An apparatus and method for power saving using predictive polling in a portable terminal are provided. A method for predictive polling for a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card in a portable terminal includes determining whether a network state of a portable terminal is changed, when the network state is changed, determining whether the portable terminal is in a restricted service state or no-service state, when the portable terminal is in the restricted service state or no-service state, disabling SIM card polling, and when the portable terminal is not in the restricted service state or no-service state, enabling the SIM card polling.