How to Get a Patient Number in Portugal
“Patient Number” (Número de Utente do Serviço Nacional de Saúde)
This is the local patient identifier in Portugal.
It is a nine-digit personal number assigned to each patient and linked to their health information.
It functions as the equivalent of a public health insurance number:
- provides access to free or subsidized public healthcare
- is used for issuing electronic prescriptions
- is linked to your “electronic patient record” (medical history, hospital visits, diagnoses, tests, medications, etc.)
Both your doctor and you have access to this information.
How to Obtain a Número de Utente
There are several possible scenarios.
The information below is based on an official Portuguese guideline created specifically for foreign citizens:
1) If you are a Portuguese citizen
You are automatically entitled to a patient number.
It is printed on the back of your Cartão de Cidadão (Citizen Card).
2) If you arrived after the start of the war and received Temporary Protection (proteção temporária)
You already have a patient number.
It may appear in your documents as NUS and usually starts with 89…
3) If you are a legal resident in Portugal (you have a Residence Permit / Título de Residência)
(see page 32, section 3.1.a of the manual)
You must:
- Visit your local public health center (Centro de Saúde) according to your address
- Show your residence card at the reception (passport usually not required)
- Request registration and issuance of a Número de Utente
- Carefully check all entered data:
full name (Latin characters)
date of birth
gender
address
contact details
Your phone number must be Portuguese (SMS messages will not be delivered to foreign numbers).
Email can be any.
Check everything several times — mistakes are common and corrections can take a long time.
After registration, you will receive a printed document with your patient number and details.
Often it will also state that a family doctor is not currently assigned — this is normal.
You can then use health apps and receive subsidized prescription medication like local residents.
4) If you do not yet have residency but have already submitted documents to AIMA
(see page 34, section 3.1.d)
Same procedure as in point 3, but additionally you must provide:
Passport
Copy of confirmation that your documents were submitted to AIMA
5) If you have no Portuguese documents, no insurance, and your tourist visa has expired
In this situation, public healthcare is generally paid out-of-pocket.
However, there are important exceptions (see page 35, section 3.2):
- Life-threatening conditions
- Infectious diseases posing public risk (tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19)
- Pregnancy and all related care (planning, termination, prenatal and postnatal care, childbirth, newborn care)
- Children’s healthcare (ages 0–18)
- Vaccination included in the national program
- Severe social or economic vulnerability (documentation required)
In all these cases, you are entitled to access free public healthcare.
You will need:
- Passport
- Proof of address issued by the local parish office (Junta de Freguesia)
- Then follow the same steps as in point 3
Important
In these situations, you may receive a temporary patient number (número provisório) with limited functionality (for example, no medication discounts).
Once you obtain permanent legal status, it is strongly recommended to return to the health center and update your data to receive a permanent number.
Detailed manual:
https://www.acss.min-saude.pt/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Manual-Acolhimento_vf.pdf