Online doctor, Portugal
See an Online Doctor in Portugal By video, in English.
Sick in Portugal? Start with what the country already gives you: on the mainland, SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 is the national health line, charged at the landline rate and open around the clock, and it will tell you where to go and how urgently. What it does not do is assess you as a clinician and decide on treatment. For that, Pomodoc connects you by video with an English-speaking doctor licensed to treat you in Portugal, for a fixed €40. In an emergency call 112.
Portugal has a national health line, SNS 24, on 808 24 24 24. It runs around the clock and it can point you to the right place. This page says when that is the better call.
- €40
- per consultation
- No insurance
- or Portuguese health number
Video consultations with doctors licensed to treat you in Portugal.
Online Medical Advice, Anywhere in Portugal
Finding a doctor abroad can be difficult. Especially when you need to explain your symptoms in a language you are not comfortable speaking.
With Pomodoc, you can speak directly with an English-speaking doctor wherever you are in Portugal. Discuss your symptoms, ask questions and understand your next steps without travelling to a clinic.
- Consult securely by video
- Avoid unnecessary travel and waiting rooms
- Get clear guidance about your symptoms and treatment
- Access care while travelling or living in Portugal
SNS 24, or a Video Doctor?
Portugal runs a national health line, SNS 24, and it does a different job from a consultation. Knowing which does what helps you choose — the line points you to the right place, a doctor tells you what your symptoms point to.
SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24
- answers health questions around the clock, every day
- triages what you describe and refers you onward, which gov.pt calls prioritisation, advice and referral
- is the health service's own front door, so its referral carries weight locally
- also runs as a portal, an app and a physical counter, not only a phone line
If what you need is to be told where to go and how urgently, that is what this line is for. Call it. This page will still be here.
A video consultation instead gives you
- a doctor who assesses you, rather than a service that directs you
- the conversation in English, from wherever you are staying
- a named clinician you can describe symptoms to and ask questions of
- a clear answer on whether this needs in-person care at all
Pomodoc connects you with an English-speaking doctor by video, licensed to treat you in Portugal, for €40 per consultation. Fixed price, no surprises. It works alongside SNS 24: the line tells you where to go, a doctor tells you what your symptoms point to.
Not sure which one you need? SNS 24 answers where should I go; a doctor answers what is wrong with me. Many travellers want the second, in English.
Your consultation runs on Air Doctor's ISO‑certified platform (ISO/IEC 27001 & ISO 27799 for health data). See our security & certifications.
How It Works
An online consultation by video, in three simple steps
Start online
Tell us where you are in Portugal and what is going on. It is a short form, not an appointment request.
Join by video
See your English-speaking doctor using your phone, tablet or computer.
Get clear guidance
Discuss your symptoms and receive advice about your next steps.
Why Use a Video Doctor?
Explain it in English
Describe your symptoms and ask questions in English, instead of translating them first or hoping the clinic has someone who speaks it.
Get help without leaving your accommodation
Attend your appointment from your hotel, holiday rental, home or workplace.
Save time while travelling
Avoid searching for a local clinic or waiting in an unfamiliar healthcare setting.
Get an assessment, not just a direction
A triage line tells you where to go. A doctor tells you what your symptoms point to, and whether going anywhere is necessary at all.
Travellers who needed a doctor abroad
I was very happy to find this service
I was very happy to find this service! I was able to get a video visit with a physician promptly and get care.
Excellent doctor
Excellent doctor, very professional and friendly and speaks excellent english
Reliable and efficient
Reliable and efficient, able to provide medical support while you're away from home.
Reviews of Air Doctor, our medical partner, published on Trustpilot.
More About Seeing a Doctor in Portugal
What SNS 24 actually is
SNS 24 is the Portuguese health service's own front door, and it is more than a phone line: alongside 808 24 24 24 it runs a portal, an app and a physical counter. gov.pt describes the line as available for health queries 24 hours a day, every day, with administrative contact from 8am to 10pm, and the SNS describes its job as prioritisation, advice and referral in case of illness.
The SNS puts the call at the same rate as a call to a landline, so reaching it is not the thing standing in your way. It is worth knowing the number before you need it rather than while you are looking for it.
Health centre or emergency department
Portugal splits non-emergency care between centros de saúde, the local health centres, and hospital urgências, the emergency departments. The emergency department is for emergencies, and using it for something a health centre could handle means a long wait behind people who are more unwell than you.
Which of the two is right for a particular problem is exactly the judgement SNS 24 exists to make, and it is the question a video consultation can also answer before you set off anywhere.
Prescriptions across borders in the EU
Portugal participates in the European arrangements for dispensing prescriptions issued in another EU country, and SNS 24 publishes its own guide to how that works, including which countries take part and what to tell the pharmacist.
The detail is genuinely worth reading before you rely on it, and it is linked in the sources below rather than summarised here, because the conditions attached to it are the part that decides whether it will work for you.
