From UK · Colonoscopy · Portugal
Colonoscopy in Portugal from the UK: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For UK patients, a colonoscopy in Portugal costs £164–£473 at the clinic we checked, or about £554 with a rough travel estimate added. That is about £1,330 less than the lowest self-pay price we found in the UK (£1,890).
- Clinic price
- £164–£4731 provider, one diagnostic or screening colonoscopy, with sedation and biopsies shown separately where the clinic prices them separately
- With travel
- £554clinic £164 + about £390 travel (rough estimate)
- Pay privately in UK
- £1,890–£3,510
- Wait in UK
- 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
- Cover in UK
- The NHS does colonoscopies when you are referred, including after a positive bowel screening kit, offered every 2 years at 50 to 74 in England.
- Soonest booking there
- Not published: ask in writing
- Rank from UK
- 2 of 8 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP
Trip total £554£1,330 under home
Figure 2Colonoscopy: cheapest trip from the UK, by country
How soon hospitals in Portugal can see you
At home the official figure is 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks. 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 the UK
England, August 2026: 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS colonoscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (76,686 waiting; gastroscopy 73,297 waiting, 29.9%). Waits and prices for a colonoscopy in the UK.
Paying privately in the UK: £1,890–£3,510, from St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital and Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital.
Can the NHS pay?
From England (NHS): the S2 route can fund planned treatment in an EU country, but only state healthcare with a public provider, never private treatment, and only with approval before you go. NHS England must also confirm it cannot treat you in a medically acceptable time. The private clinics on this page do not qualify. NHS: the S2 funding route.
Planning the trip from the UK
- 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: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
- 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 the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.
Related pages
Colonoscopy in Portugal from the UK: questions
How much is a colonoscopy in Portugal for UK patients?
The published prices we found work out at £164–£473 at the clinic, from CUF (hospitals and clinics in Lisbon and Porto). Adding a rough travel estimate of £390 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £554. Your own fares and dates will change that part.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Yes, by about £1,330 on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is £1,890. The gap shrinks if your travel costs more than our estimate.
How long is the wait for a colonoscopy in the UK?
England: 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS colonoscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (76,686 waiting; gastroscopy 73,297 waiting, 29.9%).
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 NHS pay for it?
Only through the S2 route, for state treatment at a public provider, approved before you travel. Private clinics like those on this page do not qualify.
Sources
- Preçário CUF [self-pay price list], published 28 June 2026 (PDF). CUF. Read 27 October 2026.
- Colonoscopy. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, London. Read 26 October 2026.
- Colonoscopy, Cambridge Hospital. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
- Colonoscopy, Bournemouth Hospital. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
- Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Bowel cancer screening. NHS (nhs.uk), 11 October 2024. Read 27 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.