Healthcare in Brazil for Foreigners: SUS vs Private Plans

Rio Times · Guides

Key Facts

—SUS basics Brazil’s public Unified Health System (SUS) offers free access to all residents, including legal foreign residents, for primary care, emergencies, vaccinations and complex treatments.

—Who can use SUS Foreigners with permanent or temporary residence and a CPF can register at a local SUS clinic (Unidade Básica de Saúde) using proof of address and ID, while undocumented visitors formally rely on emergency-only care.

—Private plans scale Brazil’s regulated private health plans (planos de saúde) covered about 51 million people nationwide in early 2025, roughly one in four inhabitants.