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Free healthcare for British after Brexit
5 August 2020
Brexit is still raising many questions for UK citizens in Portugal.
One of the most asked questions is regarding healthcare for British expats, and if Brits will still be able to access the Portuguese national health service or be able to use their EHIC (European health insurance card) after Brexit.
The Portuguese Socialist Government is considering continuing to provide subsidised medical care for British citizens
even if no agreement is reached
in this regard during the post-Brexit negotiations with the European Union. The government is talking about a kind of extension of the European health insurance card that would apply only to EU member states, so that British citizens in Portugal could continue to make use of the National Health System across the border.
The main reason behind this possible measure from Portuguese MPs is to continue to encourage British tourists to make Portugal their destination of choice, given that tourism has become Portugal’s main economic engine over the past years.
In a bid to minimise the impact of Brexit, the Portuguese Government is also planning to provide special lanes for British travellers at its main tourist airports in Faro and Funchal, in order to prevent UK citizens from getting stuck at the entry queues for non-EU passport holders, a measure that has already been introduced in other EU airports.
Finally, in a statement, the Portuguese Tourism Minister, Rita Marques, explained that “no matter what happens, the Portuguese will always stand by the British
because British travellers are very important to us.”
There is still an element of uncertainty surrounding Brexit, even more so in the current coronavirus world that we are living in, and the Portuguese Government is yet to confirm these measures. However, UK citizens should also keep in mind that until the end of December 2020, nothing will change due to the transition period that has been implemented.
On Friday, 14 February 2025, Law No. 9/2025 came into effect, introducing amendments to Law No. 23/2007 of 4 July, which governs the legal framework for the entry, stay, exit, and removal of foreign nationals from Portugal. For context, Law No. 9/2025 introduced amendments to seven articles, aiming to facilitate and simplify the entry and stay of citizens from the Member States of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) in Portugal. The CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries – Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa) is an international organisation comprising countries where Portuguese is an official language. Its primary objectives are to promote cooperation in political, economic, and cultural areas among its member states while fostering the Portuguese language and cultural exchange. Among the amendments, Article 75, paragraph 2 is particularly noteworthy. It states: When the applicant is covered by the CPLP Agreement and holds a short-stay visa or has legal entry into the national territory, they may apply for a temporary residence permit. In practical terms, this means that citizens who enter Portugal legally can apply for a temporary residence permit without the need for a visa. They simply need to enter the country as tourists, as is the case for citizens of CPLP member states. Tourist stays are limited to a maximum period of 90 days. Citizens from countries that are not members of the CPLP can still apply for a temporary residence permit; however, they must first obtain the appropriate visa . Temporary stay visas are intended for individuals planning to stay in Portugal for more than 90 days but less than one year. Various types of temporary stay visas are available to accommodate different purposes, such as medical treatment, family reunification, employment, study, and seasonal work. These visas are formally classified as E1 Visa, E2 Visa, and so forth. The member states of the CPLP include: The Republic of Angola The Federative Republic of Brazil The Republic of Cape Verde The Republic of Guinea-Bissau The Republic of Equatorial Guinea The Republic of Mozambique The Portuguese Republic The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
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