From UK · Gastroscopy · Portugal
Gastroscopy 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 gastroscopy in Portugal costs £82–£473 at the clinic we checked, or about £312 with a rough travel estimate added. That is about £2,170 less than the lowest self-pay price we found in the UK (£2,490).
- Clinic price
- £82–£4731 provider, one diagnostic gastroscopy
- With travel
- £312clinic £82 + about £230 travel (rough estimate)
- Pay privately in UK
- £2,490
- Wait in UK
- 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
- Cover in UK
- The NHS does a gastroscopy when you are referred, for example to check what is causing digestive symptoms.
- Soonest booking there
- Not published: ask in writing
- Rank from UK
- 1 of 7 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP
Trip total £312£2,170 under home
Figure 2Gastroscopy: cheapest trip from the UK, by country
How soon hospitals in Portugal can see you
At home the official figure is 29.9% 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 gastroscopy 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 | €98 to €565about £82–£473 · C$154–C$885 · $110–$632 | Upper endoscopy (Endoscopia), range across CUF unitsSelf-pay price list; whether sedation and biopsies 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: 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS gastroscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (73,297 waiting). Waits and prices for a gastroscopy in the UK.
Paying privately in the UK: £2,490, from Spire Leeds 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 gastroscopy and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your doctor whether to stop acid-reducing tablets or blood thinners beforehand.
- Before you goBook the test before the flights and get the time in writing.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
- LanguagePortuguese; private hospitals that serve foreigners work in English.
- After you returnBring the report, the photos and any lab results to your doctor.
Compare with your wait and price at home
Compare Portugal with every other country for a gastroscopy from the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.
Related pages
Gastroscopy in Portugal from the UK: questions
How much is a gastroscopy in Portugal for UK patients?
The published prices we found work out at £82–£473 at the clinic, from CUF (hospitals and clinics in Lisbon and Porto). Adding a rough travel estimate of £230 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £312. Your own fares and dates will change that part.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Yes, by about £2,170 on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is £2,490. The gap shrinks if your travel costs more than our estimate.
How long is the wait for a gastroscopy in the UK?
England: 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS gastroscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (73,297 waiting).
How many days do I need in Portugal?
1 day: about 6 hours without food before the test, then rest 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.
- Gastroscopy at Spire Leeds Hospital: pricing. Spire Healthcare. Read 27 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.
- Gastroscopy. NHS (nhs.uk), 13 August 2026. Read 27 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.