What to Do in a Medical Emergency in Portugal
When to call 112 or SNS 24, what happens at a hospital emergency department, the triage colours, and how to avoid the emergency fee.
Last verified: September 2026.
Who this is for
- You live in Portugal, as an EU or non-EU resident, and want to know who to call when someone is ill or hurt.
- You are visiting Portugal and want to know how emergency care works and what it may cost.
- You are a parent, carer, or retiree preparing a household emergency plan.
Not for you if: you need the police or fire service. Read "Reporting a Crime in Portugal" or "Preparing for Wildfire Season in Portugal".
Updated September 2026. Most public hospitals now ask you to call SNS 24 before you go to the emergency department, unless your life is at risk.
In Portugal, call 112 if a life is in danger. It is free. For anything urgent but not life-threatening, call the SNS 24 health line on 808 24 24 24 first. A nurse will tell you where to go. If SNS 24 or your health centre sends you to hospital, the emergency visit is free. If you walk in without a referral and go home the same day, you may pay a fee of €14 to €18. Children, pregnant women, and several other groups never pay it.
Which number to call
Save these numbers in every phone in your household today.
| Number | What it is for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | Any emergency where a life is at risk: medical, fire, or police | Free |
| 808 24 24 24 | SNS 24, the national health line, for urgent problems that are not life-threatening | Normal call rate |
| 800 250 250 | Poison information centre (CIAV), for poisoning or medicine mistakes | Free |
Call 112 for a suspected heart attack or stroke, a serious accident, difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding, loss of consciousness, a seizure, or a severe allergic reaction. 112 works from any mobile phone, even without credit. Operators can usually switch to English.
Call SNS 24 for a high fever, a sick child at night, a stable injury, or when you are unsure whether you need a hospital. Nurses assess your symptoms by phone. They give advice, send you to a health centre or hospital, or tell you to call 112. SNS 24 is also the call that makes a hospital visit free.
If you are deaf or cannot speak on the phone, the free MAI112 app lets you contact 112 by video call with a Portuguese Sign Language interpreter. Install it before you need it.
What to say when you call 112
The operator will ask you questions in order. Stay calm and answer each one.
- Say what kind of emergency it is: medical (médica), fire (incêndio), or police (polícia).
- Give the exact location: street, number, floor, town, and parish (freguesia). Add a landmark if you can.
- Say what happened and how many people are hurt.
- Describe the patient: age, whether they are awake, and whether they are breathing.
- Stay on the line until the operator tells you to hang up.
If you do not speak Portuguese, say "English, please". Many street names repeat across parishes, so the parish and a landmark help. In rural areas, share your GPS coordinates from your phone's map app.
After the call, keep your phone free and your door unlocked. Turn on outside lights at night. If you can, send someone to meet the ambulance.
A few useful phrases:
- "Preciso de ajuda." I need help.
- "Chame uma ambulância." Call an ambulance.
- "Houve um acidente." There has been an accident.
- "Não respira." He or she is not breathing.
What happens after you call 112
When your call is medical, 112 passes it to INEM, the national medical emergency institute. You do not call INEM directly. A team at INEM's urgent patient centre (CODU) assesses your call and sends the right help. That can be:
- A basic life support ambulance (SBV), crewed by trained technicians. Most calls get one of these.
- An immediate life support ambulance (SIV), with a nurse on board.
- A medical emergency car (VMER), with a doctor and a nurse, for the most serious cases.
- An emergency motorcycle in some cities, or a helicopter for remote areas and urgent transfers.
In many areas, the local fire brigade (bombeiros) runs the ambulance that INEM sends. The dispatcher may stay on the line and talk you through CPR, how to control bleeding, or how to position the patient. They will also tell you which hospital the patient is likely to go to.
Emergencies you must not wait on
For these conditions, every minute counts. Call 112 at once.
- Heart attack. Pain or pressure in the centre of the chest, perhaps spreading to the arm or jaw. There may be sweating, nausea, or breathlessness.
- Stroke. Use the FAST check: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 112. Call even if the symptoms go away.
