Portugal pregnancy certificate guidelines for prenatal benefits

In Portugal, pregnant women can request a pregnancy certificate starting from the 13th week of gestation. This medical document certifies the duration of the pregnancy and the expected number of babies.

The certificate is essential for requesting the prenatal family allowance, a social benefit designed to provide financial support to pregnant women. The submission process depends on the individual's employment regime: under the general regime, the document is sent to Social Security, while public employees under the convergent regime have the allowance processed by their employer through the Caixa Geral de Aposentações.

Certificates can be issued by specialists in gynecology/obstetrics or general practitioners within the National Health Service (SNS) or through private and social health establishments. Once issued and confirmed by a doctor, the document is centrally registered by SPMS (Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde) and becomes available for consultation via the SNS 24 portal or application, with notifications sent to the user via SMS or email.