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From UK · MRI scan · Portugal

MRI scan 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, an MRI scan in Portugal costs £410–£812 at the clinic we checked, or about £720 with a rough travel estimate added. That is about £471 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in the UK (£249).

Clinic price
£410–£8121 provider, one body area
With travel
£720clinic £410 + about £310 travel (rough estimate)
Pay privately in UK
£249–£380
Wait in UK
22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Cover in UK
The NHS does MRI scans when a GP or specialist refers you, at no charge; the wait is the issue.
Soonest booking there
Not published: ask in writing
Rank from UK
3 of 7 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP

Trip total £720£471 over home

Lowest published clinic price and a rough travel estimate from the UK (return flight and hotel); the amber line is the lowest self-pay price at home. The travel part is an estimate, not a quote.

Figure 2MRI scan: cheapest trip from the UK, by country

Total trip in GBP: lowest to highest published price plus the same rough travel estimate. The dashed line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Click a country for its page for UK patients.

How soon hospitals in Portugal can see you

At home the official figure is 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks. These hospitals run a service for international patients; the booking time is each one's own words.

Published MRI scan 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.

MRI scan prices in Portugal
ProviderPublished priceWhat the price is forSource
Hospital da Luz Lisboa (Luz Saúde)Lisbon€490 to €970about £410–£812 · C$768–C$1,520 · $548–$1,090Ressonância magnética (sem contraste)Without contrast. Price table says it excludes clinical consumables and drugs 'Preços em vigor a partir de 20 de fevereiro de 2026'; 'sujeitos a alteração sem aviso prévio'.Hospital da Luz Lisboa (Luz Saúde)read 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: 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS MRI waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (357,356 people waiting). Waits and prices for an MRI scan in the UK.

Paying privately in the UK: £249–£380, from Vista Health.

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

  1. Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for an MRI scan and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
  2. Before you goGet your home doctor's referral letter or the question they want answered; take it with you.
  3. Before you goBook the scan before the flights and ask for the appointment in writing.
  4. Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers medical procedures abroad. Many policies do not.
  5. Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
  6. LanguagePortuguese; private hospitals that serve foreigners work in English.
  7. After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images. An English report saves a translation step.
  8. After you returnIf the report finds something, the follow-up (more tests, treatment) normally happens at home.

Compare with your wait and price at home

Compare Portugal with every other country for an MRI scan from the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.

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Related pages

MRI scan in Portugal from the UK: questions

How much is an MRI scan in Portugal for UK patients?

The published prices we found work out at £410–£812 at the clinic, from Hospital da Luz Lisboa (Luz Saúde). Adding a rough travel estimate of £310 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £720. Your own fares and dates will change that part.

Is it cheaper than paying privately in the UK?

No, not on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is £249, about £471 less than the cheapest trip. It can make sense if you are already travelling to Portugal.

How long is the wait for an MRI scan in the UK?

England: 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS MRI waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (357,356 people waiting).

How many days do I need in Portugal?

1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first. 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

  1. Prices. Hospital da Luz Lisboa (Luz Saúde). Read 27 October 2026.
  2. MRI scans. Vista Health (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
  5. MRI scan. NHS (nhs.uk), 11 September 2025. Read 27 October 2026.
  6. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.