How Foreign Residents Get an SNS User Number and a Family Doctor
The número de utente is easy to get; registering with a health centre and getting a family doctor is where residence papers and local vacancies come in.
Foreign nationals get an SNS user number (número de utente) the first time they go to a public health centre (centro de saúde) or hospital, according to gov.pt. Registering with a health centre is a separate step, open to foreign nationals with a residence permit, and a family doctor depends on local vacancies.
The gov.pt service page was last updated on 12 May 2026. The number identifies you in Portugal’s National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde, SNS). gov.pt warns that having a number does not by itself guarantee that the SNS covers the cost of your care. The rules below are as of November 2026.
What is the difference between a user number and health centre registration?
The user number is your ID inside the SNS; registration (inscrição) links you to a specific health centre near your home, which is how you get routine appointments and, if there is a vacancy, a family doctor (médico de família).
| Step | Who can do it | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Get an SNS user number | Foreign nationals using a public health unit for the first time | Health centre or hospital |
| Register with a health centre | Portuguese nationals and foreign nationals with a residence permit | Health centre for your address |
| Get a family doctor | People with up-to-date registration, subject to vacancies | Your health centre or local health unit |
Portuguese citizens get their number automatically with the Citizen Card. Everyone else applies in person.
How do I get the number and register?
Go to the health centre that serves your address. In Lisbon, centres are organised under local health units (Unidades Locais de Saúde, ULS), and the right centre depends on your street.
- Find your health centre on the SNS website or by asking at the nearest one.
- Bring your passport or ID card, your residence permit (or, for EU citizens, the registration certificate from your city council), your NIF and proof of address.
- Ask at reception to be registered in the national user register (Registo Nacional de Utentes) and at that health centre.
- Check that your phone number and email are correct, because appointment notices and SNS 24 messages use them.
- Ask whether a family doctor is available and, if not, how the centre handles patients without one.
Health centres can ask for more papers depending on your case, so call ahead or ask at reception first. gov.pt describes the service on its page about registering with a health centre.
Do I need a residence permit?
For health centre registration, yes: gov.pt lists foreign nationals with a residence permit in Portugal as eligible. EU citizens register with the city council certificate instead, since they do not get AIMA permits; see our guide to the EU citizen registration certificate in Lisbon.
The user number itself is not tied to a permit on gov.pt: it is issued when you first use a public health unit. If your permit has expired and a renewal is pending, bring your renewal receipt to every visit. Some immigrants reported in 2026 that health centres asked for an updated residence document, so keep your residence permit renewal on track.
What changed in the user register in 2026?
Despacho 3118/2026, signed in March 2026, amended the national user register rules set by Despacho 14830/2024. It made registration with primary care depend on an up-to-date record (registo atualizado) and created a separate status for Portuguese citizens who live abroad. The despacho took effect 90 days after it came into force.
Residents should keep their address, contacts and residence document up to date in the register. Each time your permit is renewed, show the new card at your health centre so your record stays current.
How do I ask for a family doctor?
Ask at your health centre once you are registered. Under the 2026 rules, a family doctor is assigned only if your record is up to date and the local health unit has a vacancy, so availability varies from one Lisbon parish to the next.
Without a family doctor you can still book appointments for acute problems at the health centre, call the SNS 24 line on 808 24 24 24 for advice and referrals, and go to a hospital emergency department when it is urgent. Our guide to the SNS 24 helpline explains what the line can do.
Bottom line
Get the user number the first time you need care, but register with a health centre as soon as your residence permit or EU certificate is in hand, because the family doctor list only starts counting you from then. Update the record after each permit renewal too, since an up-to-date record is now a condition for primary care registration.
FAQ
Is SNS care free for residents?
Costs depend on the service and on your situation, and medicines are only partly reimbursed. gov.pt notes that a user number does not by itself guarantee that the SNS pays for your care, so ask the health centre before a planned treatment. Private hospitals and clinics are outside the SNS.
Can I get a user number before I have a residence permit?
gov.pt says foreign nationals get the number when they first go to a public health unit. Registration with a health centre and a family doctor requires the residence permit.
What should EU visitors use?
EU visitors on a short stay use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) at public health units. Once you live in Portugal, register locally instead.
What number do I call in an emergency?
Call 112 for emergencies. For health advice that is not an emergency, call SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24.
