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BR
Brazil
Quick Facts
- JCI hospitals
- 0
- Clinics in registry
- 0
- Regulatory body
- Conselho Federal de Medicina
- Visa
- Reference page scaffold; editorial sourcing pending
- Timezone
- BRT (UTC-3)
- Currency
- Brazilian Real
Practical information
Emergency numbers
- Police (Military)190
- Medical / SAMU ambulance192
- Fire (Civil Defence)193
Language
Portuguese
Local authorities
Sources CIA World Factbook — Brazil (accessed 2026-07-05)
Regulation, recourse and logistics
Regulatory bodies
Recourse mechanisms
- Conselho Federal de Medicina complaint route
Complaints about the conduct of a doctor may be filed with the Conselho Federal de Medicina, the federal body that regulates medical practice in Brazil.
- Ministry of Health patient-rights information
The Ministry of Health, which administers national health policy, publishes patient-rights guidance; patients may use it as the starting point for raising concerns about care in the public system.
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is also the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, with over 213 million people. Brazil is a federation composed of 26 states and a Federal District, which hosts the capital, Brasília. Its most populous city is São Paulo, followed by Rio de Janeiro. Brazil has the most Portuguese speakers in the world and is the only country in the Americas where Portuguese is an official language.
*Reference text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.*
The CIA World Factbook records a physician density of 2.36 per 1,000 population (2023), around 2.5 hospital beds per 1,000 (2021 est.) and current health expenditure of 9.9% of GDP (2021).
- Regulatory Body
- Conselho Federal de Medicina
- JCI-Accredited Facilities
- 0
- Visa Notes
- Reference page scaffold; editorial sourcing pending.
- Patient Rights
- Official resource
Malpractice Framework
Reference page scaffold; editorial sourcing pending.
Healthcare System
Healthcare in Brazil is a constitutional right. It is provided by both private and government institutions. The Ministry of Health of Brazil administers national health policy. Primary healthcare remains the responsibility of the federal government, elements of which are overseen by individual states. Public healthcare is provided to all Brazilian permanent residents and foreigners in Brazilian territory through the National Healthcare System, known as the Unified Health System. The SUS is universal and free for everyone.
*Reference text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.*
Practical Information
Care in Brazil is delivered primarily in Portuguese; English and Spanish are also used in some medical settings. The currency is the Brazilian real. Healthcare is a constitutional right, provided by both private and government institutions, and public healthcare is provided to Brazilian permanent residents and foreigners in Brazilian territory through the Unified Health System (SUS), which is universal and free. The Conselho Federal de Medicina is the federal medical regulatory body, and the Ministry of Health administers national health policy. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to certain river areas in the west of Amazonas State and warns that travel insurance could be invalidated by travelling against its advice; travellers should hold insurance covering their itinerary, planned activities and emergency expenses. In an emergency dial 192 for a SAMU ambulance, 190 for police or 193 for the fire service.
Common Procedures
Brazil — Frequently Asked Questions
Who regulates doctors and healthcare in Brazil?
The Conselho Federal de Medicina (CFM) is the federal medical regulatory body, and the Ministry of Health administers national health policy. Healthcare in Brazil is a constitutional right and is provided by both private and government institutions, with primary healthcare a federal responsibility, elements of which are overseen by individual states. The Ministry of Health also publishes patient-rights information.
Can foreign patients use Brazil's public health system?
Public healthcare is provided to all Brazilian permanent residents and to foreigners in Brazilian territory through the National Healthcare System, known as the Unified Health System (SUS), which is universal and free for everyone. Private institutions also provide care. Travellers planning private treatment should confirm costs and payment arrangements directly with the facility, as the registry does not hold sourced pricing information for Brazil.
What are the emergency numbers in Brazil?
Dial 192 for a SAMU ambulance in a medical emergency. The military police are reached on 190 and the fire service and civil defence on 193. These are separate national numbers rather than a single unified emergency line, so patients should save all three before travelling, with 192 being the number relevant to a medical incident.
Are any parts of Brazil under travel warnings?
Yes. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to certain river areas in the west of Amazonas State, including stretches of the Amazon River and its tributaries, any part of the Itaquai and Japura rivers, and parts of the Rio Negro and its tributaries. It also warns that travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice, which is a material consideration when planning treatment.
What language will my treatment be in?
Portuguese is the language of Brazil and the primary language of care. English and Spanish are also used in some medical settings. Patients who do not speak Portuguese may wish to confirm in advance with their chosen facility what language support is available for consultations, consent forms and aftercare instructions, since the registry does not hold facility-level information on language provision.