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Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a disease of multiple etiologies, due to the lack and/or incapacity of insulin. It reaches people in all socioeconomic strata, with high incidence of morbidity and mortality rates. Diabetes mellitus complications compromise productivity, quality of life and affects the survival of patients. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common and closely associated one with the development of the diabetic foot. It is estimated that 10 to 25% of diabetics will develop lesions in the lower limbs at some point in their lives, which may cause infections, limb amputation or even death. Objective: To investigate the type 2 diabetic patient knowledge regarding feet self-care, its practice and the factors that prevent or hinder their achievement. Method: We applied the Diabetic Patient Self-Care Questionnaire to 100 type 2 diabetic patients attending a Municipal Polyclinic. Data were analyzed by means of numeric and percentage frequency and compared with the literature. Results: The patients interviewed had some degree of knowledge regarding self-care, varying mainly according to the level of education. Conclusions: It is necessary to maintain the information provided by health professionals in a constant and repetitive manner, always respecting the level of education of the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]