número de utente

Published 6 November 2026, 09:07

Número Nacional de Utente

A 9-digit health number that the health service uses to identify you. Without it you can't be registered with a family doctor or get the prescription discount at the pharmacy. You get it at the centro de saúde where you live; a foreigner without a residence permit usually needs a certificate from the junta de freguesia stating that they have lived in Portugal for more than 90 days. At an Espaço Cidadão it is issued together with the NIF and NISS, but only to people who have already applied for or received a residence permit, EU citizens and people under international protection.

Where you come across it. Booking a doctor's appointment, prescriptions, A&E, registering a child after birth.

There are no temporary numbers: the ACSS says plainly that the number is single, national and final, and it never changes. What changes is the status of your record in the register — while data is missing it is "in progress", after 180 days it becomes incomplete, and that is when the pharmacy discount may disappear. On a paper prescription the pharmacy has to write the number in, otherwise you won't get the discount.

Official website: gov.pt/servicos/pedir-os-numeros-de-identificacao-fiscal-seguranca-social-e-nacional-de-utente-saude-para-estrangeiros

Guides

Adult vaccinations in Portugal: what you're entitled to, what's free and where to take your records from home Ambulance and urgência in Portugal: what to do if you feel unwell right now How to register with a Centro de Saúde and see a doctor in Portugal 🇺🇦 Temporary protection in Portugal: applying, extensions and the 2026 rules A child and the doctor in Portugal: where to go when your child is ill and how to get vaccinations Medicines and pharmacies in Portugal: prescriptions, prices and what the state pays for Dental treatment in Portugal: state vouchers, private clinics and prices Family doctor in Portugal: how to get one and what to do until you have one How to find a psychologist or psychiatrist in Portugal How to gather certificates, apostilles and translations for a Portuguese visa How to get into university in Portugal How to pay Segurança Social contributions as a self-employed worker Leaving Portugal while your AIMA case is still pending — and getting back in What to do if a doctor brushed you off or got the diagnosis wrong Your first weeks after moving to Portugal: what to do, in order