You pick up your hire car, join a motorway in the north of the country and pass under a large metal gantry bristling with cameras. No barrier, no booth, no ticket. Nothing happens, and that is precisely the trap. Driving in Portugal is rather pleasant, with motorways that are often quiet and superb coastal roads, but the country has a few habits that cost you dearly if you do not know them.
Electronic tolls, the Via Verde device, foreign plates, speed, alcohol, roundabouts, parking in Lisbon, vehicle inspections: here is what you need to know before you hit the road.
How do tolls work in Portugal?
Two systems coexist. On the big historic motorways, such as the A1 between Lisbon and Porto or the A2 to the south, old-style tolls still exist: a ticket on entry, payment on exit, at the booth or by card. Avoid the lanes marked with a big green "V": they are reserved for cars fitted with the Via Verde device.
The other system is the portagem exclusivamente eletrónica, the electronic-only toll. There is no barrier: gantries read your plate or your device as you pass. You find them on several more recent motorways, particularly in the north of the country. This is where newcomers get caught out, because you pay nothing at the time.
Good news for part of the country: Lei n.º 37/2024 abolished, from 1 January 2025, the tolls on several inland motorways and former SCUT (motorways that used to be free for users). The roads concerned are the A4 (Transmontana and the Marão tunnel), the A13 and A13-1, the A22 that crosses the Algarve, the A23, the A24, the A25 and two sections of the A28 in the north. If you settle near Faro or Lagos, the A22 therefore no longer costs you anything. The list may have changed since: the simulator of Infraestruturas de Portugal, on its PT Tolls portal, gives the up-to-date price of each journey.
Via Verde: the device that makes driving in Portugal easier
Via Verde is a small box stuck to the windscreen and linked to a number plate. It lifts the barriers at traditional tolls without you having to stop, pays electronic gantries automatically and, with the right plan, also works in many car parks. It is the tool most residents use, and for driving in Portugal all year round, it is by far the simplest. According to PT Tolls, there are no administrative fees on tolls paid with Via Verde.
According to Via Verde's April 2026 price list, the device costs €45 (€37.50 with electronic statements). Then you need a subscription: the Via Verde Autoestrada plan costs €1.04 a month (€0.54 with electronic statements), or €12.39 a year. The Mobilidade plan, at €1.99 a month (€1.49 with electronic statements), extends its use to parking and other services.
Foreign plates or a hire car: how do you pay electronic tolls?
This is the question that comes up most, and the answer surprises people: with foreign plates, you cannot pay afterwards. Deferred payment at the CTT or at Payshop is, according to the PT Tolls FAQ, "permitido por Lei apenas para veículos com matrícula nacional", allowed by law only for Portuguese plates.
With a car registered in France, Belgium, Switzerland or any other foreign country, you therefore have the choice between:
- EasyToll: when you enter the country on certain motorways, sign-up points link your plate to your bank card. Registration is valid for 30 days, at a cost of €0.32 per journey.
- TollCard: a prepaid card, sold in particular at the CTT. Its balance is valid for one year after activation.
- Via Verde Go Toll: a device-free offer for foreign plates, at €0.77 a month (only in the months you use it), plus €0.32 per passage, paid by bank card. A plan with a device also exists.
- A foreign electronic toll device, provided it is recognised by the Via Verde network. PT Tolls publishes the list of accepted foreign issuers.
For a hire car, according to PT Tolls, rental companies must fit every vehicle in their fleet with an on-board device. Ask at the desk how tolls will be charged to you, and read the corresponding line of the contract: that is often where daily fees are hidden.
With Portuguese plates and no device
If your car is registered in Portugal but has no Via Verde, paying afterwards is possible. The amount appears in the system within 48 hours of your passage, then you have 15 working days to pay at a CTT office or outlet, at a Payshop agent or at a Multibanco. Administrative fees of €0.32 per journey are added, capped at €2.56 per payment. If you let it slide, the fine is at least five times the toll amount, and cannot be less than €25.
What are the rules for driving in Portugal?
The Código da Estrada, the Portuguese highway code, is very similar to the French one. A few figures and a few habits differ, and those are what lead to fines.
Speed limits in Portugal
For a car without a trailer, article 27 of the code sets:
| Type of road | Maximum speed |
|---|---|
| Built-up area (localidade) | 50 km/h |
| Shared space (zona de coexistência) | 20 km/h |
| Ordinary road | 90 km/h |
| Road reserved for cars and motorcycles | 100 km/h |
| Motorway (autoestrada) | 120 km/h |
With a trailer, these limits drop to 70 km/h on ordinary roads, 80 km/h on reserved roads and 100 km/h on motorways. On motorways, driving below 50 km/h is also prohibited.
Fines climb quickly: €60 to €300 for a minor excess (less than 20 km/h over in town, less than 30 km/h over outside built-up areas), and €500 to €2,500 for the biggest, with loss of points and a possible licence suspension.
