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Driving in Portugal from the UK: tolls and rules

Portugal charges distance tolls. Some motorways have barriers where you take a ticket and pay by cash or card; others use electronic-only gantries, so a UK car needs a payment method first: EasyToll (bank card linked to your plate, 1 EUR plus 0.32 EUR per trip), a prepaid Tollcard or Via Verde. Carry a reflective vest and warning triangle.

Checked on 11 November 2026 against official sourcesPrices in EUR unless shown otherwise

Toll system
Distance tolls
Vignette
None
Low-emission zones
None listedSee the section below
Currency
EUR
On this page

How do tolls work in Portugal?

There are two systems. Traditional toll barriers have manual lanes (collect a ticket on entry, pay on exit by cash or bank card) and electronic lanes for tag holders. Exclusively electronic toll roads have overhead gantries that detect each vehicle with no booths; a panel near each gantry shows the charge. With a foreign-registered car you must have an activated payment method before using electronic-only roads. Infraestruturas de Portugal runs the official Portugal Tolls site and a map of which roads are electronic-only.

Who runs the roads

How to pay

  • Traditional toll barriers: take a ticket as you enter and pay for the trip when you exit, in cash or by bank card in the manual lanes. Electronic lanes are only for customers with an active payment system.[1]
  • EasyToll: link a Mastercard, Visa or Maestro card to your number plate, online or at one of the four EasyToll stations. Tolls are debited from the card account. Cost: 1 EUR subscription plus 0.32 EUR administrative fee per trip. Valid for 30 days on all national motorways except the Lusoponte crossings (25 de Abril and Vasco da Gama bridges); at traditional toll stations use the electronic-payment lanes. Keep the email or receipt and check the plate number on it.[1]
  • Tollcard: a prepaid card with a face value of 5, 10, 20 or 40 EUR, activated by text message, bought online from CTT, at CTT stores or at motorway service areas. Cost: 1 EUR plus 0.32 EUR per trip. The balance is valid for 1 year after activation. Not valid on the Lusoponte bridges.[1]
  • Via Verde 'Go Toll' (online only): 0.77 EUR in each month of use plus 0.32 EUR per trip, valid on the whole motorway network. Via Verde 'Go Toll & Beyond' includes an identifier device: 1.99 EUR a month in months of use, no per-trip administrative fee; roaming for Spain and France car parks costs an extra 1.99 EUR a month.[1]
  • A toll tag issued in another country under the EU interoperability rules (Directive (EU) 2019/520) may work in Portugal with no extra administrative fee; check with your tag provider that the service is activated before you travel. Portugal Tolls publishes a list of authorised foreign tag issuers.[1]
  • If you used an electronic-only road or an electronic lane without a valid payment method, settle the amount with the toll operator through its payment portal (Ascendi, Globalvia Portugal, Vialivre or Via Verde); you can look up your journeys on any of them.[1]
  • Non-payment is an administrative offence: the fine is at least five times the toll owed, never less than 25 EUR, up to twice that minimum.[2]

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

Low-emission zones and stickers

Lisbon's low-emission zone (ZER) rules could not be checked on the official city website (see “Not confirmed yet” below).

What must I carry in Portugal?

  • Reflective vest and warning triangle.[3]

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

Speed limits and alcohol

Built-up areas
50 km/h[3]
Outside built-up areas
90 km/h[3]
Motorways
120 km/h[3]
Drink-drive limit
0.5 g/l (0.2 g/l for novice and professional drivers)[3]

Your Europe shows 120 km/h and 100 km/h signs for motorways and expressways. Cars towing trailers: 70 km/h on non-urban roads, 80 or 100 km/h on motorways.

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

What UK drivers need

  • You can use a UK photocard driving licence for up to 185 days without an international driving permit (IDP). With a paper licence, update it to a photocard or get an IDP.[4]
  • FCDO travel advice: you can bring your own vehicle to Portugal for up to 183 days in any 12-month period, for tourism only and without lending it to anyone. To stay longer it must be legally imported through Portuguese Customs.[5]
  • FCDO travel advice: make sure you understand the toll system and how to pay; if you think you used a toll road without paying, check the Toll Payment Portal.[5]
  • Display a UK sticker unless your number plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag.[6]
  • Take your log book (V5C) and your insurance certificate; you do not need a green card in the EU but must have valid insurance.[7]

For documents, insurance, pets and border checks that apply to every country, see the driving to Europe checklist.

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

Sources

Every fact above links to one of these official pages. The numbers match the small links next to each fact.

  1. 1.
    Toll systems, how to pay, foreign vehicles: EasyToll, Tollcard, Go Toll, Via Verde, interoperability (opens in a new tab)

    Infraestruturas de Portugal (Portugal Tolls), portugaltolls.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  2. 2.
    FAQ - Frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)

    Infraestruturas de Portugal (Portugal Tolls), portugaltolls.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  3. 3.
    Road rules and safety - Portugal (opens in a new tab)

    European Commission, Your Europe (content supplied by Portuguese authorities), europa.eu. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  4. 4.
    Driving abroad: check if you need an international driving permit (opens in a new tab)

    GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  5. 5.
    Portugal travel advice: Safety and security (opens in a new tab)

    GOV.UK (FCDO), gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  6. 6.
    Displaying number plates: flags, symbols and identifiers (opens in a new tab)

    GOV.UK (DVLA), gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  7. 7.
    Driving abroad; Vehicle insurance: driving abroad (opens in a new tab)

    GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.