Driving In Portugal Tips & Info
So you want to have bons tempos (good times) in Portugal with your Debit Card Car Hire car without breaking any of the nation’s rules? For starters you will need to have a UK (not GB) sticker like in many other EU countries, as this is a requirement for driving in Portugal after Brexit. You’ll also need to remember that they drive on the right-hand side unlike like us Brits, and overtake on the left.
Portugal is considered to have some of the best roads in Europe and in the world and can offer and great driving experience.
However, Driving in Portugal for the first time can be stressful for many tourists. Not knowing the legal requirements, not only that can put you and the loved ones in danger but can bring you big fines.
Our guide: Driving In Portugal Tips & Info provides all the info needed to get used to the driving laws and regulations. The guide is also relevant to requirements for driving in Portugal after Brexit and has all you need to know in terms of driving in Portugal in 2023.
Driving In Portugal – What you need to know
Road Info
In Portugal there are two road types: national (marked in blue road signs) and regional (marked in white with black lettering).
The national highways (called Autostradas) have been converted into toll-roads.
Paying for the tolls in Portugal can be done either using cash or a debit card. See info on toll roads in Portugal and pricing below:
A1: Lisboa – Porto. 311 km. € 22.20.
A2, A22: Lisboa – Faro. 275 km. € 22.00.
A23: Vilar Formoso (ES/PT) – Lisboa. 350 km. € 18.50.
A3: Valença (ES/PT) – Porto. 117 km. € 8.90.
What are the benefits of using the Portugal toll roads?
- Shorter journey times as you’ll be able to go at higher speeds on straighter roads.
- Less worry about damaging your car on poorly maintained roads.
- More fuel efficient as you’ll be able to keep at a constant speed throughout most of your journey.
Must Haves
Most of the advice is common sense, though make sure when driving in Portugal you carry with you the below:
- a yellow, orange, or red reflective danger vest
- one red reflective warning triangle,
- a spare wheel, and the tools necessary to change it inside of the vehicle.
- headlamp beam deflectors
Seat Belt Requirements
- Both: front and rear seat belts are mandatory
- Children must wear the seat belt too
Travelling With Children
- Children under 12 or under 1.5 meters tall are not allowed on the front seats.
- Appropriate style chairs must be used on the rear seats for the children according to their age and height.
- The children seats or boosters are mandatory for the children aged less than 12 years old.
Motor Insurance in Portugal
Motor insurance is necessary either in your own name or the policy of a named driver. This will be proved by your UK driving licence but if hiring a car you should check insurance coverage with the company you are using. There are four main types of motor vehicle insurance. Take out car insurance in either:
- Compulsory Third Party
- Third-Party property
- Third-Party Fire and Theft
- Comprehensive
Wacky Driving Rules
- When driving in Portugal, it is prohibited to carry petrol cans in the car.
- It is illegal to have two wheels vehicles attached to the back of the car.
- Do not use your horn unless in an emergency. It’s better to flash your headlights.
Speed Limit
The speed limits in Portugal are similar to those in the UK, namely:
- 50kph/31mph in built-up urban areas
- 90kph/55mph on a main road outside a built-up area
- 120kph/74.5mph on motorways
- On motorways the minimum speed is 50 km/h
Alcohol Limit
Portugal has drink driving laws only allowing 0.5 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood – stricter than the UK where the limit is 0.8. New drivers are effectively forbidden to drink and drive, with a very low 0.1 mg/l limit. As in the UK there is zero tolerance to any class of illegal drug whilst driving.
Also, motor insurance is necessary either in your own name or the policy of a named driver. This will be proved by your UK driving licence but if hiring a car you should check insurance coverage with the company you are using.
Parking in Portugal
- Many areas have free parking for electric cars.
- Warning signs are equilateral red triangles with illustrative pictograms in their white centers.
- There are a few warning signs that are not as easy to understand as the others. For example, the “low visibility” sign looks a bit a like a car surrounded by a swarm of insects. The sign for “obstruction” is a toppled sedan. If you see an exclamation point, the sign is meant to convey that the nature of the danger is unspecified. In these cases, be sure to keep an eye out for anything that looks like it could pose a threat to your continued safety, and then adjust your driving accordingly.
- Yield signs feature the same red triangle, inverted. Stop signs in Portugal are the same red octagon that most of us are accustomed to.
- Prohibitory signs feature red circles enclosing whatever is prohibited. Again, the meanings of most of them are easy to understand.
- Round signs featuring black circles and five diagonal crosshatches may appear to prohibit specific actions, but in actuality, their purpose is to notify drivers that previous prohibitions have ended. You’ll see them marking the end of no-passing zones, and speed limit zones.
- Mandatory signs are round and blue, with white borders. These signs indicate actions that must be performed, such as keeping left, turning right, or turning on dimmed headlamps.
- Informational signs are generally blue in color and rectangular in shape, though some may be white, green, or square.
- Watch out for scammers posing as traffic wardens, who should be in uniform with ID too.
- Finally don’t follow the rather random antics of the locals whose parking can be anarchic!
Driving Licence Requirements
You can drive using your domestic driving licence if it’s written in roman alphabet. However, our recommendation is to have an international driving licence.
Emergency Numbers
- 112 – Medical emergency
- 112 – Police
- 808 242 424 – Health line for emergencies
- 117 – Forest Fires
- 808 502 502 – Road assistance ACP (Automóvel Club De Portugal)
Fuel Costs in Portugal
Fuel is currently approximately 1.7 Euros per litre or 6.5 Euro per gallon with almost all accepting credit cards as well as cash or pay as you go. While for electric vehicles there are plenty of charging points for the green option of driving.
Driving in Portugal FAQs
In Portugal, they drive on the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left.
Yes, you can drive in Portugal with your UK licence and there is no need to apply for an international driving licence.
Portugal has some of the safest roads in Europe. However, take care in some more remote areas and on coastal roads.
Like much of Europe, Portugal uses the metric system for all road signs and speed limits so speeds are shown in kilometres and metres.
Parking in Portuguese rural and coastal areas in easy, though be sure to take care when in bigger cities as traffic can be hectic and street parking at a premium.