lista de espera
Published 5 November 2026, 23:09
lista de espera (waiting list)
A waiting list: for a family doctor, a specialist appointment or an operation. For family doctors, it is the list of people registered with a health unit who have not yet been assigned one; it does not move forward one place at a time, but whenever a new doctor arrives in the area.
Where you come across it. Being told there are no places when you ask for a family doctor; waiting for a specialist appointment.
Being refused a doctor does not take away your right to be on the waiting list — ask in writing to be put on it. You cannot see your place on the list in your online account; reception staff can only give you a rough estimate.
Official website: sns.gov.pt/institucional/unidades-de-saude
Guides
How to register with a Centro de Saúde and see a doctor in Portugal Family doctor in Portugal: how to get one and what to do until you have one How to choose a private or international school in Portugal and apply How to choose a school in Portugal: area, rankings and type of school What to do if a doctor brushed you off or got the diagnosis wrong