Currency Euro (EUR). Notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 are standard; 200 and 500 are rare and rarely accepted.
Cards Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere. Apple Pay and Google Pay work in 90% of urban businesses.
ATMs Multibanco, the local network, is found throughout all urban areas. Typical fee of 3 to 5 EUR per international withdrawal.
Cash Useful only for small tips, rural tascas and markets. Carry 200 to 400 EUR for a week.
Exchange Avoid airport kiosks and tourist-area bureaux. Best rates at Multibanco or exchange offices away from the centre.
Gratuities Not mandatory but expected: 5% to 10% at restaurants with good service. Notify your bank of your travel dates.
Schengen Portugal is part of the Schengen Area. Tourist stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
Latin America Colombians, Mexicans and most Latin Americans do not require a tourist visa.
ETIAS From late 2026, ETIAS — a simple online electronic authorisation — is expected to apply to those currently visa-exempt.
Spain Spanish nationals do not require a visa or authorisation to enter Portugal.
Documents Valid passport, travel insurance, voucher for first accommodation and return flight to hand.
Vaccines None required for entry from Latin America or Spain under normal conditions.
Recommended Tetanus, up-to-date MMR and hepatitis A and B if visiting rural areas or eating raw shellfish.
Insurance Effectively mandatory for Schengen transit without European residency. Minimum medical cover of EUR 30,000.
Hospitals Hospital da Luz and CUF in Lisbon and Porto — high quality with English-speaking staff available.
Water Tap water is safe to drink and good quality throughout the country, with varying taste by region.
Train The Alfa Pendular connects Lisbon and Porto in around three hours, comfortable and punctual. Lisbon–Faro in around three hours.
Sintra Suburban train from Rossio station every 20 minutes, 40-minute journey.
Car Essential for the deep Alentejo, the rural Douro and the interior Algarve. Electronic tolls via Via Verde.
Apps Uber and Bolt operate in Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, the Algarve and the main islands. Citymapper for public transport.
City driving Do not drive in the historic centres of Lisbon or Porto: impossible streets and low-emission zones. Use tram, metro and taxi.
Official language Portuguese, spoken by over 260 million people worldwide — the majority outside Portugal.
English Portugal ranks among the world's top ten for English proficiency: TV is subtitled, not dubbed.
Spanish Understood without difficulty due to linguistic proximity, though the Portuguese tend to reply in English or Portuguese.
Vocabulary Saudade (bittersweet longing) · obrigado / obrigada (thank you) · bom dia · faz favor · bica (espresso).
A note Calling a Portuguese person Spanish is read as an offence due to a long-standing identity question. Slowing down opens doors.
Greeting Handshake between men; two cheek-kisses, right first, only after you have been introduced.
Volume Portuguese speak at a moderate volume. Talking loudly in restaurants or on public transport is considered poor form.
Table Do not begin eating until everyone is served. Make eye contact when toasting. Do not ask for ice in white wine.
Coffee Ordering "a coffee" brings an espresso (bica). For coffee with milk, ask for galão; for a long black, abatanado.
Punctuality For a casual dinner, five to ten minutes late is expected. For business meetings, strict punctuality.
01 · Capital
3–4 nights