- Choking or severe allergic reaction. Trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or a sudden rash after a sting, food, or medicine. If the person has an adrenaline pen, use it and still call 112.
Going to the hospital emergency department
A public hospital emergency department is called the urgência. There are three levels. Large hospitals have the most complete type, and smaller towns may have a basic unit only. SNS 24 or 112 will send you to the right one.
Call SNS 24 before you go
Under a programme called "Call first, save lives" (Ligue Antes, Salve Vidas), most public hospitals in mainland Portugal now prefer patients who are referred. A referral can come from SNS 24, your health centre, or INEM.
If you arrive without a referral, you may be asked to call SNS 24 from a phone at the entrance. If your problem is not urgent, you may be sent to a health centre instead. In that case, you should get an appointment within 48 hours. Anyone with a real emergency is always seen.
What to bring
- Your ID: passport, residence card, or citizen card.
- Your SNS user number (número de utente), if you have one.
- Your European Health Insurance Card, if you are from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, or the UK with a card that covers you.
- Your private health insurance card, if you have one.
- A list of the patient's medicines, allergies, and main illnesses.
- A phone charger. Waits can be long.
How triage works
A nurse assesses you soon after you arrive. This is called Manchester triage. You get a coloured wristband that sets how soon a doctor sees you. The order depends on how serious your case is, not on when you arrived.
| Colour | Meaning | Target time to see a doctor |
|---|---|---|
| Red (vermelho) | Emergency | Immediately |
| Orange (laranja) | Very urgent | Up to 10 minutes |
| Yellow (amarelo) | Urgent | Up to 60 minutes |
| Green (verde) | Less urgent | Up to 120 minutes |
| Blue (azul) | Not urgent | Up to 240 minutes |
These are targets, and busy hospitals often miss them for green and blue patients. If you get a green or blue band, you may also be sent to a health centre.
What it costs
If you are registered with the SNS, most public health care has been free since 2022. The one exception is the hospital emergency department.
You pay a fee (taxa moderadora) only if all of these are true:
- You went to the emergency department without a referral from SNS 24, your health centre, or INEM.
- You were not admitted to hospital.
- You do not belong to an exempt group.
The fee depends on the type of emergency department:
| Type of emergency department | Fee |
|---|---|
| Most complete (serviço de urgência polivalente) | €18 |
| Medical and surgical (serviço de urgência médico-cirúrgica) | €16 |
| Basic (serviço de urgência básica) | €14 |
The most you pay for one emergency visit, including tests and scans, is €40.
You never pay the fee if you belong to one of these groups, among others:
- Children under 18.
- Pregnant women, and women who have recently given birth.
- People with a disability rating of 60% or more.
- People on a low income, and their dependants.
- Unemployed people registered with the job centre who get a low unemployment benefit.
- Blood donors, organ donors, and firefighters.
- Asylum seekers and refugees.
Your exemption must be recorded at your health centre before you need it. Bring proof, such as an ID for a child or a doctor's statement for a pregnancy. Emergency fees you pay count towards the 15% health deduction on your income tax.
If you are visiting from the EU, the EEA, Switzerland, or the UK, show your European Health Insurance Card or UK Global Health Insurance Card. You are treated on the same terms as a resident. See "Getting a European Health Insurance Card in Portugal".
If you are not resident and have no card that covers you, the public hospital bills you for the full cost of your care. Travel insurance should cover this. Some hospitals are considering asking for payment or proof of insurance when you arrive, so keep your policy details with you.
Private hospitals also have emergency departments. They are not part of the SNS. You pay the full price unless your private insurance covers you. Check what your policy says about emergencies before you go. See "Choosing Private Health Insurance in Portugal".
When you do not need a hospital
Many problems can be handled closer to home.
- SNS 24. Call 808 24 24 24 for advice at any hour. You can also use the SNS 24 website or app.
- Your health centre (centro de saúde). Many have same-day appointments for acute illness. Some areas have extended-hours services in the evening and at weekends.
