Online doctor without an SNS number: what changes for immigrants and expats

You can book an online medical consultation in Portugal without an SNS user number. That covers newly arrived immigrants, tourists, expats still regularising their status, and anyone who does not yet have a family doctor.

In practice, a GP consultation (€29) or urgent consultation (€35) allows clinical assessment, advice and, if indicated, an electronic prescription valid in Portuguese pharmacies, as well as certificates suited to the situation. The SNS card is not a prerequisite for these acts.

There is an important exception: the CIT (official sick leave for Social Security) can only be submitted with an SNS number and NISS. Without those, the document that can justify absence to an employer is usually a sick note, not a CIT with benefit.

A foreign prescription does not replace a Portuguese one. If you need to continue long-term medication in Portugal, ask for renewal or a GP consultation so the doctor can issue a local prescription after assessment.

At the first consultation, bring identification, a medication list, allergies, known conditions and, if they exist, reports or tests from the country of origin. If a child has acute symptoms, use urgent paediatrics; if an adult has acute symptoms, use the urgent consultation.