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A road curving along a terraced hillside of vineyards high above the Douro river in Portugal, stone retaining walls below and hills receding in warm afternoon light.

Portugal

Drives on the right · EUR · Emergency 112
LAST VERIFIED 2026-09-13

Driving in Portugal

Portugal is a straightforward place to drive with one significant exception, and that exception generates most of the trouble visitors have here. Some motorways are conventional: barriers, cash or card, nothing to think about. Others are electronic-only, with no booths, no barriers and no way to pay at the roadside. Drive one of those in a foreign or hire car without a transponder and you are expected to register and settle within a set window afterwards; miss it and the charge usually resurfaces through the rental company with an administration fee attached. The fix is to arrange it before you travel — an EASYToll registration links your plate to a bank card for 30 days, or a Via Verde visitor device covers the whole network. Beyond that it is comfortable driving. Limits are 50 in towns, 90 on rural roads and 120 on motorways, with a 0.5‰ alcohol limit dropping to 0.2 for novice drivers. Lisbon operates a low-emission zone covering parts of the centre, and other cities have narrower restrictions. Speed enforcement includes average-speed sections on the motorways. Winter tyres are effectively a non-issue outside the Serra da Estrela in snow, and headlights are not required in daylight except in tunnels.

Speed limits

Urban
50 km/h
Rural / outside built-up areas
90 km/h
Motorway
120 km/h

Alcohol limits

General limit
0.5‰
Novice drivers
0.2‰

Mandatory equipment

  • •Warning triangle
  • •Hi-vis vest

Winter tires & snow chains

No nationwide mandatory rule — winter tires and chains are rarely needed given the climate, though they can be advisable on higher mountain roads (e.g. Serra da Estrela) in snow.

Tolls

System
Toll booths

Most motorways charge tolls, some at traditional booths (cash/card) and some as electronic-only "green lane" roads where non-resident/rental drivers usually need a transponder or must register online (or at a post office) within a set window after travel — check which type of road you're on before you drive it.

Full motorway tolls guide →

More things to know before you drive

Seatbelts
Mandatory front and rear for all occupants.
Mobile phone use
Hands-free only; holding a phone while driving is prohibited.
Child seats
Children under 135 cm must use an approved child restraint suited to their height and weight.
Headlights
Not generally mandatory in daylight outside tunnels, though motorcycles must run headlights at all times; recommended in poor visibility.
Low-emission & restricted zones
Lisbon operates a low-emission zone in parts of the city center; other cities have more limited restrictions — check local signage.
Right of way & roundabouts
Priority to the right at unmarked intersections; roundabouts give way to traffic already circulating.
Parking
Paid parking zones are common in cities, usually via meter or app, with posted hours and rates; blue-marked bays typically indicate paid parking.
Speed cameras
Fixed and mobile cameras are common, including some average-speed sections on motorways.

Good to know

Electronic-only toll roads are a common trap for visitors — if you drive one without a transponder, you're expected to register and pay within days, and rental companies often add an administration fee on top if unpaid.