# Health Care



## Alan Huyton (Mar 11, 2008)

We are in the process of moving from the UK to Portugal and are worried about the right way to secure good health care. We intend to apply for the form S1 in the UK before we relocate but are being told get private health cover by some and not others. I realise its a personal choice but your opinions would be appreciated. If private health cover is the best option is it better to arrange via Portuguese provider than a UK based provider? Are there other options e.g. arrange via the bank. If we have no cover then we understand that we will be charged to use the health service is this correct and is it expensive? FYI we are both in good health and under UK pension age. Thanks in advance.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alan Huyton said:


> We are in the process of moving from the UK to Portugal and are worried about the right way to secure good health care. We intend to apply for the form S1 in the UK before we relocate but are being told get private health cover by some and not others. I realise its a personal choice but your opinions would be appreciated. If private health cover is the best option is it better to arrange via Portuguese provider than a UK based provider? Are there other options e.g. arrange via the bank. If we have no cover then we understand that we will be charged to use the health service is this correct and is it expensive? FYI we are both in good health and under UK pension age. Thanks in advance.


If you're under pensionable age you won't qualify for S1s, so you'll have to have private insurance. 
I'll let someone in Portugal do the recommendations


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## andycastle (Mar 30, 2015)

Alan Huyton said:


> We are in the process of moving from the UK to Portugal and are worried about the right way to secure good health care. We intend to apply for the form S1 in the UK before we relocate but are being told get private health cover by some and not others. I realise its a personal choice but your opinions would be appreciated. If private health cover is the best option is it better to arrange via Portuguese provider than a UK based provider? Are there other options e.g. arrange via the bank. If we have no cover then we understand that we will be charged to use the health service is this correct and is it expensive? FYI we are both in good health and under UK pension age. Thanks in advance.


Suggest you look at the recent annoucements from the NHS.

Essentially as of the 6th of April this year there are new restrictions being applied regarding "Health Tourism". These new rules are primarily aimed at non UK residents but dont forget that as an Expat, if you live outside the UK for more than 6 months you too are clased as a non UK resident.

Under the new rules non residents will only be entitled to emergency care when reurning to the UK unless they can prove they intend to resettle in the UK. 

After 6 months away you will have to reapply for acceptance to the NHS, only if you are reaccepted can you apply for a doctor.

It makes no differance how much NI contributions you have made in your life !!!
The Health Service in the UK is "residency based".

There are exceptions of course, for example, those who are of state pensionable age are exempt.

As far as countries that require medical care to be refunded via reciprical arrangement (ie Spain, France) , the S1 and E106 (I think thats it) have been scrapped. As far as I am aware you will definatley require health insurance in these countries ?

The Portugese Health System is, I gather, similar to the UK ie residency based so you would still be entitled to local health care, under local rules, once resident ?

Hope this helps. Perhaps a current resident in Portugal would like to comment?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

My local GP surgery has this on it's website: 

Under international conventions

Illustrative image
Citizens of countries that have established agreements and conventions with Portugal covering to protect sickness and maternity.

Natural citizens of countries that have established agreements and conventions with Portugal covering the protection in sickness and maternity can access health care provided by the National Health Service.


Andorra
Brazil
Cape Verde
Morocco
United Kingdom 

http://www.portaldasaude.pt/portal/...idados+de+saude/convencoes+internacionais.htm 

And for what it's worth, both my wife and I are UK passport holders, both in our late 50s, both in receipt of private pensions but not state pensions and we had no trouble registering and both of us have had more or less free treatment, including hospital treatment since we've been here.


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

I think the S1 does not exist any more. I'm 52 and wifey is younger and we do not work here, (contribute to the Portuguese tax / NI system). We obtained free access to the Portuguese health care by providing our permanent residency papers to the local social security office which in turn gave us our social security number. We took this SS number and its paperwork, plus the residency papers again to the local health centre and registered there. This gave us the free access to the health system - which we have used.

Hope this helps.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

It should be noted that whilst In 2 Bikes & I have had similar experiences with getting registered with the PT NHS, others have received less kind treatment and it seems to vary from area to area.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

In 2 bikes said:


> I think the S1 does not exist any more. I'm 52 and wifey is younger and we do not work here, (contribute to the Portuguese tax / NI system). We obtained free access to the Portuguese health care by providing our permanent residency papers to the local social security office which in turn gave us our social security number. We took this SS number and its paperwork, plus the residency papers again to the local health centre and registered there. This gave us the free access to the health system - which we have used.
> 
> Hope this helps.


ahh yes, I'd forgotten that UK citizens could use the Portuguese healthcare system

S1s are still available from the UK, but only to pensioners & in certain other specific circumstances


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