Brazil — Healthcare: Public Healthcare

Why this matters

Relocating foreigners often assume SUS requires citizenship or private insurance to access; in fact anyone in Brazilian territory, including tourists in emergencies and legal foreign residents, can use SUS for free, which materially changes healthcare budgeting for a move.

Key facts

• SUS is a single-payer, tax-and-social-contribution funded system, free at the point of use, with no premiums or copays for covered services.
• SUS is available to anyone in Brazilian territory, not only Brazilian citizens — legal foreign residents (temporary or permanent visa holders) are fully entitled to use it, and emergency care is provided to any person present in Brazil.
• SUS covers primary care, specialist referrals, hospitalization, surgery, emergency services, vaccinations, prenatal care, mental health, and dental care.

Steps

1. Register and get a Cartão Nacional de Saúde (CNS) — Register at a local UBS (Unidade Básica de Saúde) or SUS registration point with ID and proof of address to receive a Cartão Nacional de Saúde (CNS), the national health card that links your records across public facilities. For foreign residents this is typically done with a passport/RNM (foreign resident ID) and proof of address.
2. Use the Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS) as your entry point — The local UBS is the standard first point of contact for primary care and referrals into the wider SUS network, including specialists and hospitals when needed.

Costs

• Registration with SUS (CNS card): free
• Consultations and treatments through SUS: free for SUS-covered services, no premiums or copays

Timelines

• Registration with SUS (obtaining CNS): typically same day to a few days, varies by municipality

Required documents

• Passport (and RNM/foreign resident ID card for residents)
• Proof of address (comprovante de residência)

Common mistakes

• Assuming SUS is only for Brazilian citizens — legal foreign residents and even undocumented/visiting foreigners can access SUS care
• Assuming all public healthcare services are of equal quality and availability across regions — wait times and facility quality vary significantly
• Not registering with SUS locally and instead only pursuing private providers by default

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