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Money & duty free for Portugal

Currency information: 

Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Credit cards: 

American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted, even outside cities, while petrol stations usually take credit cards and cash.

ATM: 

There are ATMs (Multibanco) at most of the larger supermarkets and shopping areas in most towns with instructions available in English if required. You can only take out a maximum of €200 and if you see six asterisks, not four, just put in your normal four numbers and hit continue. If you receive a ‘service unavailable’ message, it is most likely that the machine is out of cash - especially at weekends and on Monday mornings. The machine will have an icon with a cross though it.



You can also find Multibanco machines in every small town and even villages all around Portugal. You will be charged for an international transaction. Currency conversion booths spring up wherever there is a steady flow of tourists but, be warned, the closer they are to tourist attractions, the worse the rates they offer.

Travellers cheques: 

These are readily exchanged. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Euros.

Banking hours: 

Generally, Mon-Fri 0830-1530 (certain banks in Lisbon are open until 1800). In smaller towns a bank may close for lunch, while many branches no longer offer a foreign exchange service.

Currency restriction: 

There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency.

Currency exchange: 

You can buy or exchange Euros very easily at cambios (bureaux de change), hotels and shops. Many banks no longer offer foreign exchange, while the best rates and commissions are normally found at the bureaux in larger towns. The worst rates by far are at the airports and hotels. The best thing is to keep an eye out while you’re shopping and always check the commission rates.

Portugal duty free

Portugal is within the European Union. If you are travelling from the UK, you are entitled to buy fragance, skincare, cosmetics, Champagne, wine, selected spirits, fashion accessories, gifts and souvenirs - all at tax-free equivalent prices. There are no longer any allowance restrictions on these tax-free items.

The following goods may be imported into Portugal by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty, if you are arriving from a non-EU country:

• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• 1L of spirits over 22% or 2L of spirits up to 22%.
• 2L of wine.
• 50g of perfume and 250mL of eau de toilette.
• 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (provided bought in a tax-free shop).
• 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract (provided bought in a tax-free shop).
• Further goods up to €175 per adult or €90 if under 15 years of age.

Banned imports: 

The import of meat, meat products, milk and milk products from non-EU countries is prohibited with the exception of limited amounts from Andorra, Croatia, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and small amounts of specific products from other countries. Also banned are protected species and their products as listed by the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species), for example ivory, tortoise shell, coral, reptile skin and wood from Amazonian forests.

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