There are currently few flights to and from Portugal and many cancellations. As a result of the coronavirus, Portugal introduced a state of emergency from March 19. On May 4, the state of emergency ceased, but there are still many measures to limit the infection. For more information about coronavirus, see the section Health, as well as an article on the embassy’s website norway.no/portugal.
Safety
Risk of terrorist attacks and unforeseen incidents is present in most places in the world. Most trips to Portugal, however, are completed without any problems.
The risk of terrorist incidents in Portugal is considered low. The last terrorist attack that took place in Portugal was in 1983, when a group of Armenian terrorists attacked the Turkish embassy.
Travelers should be alert and take reasonable precautions. The instability in the Middle East and North Africa increases the terrorist threat somewhat. Portugal participates in the international coalition against Isil. A few Portuguese citizens have traveled to Syria/Iraq as foreign fighters.
The crime in Portugal is in line with other Western European countries. It is important to have travel insurance. Especially in places with many people, in the largest cities and in the Algarve, pocket thefts, purse seizures and similar forms of crime occur. Therefore, pay extra attention to tourist sites, outdoor seating and public transport (trams 15 and 28 in Lisbon are particularly vulnerable).
Passports, credit cards, tickets and money should not be kept in the same bag or pocket. In addition, care must be taken not to leave bags, bags, etc. unattended. Feel free to carry your bag on your lap during public transport, caf¨¦ and restaurant visits and the like. You may want to leave some money and valuables in a safe place. Burglaries in cars, especially rental cars, are also not uncommon. Do not leave valuables in the car, even at short stops.
The embassy has registered an increase in the reporting of burglaries in holiday apartments rented in the private market through rental services such as Airbnb.
The Portuguese road network consistently maintains high quality. The traffic picture is characterized by significantly higher speeds, greater vehicle density, more accidents and a more aggressive driving pattern than the Norwegian one, and it is advised to pay extra attention both as a motorist and as a pedestrian. The likelihood of dying in a traffic accident is more than twice as high in Portugal as in Norway. The Portuguese border in Portugal is 0.5.
Deaths due to drowning occur every year along the Portuguese beaches. Please note that there may be strong currents and large waves. Children should not swim alone in the sea. The naval police can fines bathers who do not obey the guard’s flag of 55 euros. Red flag indicates ban on walking in the water. Yellow flag means you can stay along the beach but not swim. The green flag says it is safe to swim, and the checkered flag means that the beach is currently unmanned. The beaches are usually only manned during the summer season.
Forest fires of varying severity occur frequently in Portugal in the summer. In June 2017, more than 60 people died in the worst forest fire in Portugal in 50 years. Between July 1 and September 30, which is the critical fire hazard period and outside this period if the fire danger is set between “very high” and “extreme”, it is strictly forbidden in rural areas to, among other things, light a fire, use gas or other flammable substances for bonfires or cook, smoke or use lighter in the forest.
Norwegian citizens staying in Portugal during the aforementioned period where forest fires occur regularly are advised to obtain information on local conditions on local news, contact the tourist information etc. to help reduce risk. Portuguese authorities at all times attempt to report fires on the following sites:
- For the mainland
- For Madeira
- Geographical overview(in Portuguese)
- Portuguese Civil Defense website
Portugal is in an area prone to earthquakes and it is especially in the southern part and the Azores danger is highest. More information about earthquake exposed areas with updated seismic activity can be found here.
Lisbon and several other cities in Portugal were almost completely destroyed in a major earthquake in 1755. In the Azores, smaller earthquakes occur relatively often without causing damage. The volcano Capelinhos on Faial erupted in 1957-1958 and caused great destruction. Earthquakes with loss of human life occurred most recently in 1980 and 1998, both affecting the central archipelago (Faial, Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge and Terceira).
Floods can also occur from time to time. In February 2010, Madeira was hit by floods. Parts of the capital Funchal were completely damaged and several lives were lost.
Norwegians who stay for a shorter or longer period in Portugal are encouraged to register on reiseregistrering.no.
Norwegian citizens are recommended to have valid travel insurance.
The emergency number in Portugal is 112.
In crisis and emergency, the public is encouraged to contact the embassy:
Royal Norwegian Embassy
Av. Dom Vasco da Gama, 1
1400-127 Lisbon
Tel: +351 213 009 100
Email: emb.lisbon@mfa.no
Outside the embassy’s opening hours (Monday-Friday 9-16), the public can contact the UD’s 24-hour operating center on telephone +47 23 95 00 00 or e-mail udops@mfa.no.
Entry
Please note that entry regulations may change. The Foreign Service is not responsible if the following information on entry regulations or visa requirements is changed at short notice. It is the responsibility of the traveler to ensure that travel documents are valid for entry and to familiarize themselves with the current entry rules for each country.
A valid Norwegian passport must be brought while traveling to Portugal, as the passport is the only internationally valid travel and identification document for Norwegians. Portugal is required to always carry valid credentials, and airlines require a passport to leave Portugal. The passport (also emergency passport) must be valid throughout your stay. It is not required that the passport must have a certain period of validity even after the planned return date.
When entering Portugal, a travel document for refugees (green travel document) and travel document for people on humanitarian grounds (blue travel document) are also accepted. However, reservations are made that the entry rules may be changed at short notice. It is therefore recommended that the Portuguese authorities be contacted when planning the trip if there is any doubt as to the validity of a travel document.
It is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that travel documents are valid.
Children under 18 traveling in Portugal must:
- either traveling with one of the parents or another parent
- or meet at the airport (or entry point) by parents/guardian
- or include a confirmation from parents/parents that the child is allowed to travel alone
The confirmation must name an official who is responsible for the child during their stay in Portugal. A child living in Portugal may be refused leave if he/she travels alone and does not carry a letter (stamped by Notary Public) from parents or guardian. The same applies to children who live in Portugal (including Norwegian citizens) and who are traveling with only one of their parents. A standard form (in Portuguese) must be used which can be downloaded from the websites of SEF (Portuguese Immigration Authorities).
