Peniche, Portugal

The standard of health care in Portugal is excellent. The country ranks by WHO as the 12th (out of 190) best system among UN-member countries.

General rule of thumb for health care in Portugal: All procedures are free except for dental care and cosmetic surgery.

Expect to pay minor fees when it comes to visits to the emergency room, your family doctor, or requesting an ambulance (fees are affordable and range from US$6 to US$22).

Health care in Portugal is made for the people.

The health care systems and the medical staff are highly qualified, and the public hospitals in the larger urban cities have state-of-the-art facilities.

Once you are a resident in Portugal, register yourself with your local health center, your centro de saúde: You will be appointed a family doctor, or put on a waitlist for the next available doctor that will be assigned to you and your family.

For private facilities and primary care facilities, you will also be required to pay for a percentage of the diagnostic exams and the appointments.

While health care in Portugal is free and available to all, you are expected to pay some fees.

Depending on your needs and whether you mind waiting for your turn in public hospitals, it’s a good idea to also get private insurance to balance out the extra fees incurred.

On average, per year, private health insurance in Portugal will run you from US$440 (for a basic plan) to US$1,100 (for a fuller plan).

The public and private hospitals in Peniche are typically well-equipped and staffed with experienced medical professionals. Expats in Peniche choose to use private hospitals for specialized medical care and major surgeries.

Hospital de Peniche is a public hospital in town and Clínica de Peniche is the private hospital. Both are in the center of Peniche.

About 30 minutes by car, in the town of Leiria, you will find both a public and private hospital.