Expat health insurance for retirees in Portugal

Yes, if you’ve recently relocated to Portugal and are looking for your first health insurance plan, you’re eligible for expat health insurance. Yes, if you are not working or working as a self-employed person. Yes, if you want to get insured quickly to get your visa or temporary residence permit because it’s affordable health insurance coverage that you can sign up for entirely in English. However, it’s not a long-term solution. There’s a maximum term limit of five years.

Yes, this policy meets the legal requirements for getting your first visa through your consulate or residence permit (AIMA) in Portugal and qualifies as your proof of health insurance. Our policy guarantees 30,000 euros of coverage, includes inpatient and outpatient care, emergency cover, repatriation, pandemic cover and a minimum of 12 months on your policy. This meets first time visa requirements in Portugal for most first time visas including the D7, golden, digital nomad, temporary and students visas. All documentation for your visa is provided on confirmation of sign up.

Yes, the policy is purchased automatically for 5 years from date of entry to Portugal, therefore meeting the common 12 month minimum requirements for many visas. We provide this confirmation in your post sign up documents.

But of course you can cancel anytime on a monthly basis!

Yes of course!

Once you are eligible you can easily switch to public health.

You can either then cancel your expat policy on a monthly basis via your Feather account, or you can also use it as an add-on insurance to your existing public insurance for additional benefits such as access to more medical practitioners and shorter waiting periods.

Immediately. Your policy documents (including documents for your visa application) will be waiting for you in your Feather account after you finish signing up. You can use these documents as proof of health insurance for your visa or residence permit application.

Expat health insurance is an excellent option if you're a freelancer or self-employed. Expat insurance provides emergency and accidental coverage in addition to any illness you might have.

Yes, you will require insurance both for your visa and entry, as well as for your residency. You can use our expat health policy for both your visa and entry to Portugal, and continue it for your residence appointment. Once you have your residence permit you can choose to switch to the SNS or keep the policy.

Expat health insurance has a maximum term limit of five years. This five-year term starts on the first day you arrive in Portugal. For example, if you moved to Portugal on the 1st of January 2020 but signed up for Expat Insurance on the 2nd of June 2021, you can only remain on the policy until the 1st of January 2025.

If you purchase a policy and the policy becomes active within 14 days of purchase, then you have 14 days to cancel your policy from the date of purchase and receive a full refund (as long as no claims were made during this period). However, if you purchase a policy with a start date in the future (over 14 days), then you have any time before the policy becomes active to cancel it and receive a full refund. After this period, you can still cancel anytime! Whenever you cancel, you would then no longer be charged during the next monthly billing cycle.

Yes! You can cancel anytime on a monthly basis.

Yes, you'll have to pay upfront. We suggest paying the doctor or clinic as soon as possible to avoid any late fees. Following that, submit photos of all invoices, receipts, and documents related to the incident in your Feather account to get reimbursed. The reimbursement will be made to you, not to the doctor

Yes, dependents can be added to your plan. Please note that each dependent will have to have their own policy purchased, but we can add them all under one account for ease of access. To add a dependent, simply: 1. Sign up for expat insurance for yourself first (or for the person you want to be the main policyholder) 2. Once you sign up, log into your Feather account and click on your expat policy. 3. Click 'add dependents', then add the dependent. 4. The basic policy price for dependents under 18 years of age is the same (72 euros).

Yes, expat insurance will cover some dental treatment for new dental conditions requiring pain relief like simple fillings and cleanings. This treatment is covered for up to €500 per year Additional dental treatments like check-ups and teeth cleaning are not covered.

In most cases, you must first have a valid residence permit in Portugal to obtain an SNS number (Serviço Nacional de Saúde), which gives access to the public healthcare system.

Once you have your residence permit, you can register at your local health center (Centro de Saúde) by presenting:

Residence permit

Passport or ID

Proof of address

NIF (tax number)

After registration, the health center issues your SNS number.

You can use our expat policy in the meantime until you obtain you SNS.

• Assuming SNS access is immediate after arrival

• Using travel insurance instead of visa-compliant insurance

• Keeping expensive private insurance longer than needed

• Registering too late for SNS and paying out of pocket

Not necessarily.

Once you are fully registered with Portugal’s public healthcare system (SNS) and have a Número de Utente, private health insurance is no longer required.

Many expats choose to:

• Cancel their private insurance once SNS access is working well for them, or

• Keep private insurance temporarily for flexibility, faster access, or international coverage.

The right choice depends on your situation. This policy is flexible and can be cancelled monthly.

SNS registration is not immediate and timelines vary widely.

In practice, it can take:

Several weeks, or a few months, depending on:

• Your municipality

• Your residence status

• How quickly local health centers process registrations

During this transition period, you may not yet be able to access public healthcare services — which is why many expats use private health like our expat health insurance while waiting.

Yes.

You can sign up without:

• A NIF (tax number)

• A NISS (social security number)

• A Portuguese address

This makes the policy suitable for visa applicants and new arrivals.