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Anyone moving to Portugal asks about the price early on: what does private health insurance cost, and is it worth it alongside the national health service, the SNS? In the comparison of plans published by the consumer organisation DECO PROteste in November 2024, the plans compared cost between just over €13 and around €77 a month for a 40-year-old, and premiums rise with age. The cost of private health insurance in Portugal also depends on what the plan covers and how much you pay yourself for each treatment. An average figure on its own tells you little.
This guide shows which premiums have been published for Portuguese plans, what the market average is, what drives the price, which costs come on top of the premium and how much you can recover through income tax. It is based on a comparison of plans by the consumer organisation DECO PROteste, market figures from the insurance supervisor ASF, the policy conditions of Allianz, Multicare and Médis, and Article 78-C of the Portuguese Personal Income Tax Code.
- Entry-level plans: Hospital-only plans cost around €157 to €207 a year for a 40-year-old in the DECO PROteste comparison (November 2024), roughly €13 to €17 a month.
- Plans with doctor visits and tests: With outpatient cover, the plans compared cost €556 to €918 a year, roughly €46 to €77 a month.
- Market average: An insured person paid €417.84 on average in 2024, 14.8% more than the year before (ASF).
- Age: With Allianz, Multicare and age-banded Médis plans, the premium rises with each age band, and these insurers may also adjust it at the annual renewal.
- On top of the premium: Co-payments per visit and hospital deductibles decide what you actually pay in a year.
- Tax: If you are tax resident in Portugal and pay income tax there, you can deduct 15% of health expenses including the premium; the deduction is capped at €1,000 per household.
What private health insurance in Portugal costs
Insurers usually only state their premiums in an online calculator or an offer, based on age and plan. A traceable comparison was published by the consumer organisation DECO PROteste in November 2024: it set out the annual premiums of common plans for a 40-year-old side by side (DECO PROteste, “Seguro de saúde: Multicare ou Médis?”, 21.11.2024). We worked out the monthly figures from it, rounded.
| Plan (40-year-old) | What it covers | Annual premium | Per month, approx. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multicare, simplest plan | Hospital up to €25,000, access to the medical and dental network | €156.72 | €13 |
| Médis, simplest plan | Hospital up to €15,000 | €207.19 | €17 |
| Asisa, Allianz and Tranquilidade (Asisa +Saúde Plus, Allianz Saúde Mais, Tranquilidade AdvanceCare Mais) | Hospital up to €75,000, outpatient up to €2,500, childbirth | €556 to €865 | €46 to €72 |
| Multicare 2 | Hospital up to €50,000, outpatient up to €1,000 | €853 | €71 |
| Médis Opção 2 | Hospital up to €50,000, outpatient up to €2,500 | €918 | €77 |
These figures are a snapshot. They apply to age 40 and to November 2024; current premiums may differ. They still show the order of magnitude and, above all, the jump between types of plan: if you only want to cover hospital stays and surgery, you pay a fraction of what a plan with specialist visits, tests and treatment costs.
The report on health insurance published by the insurance supervisor ASF (Observatório dos Seguros de Saúde) gives a reference point for the whole market. In 2024, 4,060,378 people in Portugal had private health insurance. On average, each insured person paid €417.84 a year: €423.61 in individual policies and €412.45 in group policies (ASF figures as reported by Doutor Finanças). This average mixes simple and comprehensive plans, children and older people; for your own age and the plan you want, the premium can be well above or below it.
What drives the premium
Five factors set the price. Once you know them, you can read an offer and compare plans that look very different at first sight.
Age
Premiums are set in age bands. From around 60, taking out a policy gets harder, because many plans have a maximum entry age.
Scope
Hospital only, or also outpatient care, childbirth, dental, glasses and medicines. Every extra benefit raises the premium.
Limits
€15,000 or €75,000 for hospital costs, €1,000 or €2,500 for outpatient care: higher limits cost more.
