The two parties that support the Government, PSD and CDS-PP, have asked Parliament again to limit free access to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde, SNS) for foreigners who do not live in Portugal or who are here without legal status. Nothing has changed yet: this is a proposal, not a law. Here is what it says and what it could mean for you.
What happened
On 25 September 2026, PSD and CDS-PP submitted a bill (Projeto de Lei n.º 786/XVII/2) to change the Basic Law on Health (Lei de Bases da Saúde), as reported by SOL and by the news agency Lusa (published by RTP and DN) on 26 September.
According to those reports, the bill proposes that:
- SNS users would be Portuguese citizens plus foreigners who are legally staying or residing in Portugal, including EU nationals, citizens of non-EU countries, stateless people and people who have applied for international protection (asylum).
- Foreigners without legal status, or who do not live in Portugal, would have to pay for their care, or show proof that someone else covers it (for example, an insurer), and give the documents the SNS needs to identify and contact them.
- A future law would set out how to collect these payments, including, where needed, a guarantee or payment in advance.
- Emergency, urgent and life-saving care would still be given, but the patient would have to present proof of cover and documents afterwards.
The two parties presented a similar bill in the last legislature. It passed a first vote with support from Chega, but lapsed when early elections were called. To justify it, they quote a report from the health inspectorate (IGAS) of November 2024. The report says about 330,000 non-resident foreigners were seen in SNS emergency departments between 2021 and September 2024, and that more than 140,000 of them had no insurance or international agreement to cover the cost. SOL notes that the claim that people travel to Portugal to get free treatment is the parties’ own position.
Separately, Lusa reported on 23 September (via SAPO) that Parliament will debate a Chega bill on user fees (taxas moderadoras) for immigrants in the SNS on 15 October. The details of that bill were not given in the report.
What this means for immigrants
- If you have a valid residence permit, the text as reported keeps you inside the SNS, on the same basis as Portuguese citizens.
- If you are in Portugal without legal status, you would be the group most affected: outside emergencies, you could be asked to pay or show insurance.
- Family visiting from abroad are non-residents and would need their own health cover. Observador reported on 18 September that, according to IGAS, Portugal has no health-care agreements with countries such as India, Nepal, Pakistan or Bangladesh.
- Not yet clear: the reports do not explain how people with a pending AIMA application or renewal would be treated. We will update this article when the full text or debate makes this clear.
What you should do
- Register with the SNS and get your número de utente if you live here legally and have not done it yet. See our guide: How to register with the SNS.
- Keep proof of your legal status with you: your residence card or, if it has expired, your AIMA renewal receipt. See residence permit renewal.
- Buy travel health insurance for relatives who come to visit.
- In an emergency, do not wait: call 112 or go to the hospital. The proposal keeps emergency care. For advice, call SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24.
Key dates
- 25 September 2026: PSD and CDS-PP submit the bill to Parliament.
- 15 October 2026: Parliament debates a separate Chega bill on SNS user fees for immigrants.
- Next: the PSD/CDS-PP bill must be debated and voted in Parliament and can be changed on the way. When we published this article, we had not seen a date for its debate.
Sources
- SOL – PSD and CDS-PP want to charge non-resident foreigners for SNS access (26 September 2026)
- RTP/Lusa – PSD and CDS-PP again propose restricting SNS access for non-residents (26 September 2026)
- DN/Lusa – Same story (26 September 2026)
- SAPO/Lusa – Parliament’s agenda, including the 15 October debate (23 September 2026)
- Observador – IGAS recommendations on non-resident patients (18 September 2026)
Official sources
Featured image: Photo: Joseolgon, “Hospital de Braga 2”, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hospital_de_Braga_2.jpg (cropped to 1200×675)
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change often; check with the official body before acting. Last updated: 28 September 2026.
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