deecee

Recently while in the UK, I applied for renewal of our European Health Insurance Card, I was asked where my permanent address was, I gave my Portuguese address. I was informed that an S1 registration form would be issued which should be taken to my Local Health office, after which I could apply for new EHIC. We received these forms today, but I'm not sure what they mean by Local Health Office. Is it the local doctor we have already registered with, the main Social Services office in the nearest town or the Head Provincial Office of Social Services in Lisbon?. Anyone out there already through this process ?

Loafing Along

We took ours to the local Social Security office who then sent them on to the regional office in Faro. Not sure it was necessary but about 10 days later got back a Portuguese SS number and then went and registered at our local Health Centre. If you are already registered with a local GP not sure you really need to repeat the process.
The EHIC we applied for and got separately sent to our Portuguese home address .

mfesharne

Your EHIC card should be issued by the country you are a registered resident so if you're a resident in Portugal you apply to your local Portuguese social security office.

Red Eric

That rather depends on the OP's circumstances.

Assuming he's a UK state pensioner (or in receipt of another exportable benefit) and not covered in any way by PT social security (and I can't see why the UK would be issuing him with an S1 if he isn't), then he ought to have registered with the PT health service via the S1 route in the first place. That would not only have got him registered without difficulty, it would also have enabled the billing of the UK by PT for the costs incurred as per the reciprocal charging agreement. If he's not already registered via S1, it'll be the Portuguese health service (incorrectly) bearing the costs.

I would also assume that the UK has checked his records and found that he is not already registered via S1.

Normally that is the case but if you are covered by another country's social security system, it is that country which issues your EHIC.

So, in the OP's case and assuming he's a UK state pensioner, it's the UK which is responsible for issuing the card but he has to first go through the process of registering his UK S1 with the PT social security and them returning the relevant document(s) to the UK before the UK will do so.