Your share
The higher the co-payment and deductible, the lower the premium. The risk shifts to you.
The fifth factor is your health. Before you sign, you fill in a health questionnaire. According to the DECO PROteste review, insurers generally exclude pre-existing conditions, meaning illnesses and symptoms that are already known. A plan can then look cheap and not pay for exactly what you need most. How insurers handle existing conditions and which waiting periods apply is explained in our guides to pre-existing conditions and waiting periods in health insurance.
According to DECO PROteste, extras such as dental treatment, prostheses or medicines raise the premium considerably, but often come with their own deductibles and low limits. If dental treatment is your main concern, a separate dental plan is often the better choice; see our guide to dental insurance in Portugal.
Portuguese and international plans
If you live in Portugal, there are two kinds of plan, and their prices differ considerably.
Portuguese plans such as those from Multicare, Médis, Allianz, Generali Tranquilidade or Asisa work through networks of doctors, clinics and laboratories. Inside the network you pay a fixed amount per service and the clinic bills the insurer directly for the rest. Outside the network you submit the bill and are reimbursed a percentage up to a limit, if your plan provides for it. Cover applies essentially in Portugal. According to DECO PROteste, 24 insurers sell health insurance in Portugal; Multicare (Fidelidade) and Médis (Ageas) together hold more than 60% of the market.
International plans such as Cigna Global, Bupa Global or APRIL are aimed at people who travel a lot or want cover for treatment in the UK or other countries too. These providers calculate the premium individually, in an online calculator or quote, from your age, area of cover (with or without the USA) and the deductible you choose. Which plan offers what is shown in our comparison of international health insurance.
Before comparing prices, decide what the insurance is for. If it only needs to cover an expensive operation in a private hospital, a hospital plan is enough. If you want to see specialists without the SNS waiting lists, you need outpatient cover. If you also want treatment back in the UK during the winter, you need a plan that pays there; these are usually international plans. Three purposes, three price ranges. What hospital and outpatient blocks actually cover is explained in our guide Inpatient vs outpatient health insurance in Portugal.
What you pay on top of the premium
The monthly premium is only part of the cost. With Portuguese plans you pay a share for almost every service. Three terms appear in most offers:
| Term | What it means | When it affects you |
|---|---|---|
| Copagamento (co-payment) | Fixed amount per service in the network, for example per specialist visit or test | At every doctor’s visit, predictable |
| Franquia (deductible) | Amount you bear yourself before the insurer pays, often per hospital stay or per year | Mainly for surgery or an inpatient stay |
| Comparticipação (reimbursement rate) | Percentage of the bill the insurer reimburses outside the network, up to a limit | When you choose a doctor outside the network |
Plans with a low premium often have high co-payments or a hospital deductible; plans with a higher premium have lower shares. Whether that pays off depends on how often you see a doctor. How deductibles and co-payments work in detail is explained in our guide How deductible and cost share work in health insurance.
Then there are services a plan does not pay for at all, or only up to a limit. Once an outpatient limit of around €1,000 is used up, you pay for further treatment yourself. Look at the limits as well as the premium: a cheap plan with a low limit can cost more in a year with longer treatment than a plan with a higher premium.
How the premium changes every year
Policies from Allianz, Multicare and Médis usually run for one year and renew annually. At each renewal the premium can change, for two reasons.
A new age band
With Allianz, Multicare and age-banded Médis plans, the premium depends on age bands (escalões etários). When you move into a new band, a higher premium applies. Multicare makes this change without prior notice, based on your age on the first day of the policy year (clause 11 no. 2 of its general conditions). Médis charges the premium for the new band from the next renewal (clause 22 no. 5). According to its pre-contract information, Allianz adjusts the premium at each renewal in line with the current rate and the age band.
