🇵🇹 Europe
Health insurance for Americans living in Portugal
Portugal is one of the top landing spots for Americans moving abroad, thanks to the D7 and digital nomad visa routes. Both of those visas, and a comfortable life here, expect you to carry real health coverage.
What expats in Portugal should plan for
- The D7 and digital nomad visa applications require proof of health insurance.
- Access to the public SNS system comes with residency and registration, and it takes time to set up.
- Most new arrivals carry private coverage from day one and keep it while SNS access falls into place.
- Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve all have private hospitals expats rely on.
The health system in Portugal
The SNS is well regarded once you are in it, but new residents bridge the gap with private coverage. A long-term plan satisfies the visa requirement and pays providers directly while you settle in.
Just visiting Portugal on a trip? See short-term travel medical coverage for Portugal.
Recommended for living abroad
Long-Term
Real health insurance for living abroad.
Expats, remote workers, and retirees living outside the US for six months or longer.
- Comprehensive health coverage, not just emergency travel care
- Renewable year after year while you live abroad
- Access to a vetted international provider network
- Direct pay at in-network providers, so you are not fronting the cost
Build a life in Portugal. Keep health coverage that follows you there.
Get your quoteThe difference that matters
Your doctor gets paid directly. You do not front the bill.
BCBS Global Solutions has a direct-pay provider network in 190 countries. At an in-network hospital or clinic, the plan settles the bill directly. You are not handing over a credit card for a large medical charge and waiting months for a refund.
That is the gap most travel insurance leaves open. Plans like World Nomads, SafetyWing, and Allianz usually work on reimbursement. You pay upfront, file a claim, and hope it comes back. For a real emergency abroad, that difference is the whole point.
BCBS Global, in network
$0 out of pocket
Plan pays the provider directly at the point of care.
Typical reimbursement plan
Pay first, claim later
You cover the bill, then wait weeks or months for a refund.
Living somewhere else?
See all expat and nomad coverage →Not sure which plan fits?
Book a free 15-minute Insurance Sanity Check. It is a second opinion on the coverage you have or the trip you are planning, not a sales pitch. Most people do not realize what their credit card or current policy leaves out.
Free guide
Which BCBS Global plan fits you?
Get the plain-English plan picker. It walks you through Single-Trip, Multi-Trip, Long-Term, and student coverage in two minutes, so you buy the right plan the first time.
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