Portugal

What you need to enter Portugal.

- British passport holders do not need a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area, which includes Portugal. Days in other Schengen countries count.

- Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive, and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave.

- The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has replaced passport stamps: your fingerprints and photo may be taken at the border, at no cost. Children 11 or under are not fingerprinted. The record lasts 3 years.

- You may be asked for a return or onward ticket and proof you have enough money for your stay.

- ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation, is not yet required.

- Travelling on another passport? Check your own government's advice.

Take your GHIC or EHIC for state healthcare: it is not a substitute for travel insurance. Check the vaccine advice for Portugal on TravelHealthPro at least 8 weeks before you go.

For an ambulance, dial 112.

The EU Entry/Exit System is now in use at every Schengen external border, including Portugal's airports. The first time you arrive, your fingerprints and photo may be taken; there is no charge, and the record lasts 3 years. Expect longer queues at passport control.

ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, is not yet required. The European Commission said in April 2026 that it was scheduled for the last quarter of 2026; no start date had been confirmed by early November 2026. Check before you travel.

Mains electricity is 230 volts, 50 Hz.

Portuguese is the official language.

Portugal's three mainland airports for our trips are Lisbon (Humberto Delgado, LIS), Porto (Francisco Sá Carneiro, OPO) and Faro (FAO), for the Algarve.

The Alfa Pendular, Portugal's fastest train, runs between Lisbon and Porto and on to Braga, and down to Faro in the Algarve, at up to 220 km/h. Lisbon to Porto takes under 2 hours 50 minutes.

Average highs and rainfall, 1991 to 2020:

- Faro (the Algarve): 16.3°C in January, 20.7°C in April, 29.4°C in July, 23.3°C in October. 455 mm of rain a year, almost none from June to August.

- Lisbon: 14.4°C in January, 19.9°C in April, 28.3°C in July, 22.6°C in October. 723 mm a year, mostly October to May.

- Porto: 14.0°C in January, 18.1°C in April, 24.3°C in July, 20.7°C in October. 1,147 mm a year, the wettest months November to January.

GOV.UK warns of pickpockets on public transport and at crowded tram and bus stops, often working in teams, and of drink spiking; bar measures are often larger than in the UK. You must show photo ID if the police ask for it. In Albufeira there are on-the-spot fines of 150 to 1,800 euros for breaking the town's code of conduct.

The wildfire risk is high from April to October. Starting a fire, even by accident, is a crime and can mean a fine or prison.

On the beach, a red flag means do not go in the water and a yellow flag means paddle at the edge only. If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore.

Dial 112 for ambulance, fire and police. From the UK, the FCDO in London is on 020 7008 5000, 24 hours a day.

A UK photocard driving licence is accepted, and you must carry photo ID when you drive. Many motorways have electronic tolls only, with no booth to pay at: pay through the official toll portal (pagamentodeportagens.pt). Foreign-registered cars can use Easytoll, €1 to register plus €0.32 a trip.

Time: Mainland Portugal and Madeira keep the same time as the UK and change their clocks on the same days in March and October. The Azores are one hour behind..

Portugal's southern coast. The regional tourism board says it has more than 300 days of sun a year and 32 golf courses. Vilamoura has five courses and a marina; Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo are beside the Ria Formosa; Monte Rei is in the east and Ombria in the hills near Loulé.

A stretch of coast on the peninsula between the Atlantic and the Sado estuary, with rice fields and long beaches such as Pego and Carvalhal, and the Dunas course at Terras da Comporta.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima at the Cova da Iria, where three shepherd children, Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta, reported apparitions from 13 May to 13 October 1917. Their homes are in the nearby village of Aljustrel.

The capital, on the hills above the Tagus. The Jerónimos Monastery, begun in 1502, and the Belém Tower have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Alfama, São Jorge Castle and Chiado are in the old centre.

Portugal's second city, on the Douro. Its historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Ribeira on the river, São Bento station, the Clérigos Tower and Livraria Lello; port lodges across the river.

Sintra was called the first centre of European Romantic architecture when UNESCO listed it in 1995. Parques de Sintra runs the Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, Monserrate, the National Palace and the Cabo da Roca lighthouse. Cascais is on the coast below; Guincho beach is 6 km from the centre. Golf: Oitavos Dunes and Penha Longa.

The Alto Douro Wine Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001: wine made here for some 2,000 years, about 24,600 hectares of terraces, and port regulated since 1756.