Travel insurance Portugal
Just like anywhere else in the world, when travelling, you need travel insurance. No matter how familiar a country might be, unexpected events can happen. Portugal travel insurance will cover you if you need to cancel your trip of is you become ill or injured while there.
Are you looking for travel Insurance for Portugal?
There are a few things you might want to think about before your trip to Portugal:
- The cost of your baggage
- Do you need travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions?
- The cost of your trip – Of course you don’t want to cancel. But if you have to, it’s good to know you’re able to cover the costs
- The activities you’re likely to be doing – If you’re planning anything particularly extreme, we can offer you extra cover with our extreme sports travel insurance
- Also, don’t forget to check the latest travel advice for Portugal from the FCDO
Our Coronavirus Travel Insurance is rated Superior by a leading UK Consumer Champion. All of our policies will cover you if you catch Coronavirus.
What’s covered with Portugal travel insurance?
As standard, our policies cover for over 100 sports and activities, so whether you’re sightseeing or horse riding across the beach – you can get up to more on your holiday, knowing you’re covered.
We also offer a range of benefits, some of which include:
- Medical expenses and hospital benefit
- Personal accident and liability
- Cancelling and cutting short your holiday
- Abandoning your trip
- Delayed departure
- Accommodation cover
- Personal belongings and baggage
- Personal money, passport and travel documents
- Legal expenses
For more information about what’s covered with travel insurance for Portugal, have a read of our policy documents here.
Handy Portugal facts and figures
We want you to have the best possible holiday to Portugal, so we’ve put together some fun facts, along with some other useful information that we think you might want to know before your trip to Portugal.
| Currency | Euro |
| Most common languages spoken | Portuguese and Miranda Do Douro |
| Capital | Lisbon |
| Continent | Europe |
| Population | Approx. 10 million |
| Plug type | Plug type F |
| Driving side | Right-hand side |
| Seasons | Spring – March to May Summer – June to August Autumn – September to November Winter – December to February |
| Laws | Local laws and customs |
| Islands | Madeira travel insurance |
Surfing travel insurance for Portugal
Whether it’s your first-time surfing or you’re an experienced surfer searching for the next big wave, you probably don’t want to spend too much time thinking about Portugal travel insurance.
Luckily for you, you’ve come to right place. Surfing is covered as standard under all our travel insurance, and we make getting covered as quick and simple as possible, so you can get on with planning your trip to Portugal. Check out our surfing travel insurance page for more information and remember that, if you’re taking your own board away with you, you might need to add extra valuables cover to your policy.
Do I need a visa for Portugal?
No, you don’t need a visa to travel to Portugal as a UK citizen. If you are a non-EU citizen, Portugal is part of the Schenhgen Visa.
Portugal travel insurance FAQs
We can offer you cheap travel insurance to Portugal. The exact price will depend on your age, how long you’ll be staying, and whether you need medical travel insurance. If you’re going on a cruise, you’ll need to add cruise travel insurance to your policy.
Yes! If you choose single trip travel insurance, just let us know you’ll be going to Portugal and your policy will cover you. Alternatively, our annual multi-trip travel insurance covers Portugal as part of Europe.
It’s easy to get travel insurance for Portugal. The country is covered under our European travel insurance. Alternatively, you can choose single trip travel insurance just for Portugal.
The EHIC has been replaced by the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which is valid in Portugal. The GHIC will cover some emergency medical expenses, but not everything you might need. It’s important to still have travel insurance in place to cover other things, such as repatriation or cutting your trip short.
Emergency services information
The national emergency number is 112. You can ring this number for all emergency services, including medical, police and fire rescue services. It’s free to call. There’s also a 24/7 health line available for medical advice: +351 80 824 24 24.
What if I have to go to hospital in Portugal?
Hospitals in Portugal deal with serious medical situations – there are local health centres for less serious complaints. If you need an ambulance, you can ask for one from the emergency number (112). Note, though, that while the Portuguese public healthcare system is similar to our NHS, you may still need to co-pay for elements such as scans, x-rays and other tests. Private hospitals are available. You can also contact us for emergency medical assistance while you’re abroad.
Where can I get medicine if I’m ill?
Pharmacies are open weekdays and weekends, with some in the cities available 24/7. You may be able to get a discount with your EHIC or GHIC card, varying between 15% and 90% depending on what drugs you want and how great your need for them is.
What are crime rates like in Portugal?
Rates of violent crime are low in Portugal, but petty crime is fairly high. Pick pocketing and bag snatching are common in cities and in areas with lots of tourists. Compared to most places, though, Portugal is a relatively safe country to visit.
Who do I call if I’ve been a victim of crime?
The police deal with stolen personal property, luggage or passports. The national emergency number is 112, but the direct phone number for the PSP (Policia de Seguranca Publica) or Public Security Police is +351 21 483 91 00. The National Guard is available on +351 21 460 38 50. The PSP is the main national police force, while the National Guard operates in rural areas where a PSP presence is not warranted.
What if I need to get legal help while in Portugal?
There are a number of useful sites to help you find a Portuguese law firm online. Try www.legal500.com or www.martindale.com. The British Embassy can tell you where to make legal enquiries, but they don’t themselves provide legal advice.
How do I contact the British Embassy?
There are embassies and consulates available in Lisbon and Portimão. The British Consulate offers an emergency travel documents service (which costs around €125) if your passport has been lost, damaged or stolen, while the British Embassy deals with all other issues relating to your rights as foreign national. Their address and contact details are:
British Embassy Lisbon
Rua de São Bernardo 33
1249-082 Lisbon
Portugal
ppa.lisbon@fco.gov.uk
+351 21 392 40 00
Open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm and 2.30pm to 5pm.
British Consulate Lisbon
Rua de São Bernardo 33
1249-082 Lisboa
Portugal
portugal.consulate@fco.gov.uk
+351 21 392 4000
808 20 35 37 (if calling from Portugal)
British Vice Consulate Portimão
Edificio A Fábrica
Avenida Guanaré
8501-915 Portimão
Portugal
portugal.consulate@fco.gov.uk
+351 21 395 4082
808 20 35 37 (if calling from Portugal)
And importantly – who do I contact about my travel insurance while in Portugal?
Anything can happen while you’re abroad, and we know that your plans might change. If you need to extend your stay, or you just have a question, you can contact us.
Can I get assistance if I fall ill or injure myself while in Portugal?
Yes – In the unfortunate event of needing emergency medical treatment while abroad, our 24-hour assistance team are always on hand to help you.
All our travel insurance policyholders can get access to our specialised team.
What else do I need to know?
The entry requirements for Portugal can be complex, so read our guide to what you need to travel to Portugal. We also have a handy page of where to visit in Portugal.
Interesting facts about Portugal
- They seal wine bottles, keeping it tasting as delicious as it does. Who do we have the thank for that? The Portuguese. They export around 70% of the world’s corks, mainly to Germany, the UK, and America. They also have the world’s largest cork forest.
- Us Brits are pretty famous for our tea, but it’s Portugal that has the oldest tea company in the world. Gorreana tea has been going strong since 1883, and is said to be the best tea in Europe. I’m not sure about that though, surely nothing can beat a PG tips?
- The Portuguese diamond is said to be the most valuable gem in the world. Nobody really knows where it came from, but it has been said that is used to be a part of the Portuguese crown jewels. The 127-carat diamond is currently in Washington DC, on display in their museum of Natural history.