Rules of the road
Driving in Portugal
Every value below links to the official source it was checked against, with the date it was checked. What is not verified yet says so.
Quick answers about driving in Portugal
- Which side of the road do you drive on in Portugal?
- In Portugal you drive on the right.
- How old do you have to be to drive in Portugal?
- You must be at least 18 years old to drive in Portugal.
- What is the speed limit in Portugal?
- 90 km/h on country roads and 50 km/h in towns and cities. Those are the national default limits, which apply where no sign says otherwise.
- What is the drink driving limit in Portugal?
- The legal limit in Portugal is 0.5 g/l. Drivers who passed their test recently are held to 0.2 g/l.
Which side of the road
Which side of the road you drive on
Right
From the RAC's list of the European exceptions: the UK, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta drive on the left, and every other European country drives on the right.
Checked 16 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limits
Speed limit on country roads
90 km/h
Roads outside towns that are not motorways or reserved roads.
Checked 16 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol
Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently
0.2 g/l
Effectively nothing to drink. Do not risk one glass of wine with lunch.
Checked 16 Aug 2026 · official source
Your licence and age
Looking to rent a car? The minimum age to drive is 18, but most car rental agencies have their own minimum rental age. Remember to check with your car rental agency before you book. We earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
What you must carry in the car
What you must carry in the car
- 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 · official source
Phones at the wheel
Who goes first
Turning at a red light
Only where a sign allows it
Only 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 · official source
Seatbelts and children
Motorbikes and scooters
Helmets on a motorbike or scooter
Required for rider and passenger
The rider and any passenger must wear an approved helmet, fastened. This applies to mopeds as well as motorbikes.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Largest motorbike or scooter you may ride on a car licence
- Engine up to 125 cc
- Power up to 11 kW
A category B licence counts as a licence for motorbikes within both limits at once (the A1 class), but only if the holder is 25 or older, or already holds a moped licence. Nothing has to be added to the licence. The IMT page does not say whether this applies to foreign car licences.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Youngest age you may ride the smallest class of scooter
14 years
The 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 · official source
Smallest motorbike allowed on the motorway
- 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 · official source
Headlights on a motorbike in daytime
Required at all times
Article 93 of the Código da Estrada says motorbikes and mopeds must ride with the dipped headlight on and the rear light on. It gives no time of day, so this means at all times.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
More questions about driving in Portugal
- What do you have to carry in your car in Portugal?
- You must carry a warning triangle and a high-visibility vest. A hire car does not always have both. Check the boot before you leave the car park.
- Can you use your phone while driving in Portugal?
- No. Holding a phone while driving is against the law in Portugal. Hands-free: allowed.
- Can you ride a scooter or small motorbike on a car licence in Portugal?
- Yes, engine up to 125 cc and power up to 11 kW.
Each answer comes from the rules above, where you can also see the official source and the date it was checked.
34 rules not yet verified for Portugal
These rules exist, but no value has been checked against an official source yet. Missing beats wrong.
- Which side you overtake on
- Speed limit on the motorway
- Speed limit on a dual carriageway
- Speed limit in living and residential zones
- Speed limit in rain or snow
- Speed limit for drivers who passed their test recently
- Speed limit when towing a trailer or caravan
- Whether you need an International Driving Permit
- How long you may drive on your own licence
- What you should carry, but do not have to
- When you must switch your headlights on
- Headlights in tunnels
- Who has priority at a roundabout
- Priority to traffic coming from the right
- Age below which a child needs a child seat
- Height below which a child needs a child seat
- Youngest age a child may sit in the front
- What the lines and painted kerbs mean
- How you pay to park
- Parking on the pavement
- Parking facing against the traffic
- How far you must park from a junction or crossing
- What happens if you park wrongly
- Winter tyres
- When winter tyre rules apply
- Snow chains
- What a rider must wear or carry
- Riding between lanes of slow traffic
- How you pay for motorways
- Low-emission zones
- Congestion charges
- Emergency number
- Typical fines
- Whether police can fine you on the spot