How to get travel insurance to reimburse a doctor visit in Portugal

A detailed invoice in English (or with translation) showing the provider's name, VAT/tax number, date and time, service description, and amount paid. A medical report describing symptoms, examination, diagnosis (ideally with an ICD-10 code) and treatment prescribed. Proof of payment — the card receipt or bank statement line matching the invoice.

If a prescription was issued, keep the pharmacy receipt too. Most insurers reimburse medication bought during the trip when tied to the consultation.

Politely ask the doctor's team for an English-language invoice with the diagnosis and an ICD-10 code, and for a brief medical report you can attach to your insurance claim. Portuguese public hospitals often do this on request; private clinics and telemedicine services usually issue it by default.

Six Medic emails a bilingual invoice plus a short PDF medical report immediately after every consultation — designed to be uploaded straight into a travel insurance portal.

Most insurers now accept online submissions. You'll typically upload: policy number, invoice PDF, medical report PDF, prescription and pharmacy receipts, and a short description of what happened. Turnaround is usually 10–30 days.

If the amount is small (< €100) many insurers pay without a doctor's report — but always attach it anyway. It costs nothing to include and can prevent a rejection.

Missing detail on the invoice (no VAT number, no service description). Diagnosis missing or too vague. Pre-existing condition clause not disclosed at policy purchase. Payment made in cash without a receipt. Claim filed after the policy deadline (often 30–90 days after return).

Fixable in advance: pick a provider that issues a proper invoice, keep every receipt, and file within two weeks of returning home.