OBTAINING AN UTENTE NUMBER
NÚMERO DE UTENTE
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| 🔗 KEY LINKS | |
| 📍 KEY LOCATIONS | You can register at any health center that corresponds to the area of your residence. The health centers are distributed across regions and offer a variety of medical services. Check before which one is the closest. Find the closest health center to you here |
| ☎️ KEY CONTACTS | Linha Saúde 24 (808 24 24 24) |
WHAT IS IT?
National Health Service (SNS) national user number, also known as an utente (which means ‘user’ in Portuguese) is allocated to each person to facilitate access to health services of SNS public facilities. This could be medical care, scheduling appointments or exams, getting prescription medication, or requesting diagnostic services. This also enables you to monitor medical needs and past records.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Everyone can obtain this number - Portuguese citizens and foreigners with residence or stay authorization in Portugal.
Those without permanent residence authorization can also obtain one but a temporary user number - “utente provisório”
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
1. If you have a residence authorization or a work visa, you have to go to the health center in your residential area.
2. Bring your identification documents and confirmation of your place of residence.
3. At the Health Center you will be given an SNS User Identification Card
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
- Carry identification documents (identity card, Social Security card or other system)
- Confirmation of your place of residence.
- If you are exempt from user fees, or have a special reimbursement regime for medicines, also bring the respective supporting documents.
- You may also be asked to provide your email address and mobile phone number.
| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | |
|---|---|
|
If I have an utente number, does it mean all my healthcare costs are covered by the SNS? | No |
| How do I find the closest health center to me? | Have a look at this link: https://www.sns.gov.pt/centros_saude/ (currently, its in maintenance) |
| Do I have to pay for it? | No, getting this number is free. |
COMMUNITY TIPS & LEARNING
⚠️ SCAMS TO BE CAREFUL OF?
🗞️ NEWS TO BE AWARE OF?
It is important to remember that the creation of a provisional user number can be requested by contacting Linha Saúde 24 (808 24 24 24) if you have lived in Portugal for less than 90 days and do not have permanent residence.
HELP US STAY UP TO DATE: REPORT AN ISSUE, SUGGEST AN EDIT OR LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE AWARE OF ANY NEWS OR SCAMS THAT SHOULD BE SHARED!
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