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Road rules abroad

Portugal → Spain

Driving in Spain when you know Portugal

Differences first, worst-to-get-wrong first. Rules that match are folded away at the bottom.

Driving to Spain from Portugal: what to check before you go

These are the key destination rules to check first. The comparison below shows every verified difference. Follow local signs and instructions on the road.

Which side of the road do you drive on in Spain?
In Spain you drive on the right.
What is the speed limit in Spain?
120 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on country roads, 50 km/h in towns and cities and 20 km/h in residential and living zones. Those are the national default limits, which apply where no sign says otherwise.
What is the drink driving limit in Spain?
The legal limit in Spain is 0.5 g/l. Drivers who passed their test recently are held to 0.3 g/l.
What do you have to carry in your car in Spain?
You must carry a reflective warning light and a high-visibility vest.

Read the full driving rules in Spain and the required car equipment in Spain .

Looking to rent a car? Rental agencies often have their own rules on driving ages and equipment, make sure you check with them before you travel.
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Need mobile data for navigation? A local eSIM is often cheaper than roaming. Install it before you land, so your maps work from the rental car park. We earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

What's different (5)

What you must carry in the car

Critical
Portugal · home
  • Warning triangle
  • High-visibility vest
A hire car does not always have both. Check the boot before you leave the car park.Checked 16 Aug 2026
Spain · destination
  • Reflective warning light
  • High-visibility vest
The warning light is the V-16 connected beacon — since 1 January 2026 it is the only legal way to signal a broken-down vehicle, and warning triangles are no longer valid. Rental cars should have one; check before driving off. The vest must be worn by anyone stepping onto the road or shoulder outside towns.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently

Important
Portugal · home0.2 g/lEffectively nothing to drink. Do not risk one glass of wine with lunch.Checked 16 Aug 2026
Spain · destination0.3 g/lFor the first two years of holding a licence. Zero for drivers under 18.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Alcohol limit for professional drivers

Good to know
Portugal · home0.2 g/lChecked 16 Aug 2026
Spain · destination0.3 g/lChecked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Youngest age you may ride the smallest class of scooter

Good to know
Portugal · home14 yearsThe normal age is 16. From 14 a moped licence is possible only after a special training course approved by the IMT and passing the test. Under 18 needs written permission from a parent. Mopeds are up to 50 cc.Checked 2 Sep 2026
Spain · destination15 yearsLicence AM. Mopeds up to 50 cc and light quadricycles.Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

Smallest motorbike allowed on the motorway

Good to know
Portugal · home
  • Engine at least 50 cc
  • Top speed at least 60 km/h
Article 72 of the Código da Estrada bans mopeds, and motorbikes of 50 cc or less, from motorways and their access roads, so exactly 50 cc is out and the machine must be over 50 cc. It also bans any vehicle that cannot go faster than 60 km/h on a flat road, so the machine must be able to exceed 60 km/h. Both figures are in the article itself. A moped is defined in article 107 of the same code as at most 45 km/h, 4 kW and 50 cc, which the two thresholds above already cover, including electric machines.Checked 2 Sep 2026
Spain · destination
  • Engine at least 50 cc
  • Power at least 4 kW
  • Top speed at least 45 km/h
Ciclomotores are banned by vehicle class on autopistas and autovias, together with bicycles, personal mobility vehicles and animal-drawn vehicles. The law defines a ciclomotor as a machine whose design speed is 45 km/h or less and whose engine is 50 cc or less if petrol, or 4 kW or less if electric — so a machine at exactly these figures is still banned; it must exceed them to enter. The same ban is in the Reglamento General de Circulacion, art. 38.1.Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

Known on one side only (13)

Speed limit on the motorway

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destination120 km/hAutopistas and autovías.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Whether you need an International Driving Permit

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destinationDepends on where your licence is fromEU and EEA licences are accepted as they are. Tourists from elsewhere may drive for up to 3 months but must carry an International Driving Permit, issued at home before the trip, alongside their national licence.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Speed limit in living and residential zones

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destination20 km/hStreets where the road and pavement share one level.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Turning at a red light

Portugal · homeOnly where a sign allows itOnly when a green arrow is lit under the red light, and only after stopping first. A plain red light means stop, with no turn allowed.Checked 16 Aug 2026
Spain · destinationNot yet verified

Who must wear a seatbelt

Portugal · homeEveryone, in every seatChecked 16 Aug 2026
Spain · destinationNot yet verified

Height below which a child needs a child seat

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destination135 cmA child 135 cm or shorter needs an approved seat for their size, and must ride in the back. The front is allowed only if the car has no back seats or they are full of other children in seats.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

What a rider must wear or carry

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destination
  • Gloves
This rule starts on 1 October 2026. From that date rider and passenger must wear protective gloves on roads outside towns, and closed shoes that cover the whole foot on every road. Before that date only the helmet is required by law. Fine 200 euro.Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

How long you may drive on your own licence

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destination3 monthsFor non-EU tourist licences, counted from entry into Spain.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Hands-free phone calls

Portugal · homeAllowedChecked 16 Aug 2026
Spain · destinationNot yet verified

Riding between lanes of slow traffic

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destinationAllowed, with restrictionsNo rule allows or bans riding between two lines of stopped cars. It is legal only if you commit no other offence while doing it, such as crossing a solid line, overtaking at a crossing, or using the shoulder (200 euro fine). From 1 October 2026 motorbikes may use the right shoulder in a jam on signed stretches, in single file, at up to 30 km/h.Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

Low-emission zones

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destinationIn many citiesEvery municipality over 50,000 people must run a low-emission zone — about 150 cities including Madrid and Barcelona. Access depends on the vehicle's emissions label; foreign-plated cars may need to register with the city before entering. Check the destination city's scheme before driving in.Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Emergency number

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destination112Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source

Typical fines

Portugal · homeNot yet verified
Spain · destination
  • Holding a phone — fine from 200 EUR, 6 points
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Same in both (9)