents ofPortugal can access thecountry’s free healthcare, travel visa-free acrosstheSchengen Area, and apply forcitizenship after5 years ofholding apermanent residence permit.

Key takeaways onPortugal insurance

1. Insurance forhealth, car, home, and social risks are mandatory types ofinsurance inPortugal.
2. Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) is anational public healthcare provider. Thestate funds it, and its services are available toresidents ofthecountry.
3. Healthcare subsystems are part ofthenational healthcare system ofPortugal and provide coverage forgovernment services employees, themilitary, police officers, and banking sector workers.
4. Private healthcare is used byboth residents and non-Portugal nationals. Residents supplement their public healthcare plan byadding extra coverage they pay for. Individuals who do notqualify forSNS services use private healthcare as their primary provider sincethey are legally obliged tohave health insurance inPortugal.
   Tourists withSchengen visas must buy travel insurance beforevisiting Portugal; forother tourists, it is optional but recommended.
5. Insurance providers offer extended packages forexpats. These packages typically include health, travel, and life insurance and can be customized.
6. Totake advantage ofthepublic healthcare system, you must be alegal resident ofPortugal. One oftheways tobecome aresident without significant investment is toapply foraPortugal D7 Visa.

Frequently Asked Questions