Alcohol and phones: the thresholds to know
The general limit is 0.5 g/l of blood. According to ANSR, the road safety authority, it drops to 0.2 g/l for drivers on probation (licence held for less than three years), taxi and ride-hailing drivers (TVDE) and other professional drivers. Between 0.5 and 0.8 g/l, the fine ranges from €250 to €1,250, with a suspension of one to twelve months. From 1.2 g/l, it is no longer a minor offence but a crime. So go easy on the lunchtime vinho verde, especially if you are getting back behind the wheel afterwards.
As for phones, handling your mobile while driving costs €250 to €1,250. A hands-free kit is allowed with a single earpiece; driving with two earphones is prohibited.
Vest and triangle: compulsory in every car
Article 88 requires every car to carry an approved warning triangle and reflective vest. Missing one of them? That is €60 to €300 per item. If you break down on the carriageway or hard shoulder, the triangle must be placed at least 30 metres behind the car, visible from 100 metres, and the person placing it must wear the vest. Keep the vest inside the car rather than at the bottom of the boot, under the suitcases.
How do you drive on a roundabout in Portugal?
This is the rule that confuses newly arrived drivers the most, because it is precise. Article 14.º-A of the code says, in essence:
- You enter the rotunda giving way to vehicles already on it, whatever lane they are in.
- If you leave at the first exit, you take the right-hand lane.
- For later exits, you drive on the inside and move over to the right-hand lane only after passing the exit before yours, moving across gradually.
Breaking these rules costs €60 to €300. In practice, many drivers take roundabouts their own way: watch other people's indicators, and always exit with care.
Where can you park in Lisbon? EMEL, parking meters and the resident permit
In the capital, on-street parking is managed by EMEL, the municipal company. The city applies four rates depending on the zone, and the price list has been revised gradually since 4 August 2026: some meters still show the old prices. Always read the meter to find out the paying days and hours.
To pay, you have a choice: cash at the meter, MB Way, EMEL's ePark app or apps such as Via Verde Estacionar, Telpark or EasyPark. If MB Way is new to you, our guide to paying in Portugal with Multibanco and MB Way explains how to activate it.
If you live in Lisbon, ask for the dístico de residente, the resident parking permit. It lets you park with no time limit in your zone and in one neighbouring zone of your choice. The first dístico per address is free, the second costs €54, the third €132, and each is valid for a maximum of one year. You need proof of residence, for example the certidão de domicílio fiscal (proof of tax address), and the car's registration certificate.
Honestly, right in the centre, a car remains a poor calculation. Our article on getting around Lisbon shows that a monthly pass covers almost everything for the price of a few days' parking.
Fuel, insurance, inspections: what do you need to know?
Fuel. At the pump, petrol is called gasolina (95 simples is the most common) and diesel is gasóleo. At many stations, you fill up and then pay at the till, giving your pump number. Prices vary from one station to another, and the energy directorate (DGEG) publishes an official fuel price comparison tool by municipality: before a long journey, the detour is sometimes worth it.
Insurance. According to the official gov.pt guide, every car registered in the European Union and in running order must be covered by third-party liability insurance, even if it stays parked in a private garage. The minimum cover is €6,070,000 per accident for bodily injury and €1,220,000 for material damage. The insurer's name and the policy number appear on the sticker on the windscreen. In a minor collision with no injuries, you fill in the Declaração Amigável together, the joint accident report form; signing it does not mean admitting liability. If anyone is injured, you call the authorities.
Vehicle inspections. In Portugal, this is called the inspeção periódica, often shortened to IPO. According to the IMT, a private car has its first inspection four years after it was first registered, then every two years until it is eight years old, and every year after that.
Bringing your car and your licence: what changes when you settle
While you are just passing through, you can keep driving in Portugal with a car registered in your home country. Once you settle, the question of Portuguese registration arises, and with it that of the ISV, the vehicle tax, which is often high.
There is an exemption for people who transfer their residence to Portugal. According to gov.pt, you must be over 18, have lived abroad for at least six months and have owned the car for at least six months in the country you are coming from. Only one car per person, and the application is made free of charge online, on the Portal das Finanças, within twelve months of your change of residence. Note this deadline as soon as you arrive: after it, the standard import rules apply.
Then there is the question of your licence. A licence issued in an EU country such as France or Belgium remains valid in Portugal, but it must be registered with the IMT within 60 days of settling, and some licences must be exchanged. Everything is explained in our guide to your driving licence in Portugal.
Once this paperwork is sorted, only the pleasure remains: the N2 that crosses the country from north to south, the roads of the Douro valley, the Alentejo coast. And if you are still unsure where to settle, our guide to living in the Algarve also talks about cars, which are almost indispensable there.