Sick Notes and Medical Certificates in Portugal: A Guide

CIT versus private certificate: two different documents

The CIT (Certificado de Incapacidade Temporária) is the official document that certifies temporary incapacity for work in the Portuguese system. It is connected to the SNS and to Segurança Social, and it is the document that opens the door to sickness benefit (subsídio de doença) for workers who contribute to Portuguese Social Security. It follows its own rules about who can issue it and through which systems.

A private medical certificate or declaration is something else: a document in which a doctor, after examining or assessing you, states relevant clinical facts, for example that you were observed on a given date and were advised to rest. It does not by itself grant access to Portuguese sickness benefit, and it is not a CIT. For many situations, especially for people employed outside Portugal, it is exactly the document that is needed.

What an online private doctor can realistically provide

In a video consultation, a doctor registered with the Ordem dos Médicos can assess your condition, advise you, and, when they consider it clinically justified, issue a private medical certificate or declaration. Typical examples include a declaration that you attended a consultation, a certificate describing your condition and the recommended rest period, or a fitness-related note when the doctor can properly assess what is being asked.

What a private telemedicine platform does not do is replace the official SNS and Social Security circuit. The CIT remains tied to that system, so if your situation requires a CIT, for example because you are employed in Portugal and need sickness benefit, the doctor will tell you and point you to the correct route, which may involve the SNS or, for brief absences, the self-declaration of illness mechanism available through SNS 24. Being honest about this boundary is part of good practice.

In every case, the doctor decides during the consultation whether a document is justified and what it can state. A certificate reflects what the doctor was actually able to assess, no more.

Will an employer accept a private certificate?

It depends on the employer and on where you are employed. Employers in Portugal generally expect the official CIT for absences that trigger Social Security processes, while shorter absences and internal HR policies vary from company to company. Some accept a private medical declaration for brief absences; others do not.

If you work remotely for a company abroad, the calculus is usually different: your employer follows the rules of your employment contract and home jurisdiction, and most simply need a credible medical document, dated and signed by a licensed doctor, stating that you were assessed and advised to rest. A private certificate from a doctor registered in Portugal typically serves that purpose well. When in doubt, ask your HR department which document they require before booking.

• Employed in Portugal with Social Security contributions: the CIT is usually the relevant document for sickness benefit
• Short absences: employer policies vary; some accept a private declaration
• Employed abroad and working remotely from Portugal: a private certificate is often exactly what is needed
• Ask your employer first which document they require

What the doctor needs in order to assess you

A certificate is a clinical document, so it starts with a proper assessment. Be ready to describe your symptoms, when they started, how they affect your ability to work, and any relevant history or medication. If you have measurements (temperature, for example) or photos of visible signs, have them ready. The doctor may ask you to show something on camera.

Be precise about what you need the document to say and for whom it is intended: an employer abroad, a Portuguese employer, a school, an airline. The doctor can only certify what they can verify or reasonably assess by video. If your situation needs a physical examination or tests before anything can be certified, the doctor will say so and recommend the right next step. Asking a doctor to write something they could not assess is asking them to break their professional rules, and a serious doctor will decline.

Remote workers and digital nomads: the common case

A large share of expats in Portugal work remotely for employers or clients in other countries. If that is you, Portuguese Social Security processes are usually irrelevant to your sick leave: what your employer needs is a trustworthy medical document in a language they can process, issued by a licensed doctor.

This is a natural fit for telemedicine. You can be assessed in English, from home while ill, and if the doctor considers it justified, receive a certificate in a format you can forward to HR. If your employer requires specific wording, a specific language, or a company form, mention this at the start of the consultation so the doctor can tell you what is and is not possible.

When illness is more than a sick note

A sick note request sometimes hides a condition that needs more than rest. If you have symptoms such as chest pain or pressure, difficulty breathing, severe or worsening pain, confusion, fainting, signs of a stroke, uncontrolled bleeding, or a severe allergic reaction, do not book an online consultation for a certificate: call 112, the European emergency number, which works throughout Portugal.

For urgent but non-emergency situations, the SNS 24 line (808 24 24 24) provides triage and advice and can direct you to the right level of care. An online doctor will also tell you plainly when your condition needs in-person or emergency care instead of a document.