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Portugal · D8 · Insurance

Health insurance for the Portugal D8 visa

Verified data Last verified June 10, 2026 Reviewed by Henry van de Vorming

Most digital-nomad visas make health insurance a condition of approval — and the Portugal D8 is no different. Here's exactly what's required, the plans that plausibly meet it, and what to check before you buy.

The requirement

Insurance
Required (explicit)
Minimum coverage
Not specified
Required for
Not specified

Both the MFA visa portal's document list for residency visas and the official embassy D8 checklist (dated 4 July 2025) require valid travel insurance covering necessary medical expenses, including urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation. No minimum coverage amount or validity duration is published for national (D) visas: the EUR 30,000 floor applies only to Schengen short-stay visas, and the MFA portal's dedicated Travel Insurance page contains no substantive requirements. Per the MFA portal, the requirement may be waived where a bilateral or international agreement applies (for example Brazil's PB4 or the UK's S1), and citizens of CPLP countries are exempt under the CPLP Mobility Agreement. At the in-country residence-permit stage, AIMA's D8 document list includes no private-insurance item, and permit holders can register with the public health service (SNS) as residents.

Plans that meet the requirement

Ranked by requirement fit, then price. Qualification status is shown per plan — always double-check the policy certificate matches the consulate's wording before you apply.

#1

Nomad Insurance (Essential and Complete plans)

Likely qualifying

SafetyWing (underwritten by SafetyWing Insurance I.I., Puerto Rico; Complete health portion by VUMI Group I.I.) · Nomad subscription

Travel-medical subscription (USD 250k/1.5M limits) with emergency medical evacuation cover and Schengen-30k compliance, matching the D8's travel-insurance requirement for urgent medical expenses with no published minimum amount, and its subscription model can run the full stay.

  • Subscription model: Essential auto-extends every 28 days (5-364 days per policy) and can be bought while already abroad; coverage in 170+ countries
  • No deductible on either plan; Essential also includes travel benefits (lost checked luggage, trip interruption, evacuation from local unrest)
  • Complete is full health insurance (USD 1.5M/year) including routine and preventive care, mental health, cancer treatment and limited maternity; renewable for life if enrolled before age 64

from €54.36 /mo

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#2

Genki Traveler (successor to Genki Explorer, which was retired)

Likely qualifying

Genki UG (policyholder/agent); underwritten by Squarelife Insurance AG, Liechtenstein · Long-stay travel insurance

Long-stay travel insurance with a EUR 1,000,000 overall limit per renewable one-year period and Schengen-30k compliance, fitting the accepted 'travel' type where no minimum coverage or validity duration is required for national D visas.

  • Up to EUR 1,000,000 medical coverage valid in every country for up to 12 months, with monthly billing and cancellation possible after the first month
  • Sign-up is possible while already abroad and up to age 69; insurance certificate for visa applications and border checks is issued immediately after the first payment
  • 24/7 emergency assistance (MCI Assist) with direct payment for inpatient hospital stays and no deductible on inpatient treatment

from €63.90 /mo

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#3

Care Expatriate (Basic/Comfort/Premium); student line: Care College

Likely qualifying

Care Concept AG (Bonn, Germany) · Long-stay travel insurance

Long-stay travel product explicitly covering outpatient, inpatient treatment and medical repatriation, Schengen-30k compliant and marketed as recognized by authorities, directly matching the D8's medical-plus-repatriation travel-insurance wording.

  • Contract terms from 3 months up to 5 years; max entry age 74 (Care Expatriate); Germans/Austrians abroad can re-extend repeatedly until their 74th birthday
  • Home-country visits insured: 30 (Basic) / 45 (Comfort) / 90 (Premium) days per insurance year
  • Official insurer FAQ states products generally meet Schengen visa requirements; instant online confirmation issued at booking and products are recognized by German authorities (>EUR 30,000 coverage)

from €58 /mo

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#4

True Traveller Single Trip / Backpacker & Annual Multi-Trip (tiers: True Value, Traveller, Traveller Plus)

Likely qualifying

True Traveller, underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A. (AXA Group) · Long-stay travel insurance

Travel policy with explicit EUR 10,000,000 medical AND repatriation cover for up to 548 days, satisfying the requirement verbatim, though it is only sold to UK/EEA/European residents, limiting which applicants can buy it.

