From Ireland · Colonoscopy · Portugal
Colonoscopy in Portugal from Ireland: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Irish patients, a colonoscopy in Portugal costs €196–€565 at the clinic we checked, or about €616 with a rough travel estimate added.
- Clinic price
- €196–€5651 provider, one diagnostic or screening colonoscopy, with sedation and biopsies shown separately where the clinic prices them separately
- With travel
- €616clinic €196 + about €420 travel (rough estimate)
- Pay privately in Ireland
- Not verified
- Wait in Ireland
- About 30% waiting over 6 months (24 September 2026)
- Cover in Ireland
- Public hospitals do colonoscopies for public patients; the NTPF publishes the GI endoscopy waiting list.
- Soonest booking there
- Not published: ask in writing
- Rank from Ireland
- 2 of 8 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in EUR
Trip total €616
Figure 2Colonoscopy: cheapest trip from Ireland, by country
How soon hospitals in Portugal can see you
At home the official figure is about 30% waiting over 6 months. These hospitals run a service for international patients; the booking time is each one's own words.
CUF (hospitals and clinics in Lisbon and Porto)
No booking time published: ask in writing
4 published pricesDetails
Published colonoscopy prices in Portugal
Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUF (hospitals and clinics in Lisbon and Porto)Lisbon | €196 to €565about £164–£473 · C$307–C$885 · $219–$632 | Colonoscopy (Colonoscopia), range across CUF unitsSelf-pay price list; the asterisk on the line means it may need prior information. Whether sedation and polyp removal are included is not stated. Price list published 28 June 2026. | CUFread 27 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Against waiting or paying in Ireland
Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026: About 30% waiting over 6 months. Adults on the inpatient/day-case list for GI endoscopy (colonoscopy and gastroscopy): 42,875, of whom about 30% had waited over 6 months. Waits and prices for a colonoscopy in Ireland.
Can the HSE pay?
From Ireland (HSE): Portugal is one of the EU countries listed for the Cross Border Directive scheme. You pay the provider yourself and then claim back the smaller of what you paid and what the same care would cost in the Irish public system; travel and hotels are not covered, and you need a referral from a GP or a consultant you saw as a public patient. HSE: Cross Border Directive, how much you can claim.
Planning the trip from Ireland
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a colonoscopy and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goSend the clinic your medicines list, especially blood thinners, diabetes medicines and iron tablets.
- Before you goPlan two nights at least: the preparation day keeps you close to a toilet.
- Before you goDo not fly on the day of the test if you have had sedation or a polyp removed; ask the clinic how long to wait.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- LanguagePortuguese; private hospitals that serve foreigners work in English.
- After you returnGive your doctor the report, photos and lab results. Ask the clinic to email the lab result if it arrives after you leave.
- After you returnKnow who to call if you have bleeding or tummy pain after you fly home.
Compare with your wait and price at home
Compare Portugal with every other country for a colonoscopy from Ireland: price, how soon, and the hospitals.
Related pages
Colonoscopy in Portugal from Ireland: questions
How much is a colonoscopy in Portugal for Irish patients?
The published prices we found work out at €196–€565 at the clinic, from CUF (hospitals and clinics in Lisbon and Porto). Adding a rough travel estimate of €420 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about €616. Your own fares and dates will change that part.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in Ireland?
We have not verified a self-pay price in Ireland for this, so compare the trip total with a written quote from a provider at home.
How long is the wait for a colonoscopy in Ireland?
Ireland (public hospitals): About 30% waiting over 6 months (24 September 2026). Adults on the inpatient/day-case list for GI endoscopy (colonoscopy and gastroscopy): 42,875, of whom about 30% had waited over 6 months.
How many days do I need in Portugal?
2 days: bowel preparation the day before, the test the next day, and someone to take you back to your hotel after sedation. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will the HSE pay for it?
Possibly in part: the Cross Border Directive scheme refunds up to what the same care costs in the Irish public system, after you have paid and with a referral.
Sources
- Preçário CUF [self-pay price list], published 28 June 2026 (PDF). CUF. Read 27 October 2026.
- Open data: inpatient/day case GI endoscopy waiting list by hospital, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: how to get healthcare abroad. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: DRG codes and how much you can claim. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.