As a Norwegian, you can stay in Portugal for up to three months. If you plan to stay longer, you must register with the Portuguese authorities. This is done at your local Câmara Municipal, the equivalent of a municipal building in Norway. In addition, when staying outside Norway for at least six months, you must consider whether you are required to send a relocation notice to the Norwegian Population Register.
Health
Coronavirus (covid-19): Norwegian travelers staying in Portugal should keep abreast of the development of the coronavirus.
On May 4, the state of emergency ceased, but freedom of movement in the public domain will still be restricted in accordance with government guidelines. It is prohibited to gather in groups of more than ten people, and face masks are required in indoor, public spaces, including supermarkets and public transport. Public offices are open only by appointment, while sights, museums, galleries, restaurants and bars are closed until 18 May. There is a 14 day mandatory quarantine for anyone traveling to Madeira. The border crossings between Spain and Portugal for cars, trains and boats are closed from 16 March to 14 May, allowing only the transport of goods and authorized persons (mainly commuters).
You can find more information and guidance from the Norwegian health authorities on the website of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. See also UD’s answers to frequently asked questions about travel and coronavirus.
The Portuguese government publishes up-to-date information on measures taken on its website portugal.gov.pt. Portuguese health authorities are constantly updating on their websites (in Portuguese) and on the contact pages of the national health system (SNS24).
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The standard of health care in Portugal is good. For official health professional travel advice and health professional guidance for Norwegians when traveling abroad, see the website of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Portugal has a well-developed health care system with both public and private hospitals. Most doctors speak English, but patients who do not speak Portuguese may experience communication difficulties. One should be prepared for long waiting times, especially at public clinics and hospitals.
Tap water can be safely drunk in Portugal, but the taste quality is lower than in Norway.
Holders of a valid European health insurance card have the right to emergency treatment (in public hospitals) in the same way as citizens of the country of residence. Remember that the health insurance card does not cover home travel, private health care, or treatment of non-acute illnesses. Information on the health insurance card and how to go about obtaining this can be found on Helse-Norge’s website.
It is recommended to take out private travel and health insurance before leaving. You should check what is included to make sure it covers the type of activities you plan to do. Good travel insurance will cover, among other things, expenses related to injuries, accidents, illness, home transport and death.
Practical information
If you are going to stay in Portugal for a longer period of time you are recommended to register at reiseregistrering.no.
The common emergency number in Portugal is 112.
According to allcitycodes, the area code for calls from Norway to Portugal is +351. Fixed and mobile telephone networks and the postal system work well. Many hotels and restaurants, and more and more squares and open spaces, have wireless internet access.
The mainland and Madeira are one hour behind Norway. The Azores are two hours behind Norway.
Electricity: 220 volts with European plugs. The Internet domain is.pt
The currency unit in Portugal is Euro, and cash is the most common means of payment for smaller amounts. International credit cards are accepted in most places, but in some places credit cards can only be used if the amount is more than 5 Euro. It is therefore always recommended to have cash available for lesser expenses, for example for use in cafes and to pay for taxis. You can withdraw cash with international debit cards in most ATMs.
Banks are usually open 8:30 – 14:45, public offices 9: 00/10: 00-18: 00, shops 10: 00-19: 00, supermarket 8: 30-21: 00 and shopping centers 10: 00- to 23:00. Public offices and smaller shops may have closed during lunch, usually between 1pm and 2:30 pm. Supermarkets and major shopping malls are open on Sundays, and are also open most holidays.
Portuguese dress relatively formally in a work context, but less formally in restaurants, theaters etc. Portuguese have dinner later than we are used to in Norway, around 10 pm. 20-21, and restaurants open for dinner first around 7:30 pm.
Tips are not required, but it is not uncommon to leave a small amount on eateries and to taxi drivers.
Portugal has a toll system on the highways. The green files (Via Verde) are only for those who have automatic payment system. Some freeways only have automatic payment system. For more information on how this is paid for foreign vehicles , visit Portugal tolls.
Driver’s license, insurance certificate, valid identification (passport for Norwegians) as well as car license or rental car contract must always be carried in the car. In addition, a red warning triangle must be included as well as a luminescent vest to be used in the event of an accident.
The use of seat belts is mandatory both in the front seat and the rear seat of the car. Children under the age of twelve or with a height below 135 cm must have a child seat and must sit in the back seat unless this is not possible (eg if the car has only two seats, or if you carry 4 children). Helmet is mandatory when driving a motorcycle.
Bicycle helmet is not required. Although bicycle use is increasing in Portugal, motorists are still less used to cyclists in traffic than in Norway. In addition, Portuguese roads are little adapted for cycling. Extra care should therefore be exercised by cyclists.
As a tourist, you can bring your own car to Portugal for a maximum of 180 days in a twelve-month period. Only the owners themselves can use the car during this period.
The fines for traffic violations in Portugal are high, and illegalities such as not having required documents, using a cell phone while driving, speeding or drunk driving can be expensive. The police have the authority to demand payment on the spot, and most police cars accept payment cards.
National holidays in Portugal are: January 1, Carnival, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, April 25 (Revolution Day), May 1, Corpus Christi, June 10 (National Day), August 15, October 5 (Republic Day), November 1 (Halloween), December 1, December 8 and December 25. In addition, each region in Portugal has a local holiday which marks the region’s patron saint, this varies from region to region and from city to city. The most famous ones are Santo Ant¨®nio on June 13 in Lisbon, as well as São João on June 24 in Porto.