Key figures — as of 2026-10-04: Bill (Projeto de Lei n.º 786/XVII/2) filed in parliament 25 September 2026 by PSD and CDS-PP — ~330,000 non-resident foreigners used SNS hospital emergency departments between 2021 and September 2024, per an IGAS report dated 27 November 2024 — of those, more than 140,000 (≈42%) had no insurance or international agreement covering the care — the bill amends the Lei de Bases da Saúde (Health Framework Law) and is not yet passed.
What the bill actually does
Portugal's ruling coalition has put the SNS access question back on the table. The Social Democratic Party (PSD), led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and its Christian-democratic partner CDS-PP have presented a bill in Parliament to change the Health Framework Law and limit who can benefit from the National Health Service.
It isn't the first attempt. Portugal's PSD and CDS-PP parties have once again submitted a bill to restrict access to the National Health Service for foreign citizens not residing in Portugal — an initiative approved with Chega in the last legislature, but which lapsed due to early elections. This time the text is slightly firmer: for citizens in an irregular stay situation, or citizens not residing within national territory, access to the SNS would entail "payment for the care provided, under the terms of the law," or presentation of proof of healthcare coverage, including from a legally or contractually responsible third party.
The bill carves out an exception for genuine emergencies. PSD and CDS-PP propose that access still be allowed in cases of "emergent or urgent and vital healthcare," though proof of coverage and other documentation must still be submitted afterward. There's also a new enforcement layer: the parties want legislation that identifies who is responsible for covering the cost and makes it easier to collect, including mechanisms such as guarantees or advance payments.
The numbers behind the push
The justification leans heavily on one official report. PSD and CDS-PP cite a November 2024 report from the Inspectorate-General of Health Activities (IGAS), according to which about 330,000 non-resident foreigners were treated in SNS hospital emergency services between 2021 and September 2024, and more than 140,000 of them had no insurance or international agreements covering the care they received.
That's GrowIN's own read on the data, not a figure in the original reports — but it tracks with the political argument being made: roughly four in ten non-resident emergency patients over that period arrived with no way to cover the bill, and the sponsors say the trend is rising. The bill's backers argue there is a growing pattern of foreigners, mainly from non-EU countries, travelling to Portugal specifically to receive free medical treatment — a claim they use to justify changing current access conditions.
"This bill targets people without legal status or without residency in Portugal — it does not touch the SNS entitlements of foreigners who already hold a valid residence permit," says GrowIN Portugal Editorial.
Who keeps free access
The careful reader will notice the bill is narrower than headlines suggest. Under the proposed legislation, Portuguese citizens, legal residents, citizens of European Union member states, stateless individuals, asylum seekers, and those with temporary stay permits would continue to access the SNS free of charge. Foreigners without legal status or residency in Portugal would instead face out-of-pocket expenses for services, and the bill mandates that these individuals provide evidence of medical insurance.
For GrowIN's audience — people holding or applying for D7, D8, Golden Visa or Startup Visa status — the practical risk sits with anyone in a transitional gap: a visa that's expired while waiting on an AIMA appointment, or someone who entered on a tourist stay and overstayed. Those grey-zone cases are exactly the population this bill targets, so renewing on time via AIMA's Portal das Renovações matters more than ever. Check our visas hub for current renewal timelines.
What happens next
This is still a projeto de lei, not law. It needs to clear committee debate and a plenary vote, and the coalition will likely look to replicate the backing it got from Chega last time round, since the previous version was proposed by the ruling PSD and CDS, with support from far-right Chega before that legislature ended early. Opposition parties, including the Liberals, voted against the equivalent 2024 text, so a contested vote is likely again.
Anyone relying on SNS without a residence permit, or advising clients who might be, should treat this as a live legislative risk rather than settled policy — and keep private insurance documentation current regardless of how the vote goes. GrowIN Portugal Editorial will update this piece once the bill reaches committee or a floor vote.