Foreigners' SNS access is in discussion again in Portugal: What does the unpaid bill of 1.23 million euros in the Algarve show?

The rules regarding the use of Serviço Nacional de Saúde services by foreigners who do not reside in Portugal were brought to the Parliament again.

Projeto de Lei n.º 786/XVII/2.ª, submitted by PSD and CDS-PP, aims to change the rules regarding payment and reimbursement of expenses for the use of SNS by foreigners who do not reside in Portugal.

With the debate coming to the fore again, the uncollected receivable of 1,234,358 euros arising from healthcare services provided to foreign non-resident patients in the Algarve also came to the fore again.

1.23 million euros is not a newly created debt

The Algarve figure is not a new debt that appeared on September 30.

The audit by Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde examined healthcare services provided by ULS Algarve to foreigners who do not reside in Portugal in 2023 and 2024.

During the audit, it was determined that the uncollected amount was 1,234,358 euros.

Therefore, the figure should not be interpreted as a new health bill created in a few months in 2026.

Most applications are from the British, French and Germans.

During the inspection, it was seen that citizens of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Ireland stood out among the non-resident foreigners who used general and multi-purpose emergency services in the Algarve.

In pediatric emergency departments, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain; In obstetrics and gynecology services, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Citizens of Ireland and Brazil are among the prominent groups.

This picture has a regional feature that should be evaluated together with the Algarve's intense international tourism and second home population.

The proposal does not exclude all foreigners living in Portugal from SNS

The most important distinction in the debate is the difference between “foreigner” and “foreigner not resident in Portugal”.

The title of the initiative presented to the Parliament is clearly related to SNS access for foreigners who do not reside in Portugal.

Therefore, a Brazilian, Turkish, French, Indian or other foreign citizen legally residing in Portugal is not the same legal category as a person who comes to the country as a tourist or does not have a residence status.

What changes today for Turkish citizens residing in Portugal?

Currently, due to this initiative, no automatic change has started in the SNS rights of Turkish citizens who have legal residence in Portugal.

Moreover, submitting a projecto de lei to Parliament does not mean that the proposed rules come into force.

The text must go through the Parliamentary process and, if accepted, the necessary subsequent constitutional and publication stages must be completed.

For foreigners living in Portugal, there is therefore no new registration or payment required today.

Resources

Assembleia da República — Projeto de Lei n.º 786/XVII/2.ª, 25 September 2026

https://www.parlamento.pt/Paginas/UltimasIniciativasEntradas.aspx

Portugal Resident — 30 September 2026

https://www.portugalresident.com/algarve-unpaid-healthcare-bills-foreign-non-residents-sns/

Observador / Lusa — 29 July 2026

https://observador.pt/2026/07/29/unidade-local-de-saude-algarve-tem-12-milhoes-de-euros-por-cobrar-a-estrangeiros-em-2023-e-2024/

RTP / Lusa — 29 July 2026

https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/pais/unidade-local-de-saude-algarve-tem-12-milhoes-de-euros-por-cobrar-a-estrangeiros_n1756551