  • Medical and repatriation cover of EUR 10m (UK edition GBP 10m) per person on every tier, underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A., AXA Group
  • Long-stay single-trip cover up to 548 days (731 days Worldwide incl. USA/Canada) and can be bought or extended after leaving home (48-hour waiting period applies)
  • 92 sports and activities covered as standard, with optional Adventure, Extreme and Ultimate activity packs

from — /mo

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#5

World Nomads Travel Insurance (Standard / Explorer)

Likely qualifying

World Nomads (nib Travel Services; EU product manufactured by Collinson Insurance Europe Ltd) · Long-stay travel insurance

Schengen-compliant travel insurance with EUR 5-10M emergency medical cover for EU residents; its 12-month maximum policy duration is acceptable because the program publishes no insurance validity duration for D visas.

  • Can be bought or extended while already abroad (waiting period applies, e.g. 72 hours on EU policies bought mid-trip); max policy duration 12 months for EU residents
  • EU-resident plans carry high emergency medical limits: 5M EUR (Standard) / 10M EUR (Explorer), incl. evacuation and repatriation
  • Covers 150+ adventure sports and activities; Explorer adds more activities and higher sub-limits

from — /mo

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#6

MyHealth International

Needs verification

APRIL International Care France (health risk insured by Groupama Gan Vie; assistance/personal liability by CHUBB European Group SE) · International health insurance

Covers hospitalisation and medical evacuation/repatriation at 100% on all tiers with Schengen-30k compliance, exceeding the substantive requirement, but it is an international full health plan rather than the 'travel' insurance type the program lists as accepted.

  • Four plan tiers with annual limits from EUR/USD 500,000 (Explore) up to unlimited (Extensive/Elite; capped at EUR/USD 2M-4M for treatment in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, USA)
  • Enrollment from age 10 up to 74 in most countries; one-year contract with automatic renewal
  • Hospitalisation, medical evacuation and cancer treatment at 100% on all tiers, with hospital direct billing and free unlimited 24/7 telehealth (Teladoc)

from €52 /mo

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Some links are affiliate links — see our disclosure. Rankings are based on requirement fit, never on commissions.

What to check before you buy

  • 📄The certificate wording matches the visa requirement — name the country and the coverage period explicitly.
  • 💶Coverage is comprehensive (inpatient, outpatient and emergency), since no fixed minimum is published.
  • 🚑Emergency treatment, hospitalisation and medical repatriation are all included.
  • 📅The policy runs the full stay you’re applying for — many travel policies cap the trip length.
  • 🌍You’re actually eligible to buy it (some plans only sell to EU/UK/US residents).
  • 🤝It pairs with how care works locally — see the health system page.
🛡️ How healthcare actually works in Portugal →

Insurance for the D8: FAQ

Insurance for the D8: FAQ

Is health insurance mandatory for the Portugal D8?

Required (explicit). Both the MFA visa portal's document list for residency visas and the official embassy D8 checklist (dated 4 July 2025) require valid travel insurance covering necessary medical expenses, including urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation. No minimum coverage amount or validity duration is published for national (D) visas: the EUR 30,000 floor applies only to Schengen short-stay visas, and the MFA portal's dedicated Travel Insurance page contains no substantive requirements. Per the MFA portal, the requirement may be waived where a bilateral or international agreement applies (for example Brazil's PB4 or the UK's S1), and citizens of CPLP countries are exempt under the CPLP Mobility Agreement. At the in-country residence-permit stage, AIMA's D8 document list includes no private-insurance item, and permit holders can register with the public health service (SNS) as residents.

Can I use regular travel insurance?

Long-stay travel medical insurance is among the accepted types for this program, as long as it meets the coverage minimums for the full required period.

Sources