Healthcare
“Portugal’s SNS healthcare system is universal and virtually free for residents”
The SNS System
SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) is Portugal’s national healthcare system, funded through taxation. It provides free or near-free access for all legal residents.
Who is eligible:
- All legal residents (including D7, D8, Golden Visa holders)
- EU/EEA citizens registered in the system
- Foreigners with residence permits — same rights as Portuguese citizens
Número de Utente — Patient Number
To access the SNS, you need a Número de Utente — patient registration number.
How to obtain:
- In person at your local Centro de Saúde
- At an Espaço Cidadão
- Automatically — on your first visit to a public healthcare facility
Documents: passport, residence permit, NIF, proof of address, Portuguese phone number.
Taxas Moderadoras (Co-payments)
Since 2024, most SNS services are free:
- Consultations at Centro de Saúde
- Tests and examinations prescribed by SNS
- Hospital consultations
- Vaccinations, maternity care
Paid — only Urgência (emergency department) without referral:
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Basic urgência | €14 |
| Urgência médico-cirúrgica | €16 |
| Urgência polivalente | €18 |
| Maximum per visit | €40 |
Fully exempt: children under 18, pregnant women, disabled ≥60%, unemployed, families with income below €805.70/month (1.5× IAS).
Health Centres in Setúbal
All health centres are part of ULS da Arrábida (unified local health system).
USF (Family Health Units)
| Name | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| USF Luísa Todi | Rua Alexandre Herculano, 48 | 265 540 290 |
| USF São Filipe | Rua Batalha do Viso, 46 | 265 536 570 |
Hours: Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00.
UCSP (Primary Care Units)
| Name | Phone |
|---|---|
| UCSP Praça da República | 265 544 320 |
| UCSP São Sebastião | 265 708 000 |
| UCSP São Nicolau | 265 545 200 |
| UCSP Sado | 265 790 460 |
| UCSP Azeitão | 212 199 500 |
Booking Appointments
- Online: SNS 24 portal — via Chave Móvel Digital or Cartão de Cidadão
- By phone: directly to your USF/UCSP or via SNS 24 (808 24 24 24)
- In person: at your Centro de Saúde
Hospitals
Hospital de São Bernardo (Public)
Main public hospital for the region (ULS da Arrábida).
| Address | Rua Camilo Castelo Branco, 2910-446 Setúbal |
| Phone | 265 549 000 |
| Urgência | 24/7 (general, paediatric, obstetric-gynaecological) |
| Website | chs.min-saude.pt |
Hospital da Luz Setúbal (Private)
Private hospital from the Luz Saúde group.
| Address | Rua Deputado Henrique Cardoso, 13, 2900-110 Setúbal |
| Phone | 265 523 128 |
| Urgência | 24/7 |
| LUZ 24 line | 217 104 424 (24/7 telephone consultation) |
| Website | hospitaldaluz.pt/setubal |
Clínica Luísa Todi (Hospital da Luz branch): Avenida Luísa Todi, 287-A — consultations and examinations in the city centre.
Pharmacies
- Marked with a green cross
- Pharmacists provide advice and sell OTC medicines without prescription
- Prescriptions are often electronic
Opening hours: weekdays 09:00–19:00, Saturday 09:00–13:00.
Duty Pharmacy (Farmácia de Serviço)
Rotation system — one pharmacy in the area is on duty every night and weekend. How to find:
- Notice on the door of any closed pharmacy
- Website: farmaciasdeservico.net
Private Healthcare
Health Insurance
| Company | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Multicare (Fidelidade) | from ~€26/month |
| Medis (Ageas) | from ~€51/month |
| AdvanceCare (Allianz) | from ~€20/month |
Average cost: €400–1,000+/year depending on age and coverage.
Private Clinics
- Hospital da Luz Setúbal — full range of services (see above)
- Clínica CUF Montijo — serves the entire peninsula, Rua Joaquim de Almeida, Montijo. cuf.pt
- Lusíadas — nearest clinic in Almada (Clínica Lusíadas Almada, Almada Forum, Rua Sérgio Malpique 2, 2810-500 Almada)
Emergency Services
Number 112
Single European emergency number. Free call from any phone. For ambulance, police, and fire services.
How the System Works
- Call 112 → PSP dispatch centre
- Medical calls → CODU (INEM centres)
- INEM coordinates dispatch: SIV (with nurse) or VMUR (with doctor for critical cases)
Urgência in Setúbal
- Hospital de São Bernardo — 24/7 (public)
- Hospital da Luz Setúbal — 24/7 (private)
Dentistry
Public dentistry through SNS is very limited. Most people use private clinics.
Cheque Dentista — government voucher programme (€45): covers restorations, extractions, cleaning. Available to children, pregnant women, elderly.
Approximate Prices (Private)
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Examination and treatment plan | ~€30 |
| Professional cleaning | ~€50 |
| Filling | €50–80 |
| Whitening | ~€170 |
Prices are indicative and may vary in Setúbal.
Dental Clinics in Setúbal
- OralMED Setúbal — tel. 265 249 880
- Clínica Santa Madalena — tel. 265 246 179
- Clínica Dentária Bocage — central Setúbal
Vaccination — PNV
PNV (Programa Nacional de Vacinação) — national vaccination programme. Free for all residents of Portugal. Includes 13 vaccines.
When registering at a Centro de Saúde, you can ask to check your vaccination status — missing vaccinations are administered free of charge.
Adults: Td booster (tetanus-diphtheria) at 25, 45, 65, then every 10 years.
Key Contacts
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| Emergency | 112 (free) |
| SNS 24 (medical helpline 24/7) | 808 24 24 24 |
| Hospital de São Bernardo | 265 549 000 |
| Hospital da Luz Setúbal | 265 523 128 |
| LUZ 24 (private line) | 217 104 424 |
| USF Luísa Todi | 265 540 290 |
| USF São Filipe | 265 536 570 |
SNS 24 operates 24/7. English is available — you can request an English-speaking nurse. If SNS 24 refers you to urgência, no co-payment is charged.
Information current as of February 2026. Check contacts and schedules on official websites.
Image sources
- avenida-luisa-todi.webp — Nymphs Fountain on Avenida Luísa Todi, Setúbal. Author: Diego Delso. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source
The light is on for free. But someone has to clean the lantern.
☕ Support on Ko-fi