- A duty pharmacy (farmácia de serviço). In each area, one pharmacy stays open at night on a rota. Pharmacists can treat minor problems and tell you if you need a doctor. See "Using a Pharmacy in Portugal".
- Mental health crisis. SNS 24 offers psychological support by phone. If someone is in immediate danger, call 112. See "Mental Health Support in Portugal".
Prepare before you need it
Spend ten minutes on this today.
- Save 112, 808 24 24 24, and 800 250 250 in every phone in the household.
- Register with the SNS and keep each person's user number on your phone. See "Registering with the SNS in Portugal".
- Find your nearest public emergency department, and the nearest children's emergency department if you have children.
- Write down your full address in Portuguese format, including parish and municipality (concelho).
- Keep a list of each person's medicines, allergies, and illnesses on paper and on your phone.
- Keep copies of passports, residence cards, and insurance cards, on paper and on your phone.
- Keep a first aid kit at home and in the car.
- If anyone in the household is deaf, install the MAI112 app.
For a wider overview of the health system, see "Healthcare in Portugal".
Sources
- ERS (Entidade Reguladora da Saúde), FAQ "Taxas moderadoras do SNS", updated 18 February 2026: https://www.ers.pt/pt/utentes/perguntas-frequentes/faq/taxas-moderadoras-do-sns/ (fee applies only to emergency visits without SNS referral; referral through SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 or a health centre; no fee if admitted; exemption list; Decreto-Lei n.º 113/2011 and Decreto-Lei n.º 37/2022)
- ULS Santa Maria, FAQ on taxas moderadoras, July 2024: https://www.ulssm.min-saude.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024.07.23_FAQ_taxas_moderadoras.pdf (fees of €18, €16, and €14 by type of emergency department)
- Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca (ULS Amadora/Sintra), taxas moderadoras: https://hff.min-saude.pt/taxas-moderadoras/ (fee rules and exemptions)
- Direção Executiva do SNS, "Ligue Antes, Salve Vidas": https://www.sns.min-saude.pt/resposta-a-doenca-aguda/ (list of local health units in the programme)
- RTP, "Ligue Antes, Salve Vidas" extended to Lisbon hospitals: https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/pais/ligue-antes-salve-vidas-referenciacao-de-urgencias-abrange-santa-maria-sao-jose-e-sao-francisco-xavier_n1622518 (referral by SNS 24, health centres, or INEM; phone at the door; health centre appointment within 48 hours)
- INEM, CIAV poison information centre: https://www.inem.pt/category/servicos/centro-de-informacao-antivenenos/ (free number 800 250 250)
- INEM, "Que tipo de meios de socorro tem o INEM?": https://www.inem.pt/2017/05/26/que-tipo-de-meios-de-socorro-tem-o-inem/ (ambulance types, VMER, helicopters, motorcycles)
- Federação Portuguesa das Associações de Surdos, MAI112: https://fpasurdos.pt/pt/mai-112 (video access to 112 with a sign language interpreter, 24 hours)
- CUF, "Triagem de Manchester": https://www.cuf.pt/mais-saude/triagem-de-manchester-o-que-e-e-como-funciona (triage colours and target times; secondary source)
- Portal das Finanças, Código do IRS, artigo 78.º-C: https://info.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/informacao_fiscal/codigos_tributarios/cirs_rep/Pages/irs78c.aspx (emergency fees count towards the health deduction)
- Observador, 18 September 2026: https://observador.pt/2026/09/18/turismo-de-saude-igas-quer-taxas-moderadoras-pagas-a-entrada-dos-hospitais-e-sistema-de-check-out-para-evitar-fugas-a-pagamentos/ (health inspectorate recommendation to charge fees on arrival for patients without proof of cover; secondary source)
- Diário da República, Portaria 64-C/2016 amending Portaria 306-A/2011: https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/gratuitos/1s/2016/03/06303.pdf (emergency fees of €18, €16, and €14, and the €40 cap per visit; Portaria 480-A/2025/1 of December 2025 updated only the income limit for exemption, not the fees)
Last verified September 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.
