diidars.sAugust 2025
Didar's Experience Participating in a Veterinary Internship Programme in Portugal
It was the best experience in my life. I interacted with diverse animals while I enjoyed rural Portugal. The staff was extremely polite.
Veterinary Internship in Portugal
$300-600Program Costs
Verified ProviderLearn more
VerifiedProvider
4.5 / 5Overall Rating
2Reviews
2016Year established
$300-600Program Costs
Verified ProviderLearn more
VerifiedProvider
4.5 / 5Overall Rating
2Reviews
2016Year established
Program Overview
Join a team of passionate vets and veterinary nurses to support neglected, abandoned, or vulnerable animals.
As a veterinary intern, you’ll spend your time caring for the animals at the sanctuary, enabling them to have happy, healthy lives. With over 100 animals across ten different species, your work will be varied, interesting, and dynamic. You’ll have a range of tasks to do, from diagnosing unwell animals, giving physical exams, administering injections, treating wounds, as well as offering guidance and advice for possible treatments. If an animal needs surgeries or has more complex problems, you may accompany and monitor it at the central clinic in Lisbon.
Ready to dive deeper into this program?
Jump to the full breakdown of dates, costs, eligibility, and more.
Program Highlights
Give medical support to improve the lives of vulnerable animals
Develop your skills in veterinary practices to help further your career
Work with compassionate, like-minded people on shared projects
Nurture positive relationships with animals at the sanctuary
Live in a beautiful, tranquil setting in the Portuguese forest surrounded by native species of flora and fauna
What's Included
Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
Wifi Costs
On-Site / In-Country Staff Support
In-Country Orientation
Academic Advising
Assistance Booking Travel
Academic Credit
Letter of Recommendation
Quick Details
Location
Lisbon, Portugal
Starts At$300-600
Availability
Duration:
- 3-6 Months
- 5-8 Weeks
- 9-12 Weeks
Age Requirement18-35
Types & Subjects
Fields:
- Animal Sciences
- Social Work
- Zoology & Wildlife Sciences
Causes:
- Animal Welfare
- Community Centers
- Conservation
- Social Work
- Veterinary Science
Guidelines
Nationalities:
- Albanian
- American
- Andorran
- Antarctica
- Antiguan & Barbudan
- Argentinian
- Armenian
- Aruban
- Asian
- Australian
- Austrian
- Azerbaijani
- Bahamian
- Bahraini
- Barbadian
- Belarusian
- Belgian
- Belizean
- Bermudian
- Bhutanese
- Bissau-Guinean
- Bolivian
- Bonaire
- Bosnian
- Brazilian
- British
- British Virgin Islander
- Bruneian
- Bulgarian
- Cambodian
- Canadian
- Cape Verdean
- Caymanian
- Channel Islander
- Chilean
- Chinese
- Colombian
- Comoran
- Cook Islander
- Costa Rican
- Creole
- Croatian
- Cuban
- Curacao
- Cypriot
- Czech
- Danish
- Dominican
- Dutch
- Ecuadorian
- Egyptian
- Emirati
- English
- Estonian
- European
- Fijian
- Finnish
- French
- Georgian
- German
- Gibraltarian
- Greek
- Greenlandic
- Grenadian
- Guadeloupian
- Guatemalan
- Guinean
- Guyanese
- Haitian
- Hawaiian
- Honduran
- Hungarian
- I-Kiribati
- Icelandic
- Indonesian
- Iranian
- Iraqi
- Irish
- Israeli
- Italian
- Jamaican
- Japanese
- Jordanian
- Kazakhstani
- Kittitian, Nevisian
- Kiwi
- Korean
- Kuwaiti
- Kyrgyzstani
- Lao or Laotian
- Latvian
- Lebanese
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuanian
- Luxembourg
- Macedonian
- Malagasy
- Malaysian
- Maldivian
- Malian
- Maltese
- Manx
- Marshallese
- Martiniquais
- Mauritanian
- Mauritian
- Mexican
- Micronesian
- Moldovan
- Monegasque
- Mongolian
- Montenegrin
- Montserratian
- Moroccan
- multi
- Myanmar
- Nauruan
- Nepalese
- New Caledonian
- Ni-Vanuatu
- Nicaraguan
- Niuean
- Norwegian
- Omani
- Palauan
- Palestinian
- Panamanian
- Papua New Guinean
- Paraguayan
- Peruvian
- Polish
- Polynesian
- Portuguese
- Puerto Rican
- Qatari
- Reunionese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Saban
- Sahrawian, Sahraouian
- Saint Helenian
- Saint Lucian
- Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
- Salvadoran
- Sammarinese
- Samoan
- Sao Tomean
- Saudi Arabian
- Scottish
- Serbian
- Serbian; Montenegrin
- Seychelles
- Singaporean
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Solomon Islander
- Spanish
- St. Barts
- Statian
- Surinamese
- Swedish
- Swiss
- Syrian
- Tahiti
- Taiwanese
- Tajikistani
- Thai
- The Vatican
- Tibet
- Timorese
- Tongan
- Trinidadian, Tobagonian
- Turkish
- Turkmen
- Turks and Caicos
- Tuvaluan
- Ukrainian
- Uruguayan
- Uzbekistani
- Venezuelan
- Vietnamese
- Virgin Islander
- Welsh
- Yemeni
Updated Jan 15, 2026
Program Details
Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know
Locations
- Lisbon, Portugal
Types & Subjects
- Fields
- Animal Sciences
- Social Work
- Zoology & Wildlife Sciences
- Causes
- Animal Welfare
- Community Centers
- Conservation
- Social Work
- Veterinary Science
Eligible Nationalities
- Albanian
- American
- Andorran
