With plenty of beautiful coast and enviable weather, Portugal is a popular place to relocate, whether it’s for work, studies, leisure or retirement.
Unless you’re a permanent resident or you have a valid European or Global Health Insurance Card (EHIC or GHIC), you’ll need some form of health insurance in Portugal to access most healthcare services. Some residents choose to take out private health insurance, as well as having access to some subsidised public healthcare through the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS)1. If you’d like an international health insurance plan that can cover you straight away, in Portugal and wherever you travel, read on to find out how we can help.
Avoid out-of-pocket payments and possible longer waiting times, with our private health insurance plans in Portugal. No matter which level of cover you choose, you’ll be covered for CT, MRI and PET scans, as well as, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery, should you need any of it. With some of our plans, there’s also an option to add additional cover for out-patient treatments which may not be covered on the Portuguese SNS, so you can rest easy knowing you’re covered.
Have peace of mind knowing that wherever you travel, you’ll be covered in an emergency. This includes ambulance transport, as well as overnight stays in hospital and surgery. All our plans cover emergency evacuation and repatriation, so if the treatment you need isn’t available locally, we’ll help get you to where it is, and back again. We know this can be expensive, so these costs don’t affect the use any other policy benefits.
Getting an appointment at a local doctor’s surgery can sometimes be inconvenient if you’re short on time and there’s a waiting list. With the Virtual Doctor service from AXA, you can book a medical consultation with a real doctor on the phone or by video chat – at a time that suits you2, from anywhere in the world. With us, you can have the flexibility of choosing between a local appointment and a virtual one – whatever suits you at the time.
If you’re planning on travelling to and from Portugal, or elsewhere, it’s good to know that you can take your cover with you. With our international medical insurance, you can have fast access to expert care, wherever you travel. If you’d like extra cover for things like lost luggage and cancellations, you can add international travel cover to some of our cover levels. This is an easy way to take care of both your travel and health needs, with just one policy.
With our international health insurance, you’ll know we’re here for you 24/7, to answer any questions you may have about your cover in Portugal. You can rely on our teams to help you, as our business-wide customer service is rated 4.76/5, by our members3.
You can have all you need online, whether it’s how to make a claim or find a medical provider near you, wherever you are. Our teams work round-the-clock to process your claims, meaning that over 80% are paid within just two days4. So you can focus on making the most of your time in Portugal.
Looking after yourself is always important, especially when you’re staying somewhere new. With our Mind Health service, you’ll have access to support from qualified psychologists, over the phone. We’re here to support you and keep you at your best.
You can find some useful tips and advice on how to prepare yourself for your time in Portugal, on our Wellbeing Hub. The hub offers useful information on adjusting to an expat lifestyle for you and your loved ones.
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Dental treatment is usually partially subsidised by the SNS in Portugal. With our plans, cover for dental treatment is available on most of our cover levels, with optional additional cover for routine treatments, such as check-ups or scale and polish appointments.
Some of our cover levels include pregnancy cover, to cover the costs of routine appointments and childbirth. For extra reassurance whenever you need it, it’s good to know you can speak to our team of midwives over the phone, 7 days a week, from wherever you are.
*Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm (GMT time).
Calls may recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance, training and as a record of the conversation.
1. https://www.expatica.com/pt/healthcare/healthcare-basics/healthcare-in-portugal-106770/
2. Appointments are subject to availability. You do not need to pay or claim for a consultation but you will be charged for the cost of the initial phone call when using the call back service. Telephone appointments are available 24/7/365 and call-backs are typically within 24 hours. Video appointments are available between 08.00 and 00.00 UK time, Monday to Friday. Video appointments in German are available between 08:00 -20:00 CET, Monday to Friday.
3. Score based on 24,142 responses on Stella (customer feedback platform) from Jan - Dec 2020
4. Based on 225,124 claims submitted online in 2019 and processed by AXA Global Healthcare (UK) Limited