Words that help at the counter or on the phone
| In Portuguese | What it means |
|---|---|
| um médico | a doctor |
| o centro de saúde | the local health centre |
| as urgências | the emergency department |
| uma receita médica | a prescription |
| a farmácia de serviço | the duty pharmacy, open out of hours |
| preciso de um médico | I need a doctor |
| não tenho número de utente | I do not have a Portuguese health number |
| Fala inglês? | Do you speak English? |
Receita means prescription. Farmácia de serviço is the phrase to look for on a pharmacy door after hours, and the rota is usually posted there.
Good things to know.
What is SNS 24 and should I call it?
SNS 24 is Portugal's national health line, on 808 24 24 24. gov.pt says it answers health queries 24 hours a day, every day, and the SNS describes its role as prioritisation, advice and referral. If your question is where should I go and how urgently, call it first: that is exactly the question it exists to answer. That number is for mainland Portugal; for non-emergency health advice FCDO gives 800 24 24 20 in Madeira and Porto Santo, and 808 24 60 24 in the Azores.
Can I have an online consultation with a doctor in Portugal?
Yes. A Pomodoc online consultation is a video call, a form of telehealth: you speak with a doctor licensed to treat you in Portugal, in English, from your phone, tablet or computer, for a fixed €40. It suits non-emergency concerns where the decision rests on what you can describe and show on camera. If your symptoms need an examination, a swab or a test, the doctor will tell you so, and where to go.
Can I see an online doctor in Portugal in English?
Yes. English is widely spoken in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, but whether the specific clinician free when you need one speaks it is not something you can plan around. Pomodoc connects you with an English-speaking doctor by video, licensed to treat you in Portugal, for €40 per consultation.
Do I need a número de utente or Portuguese insurance?
Not for a Pomodoc consultation. You pay €40 per consultation directly and no Portuguese registration or local insurance is involved. Pomodoc does not bill an insurer on your behalf.
Should I go to a centro de saúde or to urgências?
Urgências, the hospital emergency department, is for emergencies, and a centro de saúde handles everyday problems. Choosing between them is the judgement SNS 24 exists to help with, and it is also something a doctor can tell you before you travel across a city to the wrong one. For a genuine emergency, call 112.
Can a doctor prescribe for me in Portugal by video?
A doctor may issue a prescription when it is clinically appropriate and local rules permit. It is not guaranteed, and some medicines cannot be prescribed remotely at all. Medication you buy at a pharmacy is not included in the €40.
Is a video consultation better than calling SNS 24?
It is different, not automatically better. SNS 24 triages what you describe and tells you where to go. A consultation gives you a doctor who assesses your symptoms and answers your questions, in English, from wherever you are staying. If what you want is direction, call the line. If what you want is an assessment, that is a doctor's job.
How much does a Pomodoc video consultation cost?
€40 is the fixed price of the video consultation with a doctor. It includes the consultation and, where clinically appropriate and local rules permit, a prescription. Medication you buy at a pharmacy, and any in-person care you go on to need, are separate. There is no subscription and no booking fee.
Sources
- Contactos de emergência em Portugalgov.pt, Governo da República Portuguesa112 as the medical emergency number available 24 hours a day and as the single European emergency number, and the SNS 24 line on 808 24 24 24 being available for health queries 24 hours a day with administrative contact from 8am to 10pm, charged at the rate of a call to a landline.
- Portugal travel advice: HealthForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office112 for an ambulance; and the non-emergency health lines FCDO gives UK travellers: (+351) 808 24 24 24 for mainland Portugal (press 9 for English), (+351) 800 24 24 20 for Madeira and Porto Santo, and (+351) 808 24 60 24 for the Azores.
- Linha SNS 24Serviço Nacional de SaúdeThat SNS 24 provides prioritisation, advice and referral in case of illness, that the call costs the same as a call to a landline, and that it operates as a portal, a telephone line, an app and a counter.
- Receitas e medicamentos na EuropaSNS 24, Ministério da SaúdeThat Portugal takes part in European arrangements for dispensing prescriptions issued in another EU country, and that SNS 24 publishes the conditions. Linked rather than summarised: the page serves a reCAPTCHA to automated readers and its detail was not read.
- Atendimento especializadoINFARMED, I.P. — Autoridade Nacional do Medicamento e dos Produtos de SaúdeThe Medicine Line (Linha do Medicamento) on 800 22 24 44, run by INFARMED and free to call.
Sources last checked: . General information, not a diagnosis.
Need an Online Doctor in Portugal?
Speak to an English-speaking doctor by video and get guidance from wherever you are.
- €40, fixed price
- Licensed in Portugal
- English-speaking doctors
- Prescriptions where available
Video consultations are for suitable non-emergency medical concerns. In a life-threatening emergency in Portugal, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department. For health questions that are not emergencies, SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 (mainland Portugal) can point you to the right place. This page is general information, not medical advice about your own situation.