Adjustment to costs
Regardless of age, Allianz, Multicare and Médis may adjust the premium at renewal, for example because treatment costs have risen. Allianz lists possible reasons including inflation, age, the claims experience of the plan and taxes (clause 9). Allianz, Multicare and Médis announce such changes 30 days before renewal. Médis can also index sums insured, premiums and deductibles automatically every year where the particular conditions provide for it (clause 22 no. 4). With all three, if you do not accept the change, the policy ends at renewal (Allianz clause 9, Multicare clause 9 no. 1, Médis clause 22 no. 3). Why premiums have risen faster recently is explained in our article Why expat health insurance is rising in Portugal.
For planning, this means: ask not only for the premium at your current age, but also for the premiums of the next age bands. What that adds up to over 15 years, and which plans are still open from 60, is shown in our guide Health insurance in Portugal over 60 and 70.
Tax: what you get back and what is added
Deductible from income tax
If you are tax resident in Portugal and pay income tax (IRS) there, Article 78-C of the Personal Income Tax Code lets you deduct 15% of the health expenses of all household members from your tax bill; the deduction is capped at €1,000 a year in total (Código do IRS, Artigo 78.º-C). This expressly includes premiums for insurance that covers only health risks of the taxpayer or their tax dependants (dependentes). Amounts the insurer has reimbursed cannot be deducted again (paragraph 6); your premium and your own shares remain deductible.
An example with assumed figures: if a couple filing jointly pays €1,400 in premiums a year and €300 in co-payments, their health expenses are €1,700. 15% of that is €255 off the tax bill, as long as the household’s total deduction including other health expenses stays within €1,000. The deduction only helps if you actually owe income tax in Portugal.
Levies on the premium
Insurers charge statutory levies on the premium, shown on the receipt. In its pre-contract information, Allianz names stamp duty (Imposto do Selo) and the INEM levy, plus a surcharge for paying in instalments where applicable. The levy for the emergency medical service INEM is 2.5% and is charged on health, life, personal accident and motor insurance; in Madeira and the Azores it goes to the regional civil protection service (Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Saldo Positivo). Always compare offers by the total amount you actually pay.
What you pay without private insurance
If you live in Portugal and are registered with the national health service SNS, you are treated there. According to the health regulator ERS, user charges (taxas moderadoras) now only apply in a hospital emergency department, and not even there if you were referred by the SNS or are then admitted as an inpatient (ERS, Alerta de Supervisão 6/2025). So the SNS costs you little. The price is time: for specialists, planned operations and some tests, the waits are often long. That waiting time is what many people buy their way out of with private insurance. How the SNS compares with the NHS is covered in our article Comparing the UK and Portuguese health systems.
EU citizens do not need a visa for Portugal. If you come from outside the EU, for example from the UK: for the residence visa, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires valid travel insurance covering medical costs, including urgent treatment and repatriation (Vistos MNE, Residência). The same page notes that this can be waived where a bilateral agreement applies, naming the UK S1 as an example. Travel insurance for the first months is usually not permanent health insurance. If you receive a UK State Pension and live in Portugal, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK through the S1 form; our guide for health insurance over 60 and 70 explains how.
Worked example: two plans over one year
Whether the cheaper or the more expensive plan works out cheaper depends on your year. An example with assumed figures for one person; the plans differ only in premium and in your share:
| Assumed figures | Plan A: low premium | Plan B: higher premium |
|---|---|---|
| Annual premium | €450 | €650 |
| Co-payment per specialist visit | €20 | €10 |
| Deductible per hospital stay | €500 | none |
| Quiet year (6 doctor visits) | 450 + 120 = €570 | 650 + 60 = €710 |
| Year with surgery (6 doctor visits, 1 hospital stay) | 450 + 120 + 500 = €1,070 | 650 + 60 = €710 |
In the quiet year, plan A saves €140; in the year with surgery, it costs €360 more. The hospital stay is what tips the balance here; co-payments per visit only matter with a very large number of visits. If you can cover a deductible from savings and do not expect surgery, the low premium works well. If you have planned surgery ahead, you are better off calculating with the higher one. The figures are invented; use the numbers from your own offers.