- Antarctica
- Antiguan & Barbudan
- Argentinian
- Armenian
- Aruban
- Asian
- Australian
- Austrian
- Azerbaijani
- Bahamian
- Bahraini
- Barbadian
- Belarusian
- Belgian
- Belizean
- Bermudian
- Bhutanese
- Bissau-Guinean
- Bolivian
- Bonaire
- Bosnian
- Brazilian
- British
- British Virgin Islander
- Bruneian
- Bulgarian
- Cambodian
- Canadian
- Cape Verdean
- Caymanian
- Channel Islander
- Chilean
- Chinese
- Colombian
- Comoran
- Cook Islander
- Costa Rican
- Creole
- Croatian
- Cuban
- Curacao
- Cypriot
- Czech
- Danish
- Dominican
- Dutch
- Ecuadorian
- Egyptian
- Emirati
- English
- Estonian
- European
- Fijian
- Finnish
- French
- Georgian
- German
- Gibraltarian
- Greek
- Greenlandic
- Grenadian
- Guadeloupian
- Guatemalan
- Guinean
- Guyanese
- Haitian
- Hawaiian
- Honduran
- Hungarian
- I-Kiribati
- Icelandic
- Indonesian
- Iranian
- Iraqi
- Irish
- Israeli
- Italian
- Jamaican
- Japanese
- Jordanian
- Kazakhstani
- Kittitian, Nevisian
- Kiwi
- Korean
- Kuwaiti
- Kyrgyzstani
- Lao or Laotian
- Latvian
- Lebanese
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuanian
- Luxembourg
- Macedonian
- Malagasy
- Malaysian
- Maldivian
- Malian
- Maltese
- Manx
- Marshallese
- Martiniquais
- Mauritanian
- Mauritian
- Mexican
- Micronesian
- Moldovan
- Monegasque
- Mongolian
- Montenegrin
- Montserratian
- Moroccan
- multi
- Myanmar
- Nauruan
- Nepalese
- New Caledonian
- Ni-Vanuatu
- Nicaraguan
- Niuean
- Norwegian
- Omani
- Palauan
- Palestinian
- Panamanian
- Papua New Guinean
- Paraguayan
- Peruvian
- Polish
- Polynesian
- Portuguese
- Puerto Rican
- Qatari
- Reunionese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Saban
- Sahrawian, Sahraouian
- Saint Helenian
- Saint Lucian
- Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
- Salvadoran
- Sammarinese
- Samoan
- Sao Tomean
- Saudi Arabian
- Scottish
- Serbian
- Serbian; Montenegrin
- Seychelles
- Singaporean
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Solomon Islander
- Spanish
- St. Barts
- Statian
- Surinamese
- Swedish
- Swiss
- Syrian
- Tahiti
- Taiwanese
- Tajikistani
- Thai
- The Vatican
- Tibet
- Timorese
- Tongan
- Trinidadian, Tobagonian
- Turkish
- Turkmen
- Turks and Caicos
- Tuvaluan
- Ukrainian
- Uruguayan
- Uzbekistani
- Venezuelan
- Vietnamese
- Virgin Islander
- Welsh
- Yemeni
- This Program is also open to Solo
Education Levels & Language
- Education
- Any/All Education Levels Accepted
Accommodation Options
- Apartment/Flat
Application Procedures
- Resume
- Online Application
Age Requirement
18-35
Duration
- 3-6 Months
- 5-8 Weeks
- 9-12 Weeks
- Short Term
- 1-3 Months
Starts At
Program Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about Roots Interns
4.5
2 reviews
Rating breakdown
5
1
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
Top categories
Work Environment
5.0
Health & Safety
4.5
Internship Placement
4.0
Program Administration
4.0
Social Life
4.0
Living Situation
3.5
Participated in this program? Share your experience now.
Review this ProgramShowing 1-2 of 2 reviews
SydneyAugust 2024
SOS Animal Sanctuary
I loved being at the sanctuary and being able to help with all the animals. I had a lot of fun during my time there and was able to do/see a lot. It was a great opportunity to learn about Portugal and Portuguese culture while also being able to further my experience in the animal/veterinary field!
Inquire
Inquire about this program
Have a question? Send us a message and the program team will get back to you.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to all the most common questions about Roots Interns.
Do I need previous veterinary work experience to do this internship?
No, you don’t need to have worked in a veterinary practice, but you do need a background/experience in areas related, such as biology or animal behavior (this can be discussed during the application process).
Do I need to be able to speak English for this internship?
Yes, you need a very good level of English for this placement as everybody at the sanctuary speaks English. Spanish or Portuguese are not necessary, but could be a nice bonus.
Will there be other interns there?
At any one time, there may be up to seven interns, but not all internships are the same e.g. they are specially designed for particular subjects/fields.
Roots Interns Interviews
Read interviews from alumni or staff
Didar Sevval Sencan
Participated in 2025
AlumniDidar is from Istanbul, Türkiye. After graduating from high school, she studied veterinary medicine at Atatürk University. She interned at the Istanbu...
I’ve always been eager to do an internship abroad because I’m an open-minded and enthusiastic person. The thought of learning new things in a completely foreign country while working with people from different nations and cultures without relying on my native language truly inspired me.
Show Full InterviewRecognitions & Awards
Awards and accreditations earned by this provider
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