Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Portugal: 4 legal requirements + 2 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
4 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
Via Verde transponder for electronic tolls
Many Portuguese motorways are electronic-only (no toll booths). Without a Via Verde transponder you risk being recorded as a non-payer. Hire one at the border or rent at car-hire desks for ~€2/day.
Source: Via Verde →Triangle + high-vis vest
Both required.
Pet travel: Animal Health Certificate
GB pets need an AHC from a UK vet within 10 days of entering Portugal. Valid 4 months for onward EU travel and one re-entry to GB.
Source: gov.uk: AHC for EU travel →Strict alcohol limits: 0.2 g/L for newer drivers
0.5 g/L for experienced drivers, 0.2 g/L for drivers with less than 3 years' licence. Fines from €250 up to €2,500 plus licence suspension; above 1.2 g/L is a criminal offence.
Source: ACP: alcohol limits →Many Portuguese motorways are electronic-only (no toll booths). Without a Via Verde transponder you risk being recorded as a non-payer. Hire one at the border or rent at car-hire desks for ~€2/day.
Via VerdeBoth required.
Per person on return: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Port and Madeira count as fortified wine: 9 L combined allowance.
gov.uk: customs allowanceGB pets need an AHC from a UK vet within 10 days of entering Portugal. Valid 4 months for onward EU travel and one re-entry to GB.
gov.uk: AHC for EU travel0.5 g/L for experienced drivers, 0.2 g/L for drivers with less than 3 years' licence. Fines from €250 up to €2,500 plus licence suspension; above 1.2 g/L is a criminal offence.
ACP: alcohol limitsNewly licensed drivers (<1 year) are capped at 90 km/h on motorways. Standard limits: 120 km/h motorway, 90 km/h main road, 50 km/h urban. Limits drop in rain.
ACP: highway codeWe'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Portugal.
Start planning →Places to add to your Portugal road trip.
Indicative budget
A back-of-the-envelope estimate for a typical petrol car at 40 UK mpg, with 800 km of motorway driving. Real fuel prices move monthly: treat this as a ballpark.
Fuel
€126
~70.6 L · 1,000 km @ 40 mpg
Tolls
€72
800 km of motorways
Vignette
—
Not required
Total estimate
€198
1,000 km road trip
Don't get caught out
0.5 g/L for experienced drivers, 0.2 g/L for drivers with less than 3 years' licence. Fines from €250 up to €2,500 plus licence suspension; above 1.2 g/L is a criminal offence.
ACP: alcohol limits →On the way home
Customs allowance back to the UK
Per person on return: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Port and Madeira count as fortified wine: 9 L combined allowance.
gov.uk: customs allowance →