Five mistakes when comparing prices
Frequently asked questions
How much does private health insurance in Portugal cost per month?
For a 40-year-old, hospital-only plans cost around €13 to €17 a month in the DECO PROteste comparison of November 2024, and plans with doctor visits and tests around €46 to €77. Older people pay more, and insurers such as Allianz, Multicare and Médis may adjust the premium at the annual renewal.
What is the average cost of health insurance in Portugal?
According to figures from the insurance supervisor ASF, an insured person paid €417.84 a year on average in 2024, 14.8% more than in 2023. In individual policies it was €423.61, in group policies €412.45. The average mixes simple and comprehensive plans and all age groups.
Does the premium go up with age?
Yes. With Allianz, Multicare and age-banded Médis plans, a higher premium applies with each new age band. Allianz, Multicare and Médis may also adjust the premium at the annual renewal and announce this 30 days in advance; Médis can also index premiums annually.
Can I deduct health insurance from my taxes in Portugal?
If you are tax resident in Portugal and pay income tax there, yes. Under Article 78-C of the Código do IRS, 15% of the household’s health expenses can be deducted; the deduction is capped at €1,000 a year. This includes premiums for insurance that covers only health risks, and your own shares, but not amounts the insurer has reimbursed.
What is the difference between a co-payment and a deductible?
The co-payment (copagamento) is a fixed amount you pay for each service in the network, for example per specialist visit. The deductible (franquia) is an amount you bear yourself before the insurer pays, often per hospital stay or per year.
What does international health insurance cost?
International plans such as Cigna Global, Bupa Global or APRIL calculate the premium individually from your age, area of cover and the deductible you choose. In return they cover treatment outside Portugal too, which Portuguese plans essentially do not.
Are there levies on top of the premium?
Yes. Insurers show statutory levies on the receipt, including stamp duty (Imposto do Selo) and 2.5% for the emergency medical service INEM, which applies to health, life, personal accident and motor insurance. Compare the total amount you actually pay.
What does the national health service SNS cost?
Little, for residents registered with the SNS. According to the health regulator ERS, user charges now only apply in a hospital emergency department, and not there if you were referred by the SNS or are admitted as an inpatient. The drawback of the SNS is long waits for specialists and planned operations.
Do I need private health insurance for the visa?
EU citizens do not need a visa. For the residence visa from outside the EU, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires valid travel insurance covering medical costs, including urgent treatment and repatriation; this can be waived under a bilateral agreement such as the UK S1. It covers the first period, not permanent health insurance.
What happens to pre-existing conditions?
According to the DECO PROteste review, Portuguese insurers generally exclude pre-existing conditions, meaning illnesses and symptoms that are already known. Read what is excluded before you sign, and compare plans by what they will actually pay for you.
Our advice as an independent broker
Private health insurance in Portugal can cost €13 a month or many times that. What matters is not the lowest premium, but the plan that fits your purpose and whose annual cost you can still carry in ten years: premium, your share, limits and how it develops with age, taken together.
As an independent broker, we obtain offers from several insurers for you, convert them into annual costs, give you the premiums for the next age bands and check whether your clinic is in the network. We speak English with you. An overview of the plans is on our page Health insurance in Portugal.
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Last updated: 30.10.2026. This article reflects the information available on that date and does not replace legal, tax or insurance advice in an individual case. The terms of your policy and the insurer’s offer apply. Sources: the DECO PROteste plan comparison of 21.11.2024 (annual premiums for a 40-year-old), figures from the ASF Observatório dos Seguros de Saúde for 2024, Article 78-C of the Código do IRS in the version in force since 1 July 2025, the general conditions of Allianz Saúde (CGE 229) with pre-contract information 657, Multicare (D0028) and Médis (Seguro de Saúde Médis), the Caixa Geral de Depósitos overview of levies on insurance premiums, ERS Alerta de Supervisão 6/2025 and the visa requirements of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
