Book an SNS Appointment in Portugal, With or Without a Family Doctor

• An SNS user number, health-centre registration and an assigned family doctor are different things.
• The portal, app, SNS24 line and Balcão SNS24 can request the slots your registered unit makes available.
• Without a family doctor, ask about consulta de recurso/reforço; access depends on your registration and the unit offering those slots.
• Check for Agendada in the booking history. A submitted request is not yet a confirmed appointment.

For a routine appointment at a Portuguese SNS health centre, start with the unit where you are registered. You can request available appointments through the Portal SNS24, App SNS24, the SNS24 telephone line or a Balcão SNS24; you can also contact the health centre. Online booking is not a national pool of every doctor's schedule. What you see depends on your unit and the appointment types and times it supplies.

Do I need registration before booking?

For this routine health-centre booking route, yes: confirm the unit where you are registered and your número de utente. Having the number does not itself assign a family doctor or establish who pays for every treatment. If you have not completed registration, start with the SNS registration guide. Do not request a second number simply because the portal cannot find an appointment.

Can I book without an assigned family doctor?

Yes, through consulta de recurso/reforço when you are registered and your health unit makes that appointment type available. SNS24's current instructions explicitly include users without an assigned family doctor. This is not a promise that every unit offers online slots or that booking assigns you a permanent doctor. If the option is absent, contact your registered unit and ask which non-urgent appointment channel applies to someone without a family doctor.

The same SNS24 service also describes recurso/reforço for a registered user's family doctor being absent for more than 120 days. Do not assume that rule means every shorter absence blocks access, or that you should wait 120 days before asking your unit about care. Explain the administrative situation, ask how to request an appointment and let health professionals decide the appropriate clinical route.

Which channel should I use?

The SNS24 line is 808 24 24 24. A centre may have its own telephone or other local contact arrangements; check its official contact rather than copying a different centre's email. Balcão SNS24 is an assisted service, not the same thing as an appointment with a clinician. Portal and app requests depend on slots being supplied by your unit, so moving between channels does not guarantee an earlier appointment.

How do I request an appointment in Portal SNS24?

These are the current portal instructions from SNS24's booking page, updated on 22 September 2026. Older official summaries still display different menu labels. Follow the live portal and the current SNS24 service rather than searching for an old menu that has moved. The app uses the same booking area, but do not assume every portal restriction or screen is identical in the app.

1. 1
   Sign in

   Open the official SNS24 portal and authenticate using an available method. Check that it is your own health record.

2. 2
   Open booking

   Choose Consultas e referenciações, then Marcação de consultas and Marcar consulta.

3. 3
   Choose an available option

   Select the appointment type and a time shown for your unit, then Seguinte. An empty list is not an accepted booking.

4. 4
   Review and submit

   Check the details and choose Confirmar. The request is sent to the health unit for acceptance.

5. 5
   Check the outcome

   Look in the booking history for Agendada and verify the date, time, unit and format. Keep the confirmation privately.

Use the official SNS24 appointment service for its current instructions and portal entry. Finkavo does not book on your behalf or need your health-record login code.

Does the five-business-day rule guarantee an appointment?

No. SNS24 says the portal makes times available from the fifth business day after the date you request an appointment. That is the earliest booking window described for that channel, not a maximum waiting time or a promise of care within five days. Actual times still depend on availability and acceptance. Do not use a routine online request as a substitute for immediate professional assessment when needed.

Which appointments are available online?

The service lists adult, maternal, child-health, family-planning, recurso/reforço and adult teleconsultation options, depending on availability. For maternal, child-health and family-planning consultations, SNS24 limits this online/line route to the first consultation; follow-up arrangements are made in person under its instructions. Ask your unit about the format and follow-up plan it actually offers. A teleconsultation is not proof that every examination or problem can be handled remotely.

Is the appointment confirmed after I press Confirmar?

The request has been submitted, but the unit still needs to accept it. SNS24 identifies Agendada in the history as the accepted appointment status. You may also receive an SMS or email. If you only have a submission screen, cannot find the status or are unsure which unit to attend, contact the unit to verify before relying on the request. Keep the reference and requested date; do not treat a missing notification as an automatic cancellation.

How do I cancel or change the date?

SNS24 provides Desmarcar consulta for cancellation. Its instructions for changing the date, time or type are to cancel and then request a new appointment. That does not reserve an alternative slot. Before giving up an important confirmed appointment, ask the unit about the available alternative and any follow-up arrangements. After either action, check the history again so you know whether the old appointment was cancelled and the new one accepted.

Login fails or no code arrives: what should I check?

SNS24 supports Chave Móvel Digital, Citizen Card authentication or SNS user number with date of birth and an associated mobile/email, followed by a verification code. The number route checks contacts against the Registo Nacional de Utentes (RNU). If those contacts do not match or are out of date, changing an unrelated account's email will not fix the record. Follow SNS24's contact-update guidance or ask the unit to check the principal mobile/email in the RNU. For the identity method itself, see Chave Móvel Digital activation and recovery.

Separate a login problem from a slot problem. If you can access the record but there are no available times, changing passwords is unlikely to create availability. For help, give the official service the relevant administrative error through its secure channel. Do not post your SNS number, birth date, authentication code, prescription or medical history in public comments or upload them to Finkavo just to troubleshoot booking.

Is booking free, and does that mean all care is covered?

Booking is free according to gov.pt. That is not the same as confirming financial responsibility for the care. Its current cost section warns that an outdated RNU record or another financially responsible entity can affect billing, subject to applicable exceptions. If you are unsure about coverage, ask the unit to check your record before a planned consultation; do not assume that simply possessing an SNS number means every treatment is paid by the SNS.

I moved house: do I need a new health centre?

gov.pt recommends a centre near the new home, but transfer is not compulsory. Request it at the receiving centre and check its current document list for your nationality and any applicable health benefits. Ask what happens to existing appointments and follow-up before switching; transfer does not guarantee a family doctor. Coordinate the rest of your records with the moving-house checklist. Updating an address is not itself confirmation that registration or bookings transferred.

If your task is documenting a work absence, see autodeclaração de doença versus medical CIT. A declaration is not an appointment. For healthcare cover during a temporary trip abroad, use the CESD/EHIC guide, not the domestic booking route.