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Portugal: qué saber antes del viaje

Lo esencial

  • Lisbon charges a EUR 4 per person per night tourist tax (up to 7 nights); Porto and many other towns also charge.
  • Some motorways use electronic-only tolls: rental cars need a transponder or registered card.
  • Street sellers in Lisbon's Baixa offering drugs sell fakes; buying is illegal and a common scam.
  • Schengen EES applies on arrival; ETIAS is not yet live.

Entrada y visados

Portugal is in the Schengen area. Non-EU visitors are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) on first entry: fingerprints and a facial photo, no passport stamps. Visa-free visitors may stay 90 days in any 180 across all Schengen states. ETIAS is not operating yet: its launch is now expected in 2027, so ignore sites selling "ETIAS" approvals.

Validez del pasaporte: Non-EU passports: valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area and issued within the last 10 years.

En la frontera pueden pedir

  • EES registration at the first Schengen border: fingerprints and face photo (children under 12 give no fingerprints). Allow extra time at passport control.
  • Border guards may ask for a return ticket, accommodation proof, travel insurance and funds for your stay.
  • Your 90/180 days are counted across all Schengen states together; use the EU short-stay calculator to check.

Aduana

  • From outside the EU: 200 cigarettes, 1 L spirits or 2 L fortified wine, 4 L wine, 16 L beer; other goods up to EUR 430 by air/sea (EUR 300 by land).
  • Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products from non-EU countries are banned (small exceptions for infant food and medical needs).
  • Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when entering or leaving the EU.
  • Prescription medicines: carry the prescription; narcotic or psychotropic medicines need a Schengen certificate (Article 75) or a doctor's letter.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗, travel-europe.europa.eu ↗, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗, taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu ↗, finance.ec.europa.eu ↗, gov.pl ↗

Dinero

Se paga con tarjeta casi en todas partes. Las tarjetas se aceptan casi en todas partes.

Redes de pago: Visa, Mastercard, Amex

Apple Pay — funciona · Google Pay — funciona

Dónde cambiar dinero

  • Withdraw euros from a bank-owned ATM in town, or bring euros from home.
  • Pay by card or phone in euros; contactless is near-universal.
  • Multibanco (MB) bank ATMs are common and usually free of local fees.

Dónde no cambiar

  • Airport and station exchange bureaux (poor rates, high commission).
  • Independent ATMs such as Euronet in tourist zones: high fees and currency-conversion offers.
  • Euronet ATMs in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve.

Cajeros: Multibanco ATMs normally charge no local fee; Euronet and similar charge several euros and push currency conversion.

Propinas: Optional: 5-10% for good restaurant service; round up in cafés and taxis.

  • When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in local currency: dynamic currency conversion adds roughly 3-10%.
  • Cards issued by Russian banks (Visa, Mastercard and Mir) do not work here because of sanctions; bring enough cash or a card from a non-Russian bank.
  • Cards are widely accepted; some small cafés and taxis prefer cash.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: visitportugal.com ↗, gov.uk ↗, bportugal.pt ↗, support.apple.com ↗

Normas y prohibiciones

Prohibido

  • Buying drugs: possession is decriminalised for personal amounts but still illegal; Baixa street "drugs" are usually fake.
  • Drones need registration with the aviation authority (ANAC) and are banned near airports and over crowds.
  • On roads that remain tolled, arrange electronic toll payment and check the current route. The A22 Algarve has been toll-free since 1 January 2025.
  • Camping or sleeping in camper vans outside designated areas: fines.
  • Smoking in enclosed public places is banned.

Leyes que los viajeros incumplen sin saberlo

  • Carry ID; police can request it.
  • Drink-drive limit 0.5 g/l (0.2 for new drivers).

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: gov.uk ↗, portugaltolls.com ↗, visitlisboa.com ↗, diariodarepublica.pt ↗

Cultura y ropa

Religión: Predominantly Roman Catholic.

Ropa: Casual; cover shoulders in churches. Lisbon is hilly with slippery limestone pavements.

Etiqueta

  • Do not assume Spanish works; try "Obrigado/Obrigada".
  • Bread, olives and cheese placed on the table ("couvert") are charged if eaten; you may send them back.
  • Dinner from about 20:00.
  • Fado houses expect silence during songs.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: visitportugal.com ↗

Clima

Mild Atlantic-Mediterranean climate: warm dry summers, mild wet winters; Algarve sunnier, north wetter. Figures are Lisbon average highs/lows.

Mes a mes
  • enero: Jan: 15/8°C, mild, rainy
  • febrero: Feb: 16/9°C, mild
  • marzo: Mar: 18/11°C, pleasant
  • abril: Apr: 20/12°C, spring
  • mayo: May: 22/14°C, warm
  • junio: Jun: 26/17°C, warm; festivals
  • julio: Jul: 28/18°C, hot, busy
  • agosto: Aug: 29/19°C, hot, crowded
  • septiembre: Sep: 27/18°C, warm, ideal
  • octubre: Oct: 23/15°C, mild, first rains
  • noviembre: Nov: 18/11°C, rainy
  • diciembre: Dec: 15/9°C, mild, wet

Mejor temporada: April-June and September-October; Algarve beaches June-September.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: ipma.pt ↗, visitportugal.com ↗

Qué llevar

  • Shoes with good grip for steep cobbled streets
  • Sun protection
  • Type F plug adapter (230 V)
  • Light jacket for Atlantic wind
  • Swimwear (Atlantic water is cold)

Qué no llevar / prohibido importar

  • Buying "drugs" from street sellers.
  • Meat and dairy from outside the EU.
  • Smooth-soled shoes.

Práctico

Enchufes: Type F (Type C fits); 230 V, 50 Hz

Agua: Tap water is safe to drink.

Circulación: por la derecha

Móvil y eSIM: EU roaming: SIMs from any EU/EEA country work at home prices (fair-use limits). Ukrainian and Moldovan SIMs too since 1 Jan 2026. Swiss, UK, Serbian and other non-EU SIMs pay roaming; an eSIM data plan is cheaper.

Apps: CP (trains), Carris / Metro Lisboa, Uber / Bolt, Via Verde, TheFork

Internet: Good 4G/5G and Wi-Fi.

Salud: EU/EEA/Swiss and UK (GHIC) cardholders get state healthcare at local rates with their EHIC/GHIC. Others pay in full, so bring insurance. Pharmacies (green cross) handle minor issues.

Seguro: Schengen visa applicants must hold travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 valid in all Schengen states. Everyone else: strongly advised.

Emergencias: 112 (all emergencies)

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: europa.eu ↗, europa.eu ↗, digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu ↗, gov.uk ↗

Las normas de entrada cambian. Antes del viaje, consulta la web de la embajada o del servicio de inmigración del país.