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Portugal

General Information

Capital City:
Lisbon
Population:
10.63 million
Area:
35,671 square miles
Language:
Portuguese
Electricity:
220V AC 50Hz
Direct Dial:
351
Driving:
Driving is on the right. National licence or International Driving Permit required. Minimum driving age is 18
Currency:
Euro (EUR 1 = 100 Cents)

Business Hours

Bank:
0830-1500 Mon-Fri
Office:
0900-1300 & 1500-1900 Mon-Fri
Shops:
0900-1300 & 1500-1900 Mon-Fri, 0900-1300 Sat, 1000-2300 Mon-Sun (shopping centres)
Public Holidays:
<b>2012</b> 01 Jan : New Year's Day 21 Feb: Mardi Gras (Carnival) 06 Apr : Good Friday 08 Apr : Easter Sunday 25 Apr : Freedom Day 01 May : Labour Day 07 Jun : Corpus Christi 10 Jun : Portugal Day 15 Aug : Assumption 05 Oct : Republic Day 01 Nov : All Saints' Day 01 Dec : Restoration of Independence Day 08 Dec : Immaculate Conception 25 Dec : Christmas Day Note: Holidays falling on a Sat or Sun are not normally carried over to the following Monday.

Business and social hints

General:
Business is conducted in Portuguese, many executives speak English or French. Smoking is generally accepted but restricted in many public buildings and on public transport. Request permission before smoking in offices and restaurants. On social occasions, eg invitation to restaurants, punctuality is appreciated. Dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated. There is no official minimum drinking age
Tipping:
A service charge is normally added to the bill, additional discretionary tips are around 10%. Tips customary for taxis
Clothing:
Light to mediumweights with rainwear in winter and colder seasons
Emergency Services:
Police, Fire & Ambulance: 112
Hotel Classification:
All accommodation in Portugal is officially classified by the Ministry of Tourism. Hotels are graded from 1 star up to 5 star. Estalagems (quality inns) are either 4 or 5 star. Pensions (boarding houses) are uniquely graded as 1st, 2nd or 3rd class. Self-catering accommodation also uses the star system: Aparthotels are graded from 2 to 5 star; Tourist Apartments are either 3 or 4 star. Holiday Villages (villa and apartment complexes called "Aldeamentos Turisticos") range from 3 to 5 star.

Climate

Mediterranean type climate which is tempered by the Atlantic. The coast has mild winters, the north and central areas are much colder. Winter is the wet season throughout the country although autumn rainfall in the north can be heavy. Snow is rare at sea level but more frequent inland and in higher areas in the north. The south is the sunniest, driest and warmest area

Lisbon

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum Temperature °C 14 15 17 20 21 25 27 28 26 22 17 15
Minimum Temperature °C 8 8 10 12 13 15 17 17 17 14 11 9
Average Humidity (mornings) % 85 80 78 69 68 65 62 64 70 75 81 84
Average Humidity (afternoons) % 71 64 64 56 57 54 48 49 54 59 68 72
Average Rainfall 111 76 109 54 44 16 3 4 33 62 93 103

Customs

Import Allowances:
For persons of 17 years of age or older: 1) Travellers entering from non-EU countries (including Canary Islands, Channel Islands & Gibraltar): a) 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250gr of tobacco b) 1 lit of spirits of more than 22� proof or 2 lit of up to 22� proof c) 2 lit of still wines d) 50gr of perfume & 0.25 lit of eau de toilette e) Other goods to the value of EUR 150 (EUR 90 for travellers under 15 years) f) 4 lit of wine g) 16 lit of beer 2) Travellers entering from EU countries (goods obtained duty & tax paid - guidance levels): a) 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars & 1 kg of tobacco b) 10 lit of spirits over 22%, 10 lit of spirits less than 22%, 20 lit of fortified wine, 90 lit of wine (of which, a max of 60 lit of sparkling wine) & 110 lit of beer
Contraband:
Narcotics and psychotropic substances, weapons (except those for hunting and use on shooting ranges), plants, animals, goods obtained from certain protected species such as skins and ivory

Health

Participant of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC scheme) which allows visitors on short-term stays to other member countries to use the public health care sector for free or reduced-cost medical treatment and emergency care. EHIC replaces the E111 form. <b>Please note:</b> The EHIC scheme is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will <b>not</b> cover any private medical healthcare or the cost of things such as mountain rescue in ski resorts repatriation to the UK lost or stolen property etc. For full details on eligibility and how to apply for a card visit www.nhs.uk or click<a href="https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do"> here</a>

Compulsary Vaccinations
None.
Recommended Immunisations
None required, however for those travelling to Portugal frequently or intending to spend extended time there, Hepatitis A & Hepatitis B should be considered.
Risks
None. <b>GENERAL INFO FOR ALL TRAVELLERS:</b> Details listed can occasionally change at very short notice and it's recommended that all travellers seek advice from their Practice Nurse, GP or Travel Clinic when planning a visit to Portugal. It should be noted that some vaccinations and treatments may require one or more visits and should be planned well in advance of travel. Primary courses and boosters should always be up to date as recommended for life in the UK. This should include vaccines given to special groups due to complications or risk exposure such as Hepatitis B for health care workers, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly etc.

Immigration and Passport

Passports and passport replacing documents must be valid for at least 3 months beyond period of intended stay. Exempt: a) Expired passports (max. 5 years) issued to nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal & Switzerland. b) Those residing n Portugal may enter with travel documents valid on arrival. c) Holders of British passports endorsed "British Citizen" may enter with travel documents valid on arrival. d) Nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Rep, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep of), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain & Sweden may enter with travel documents valid on arrival.

The following DO NOT require a visa: 1) Nationals of Portugal. a) Holders of a Residence Permit issued by Monaco or a Schengen Member State. 2) For an unrestricted length of stay by: a) Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Rep, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep of), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden & Switzerland. 3) For stays up to 90 days by: a) Nationals of Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR China passports), Israel, Japan, Korea (South), Macao (SAR China passports), Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, St. Kitts-Nevis, Uruguay, USA, Vatican City & Venezuela. b) Holders of British passports endorsed "British Citizen" c) Holders of British passports endorsed "British National (Overseas)". d) Holders of British passports endorsed "British Overseas Territories Citizen" or "British Subject" containing a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode issued by the UK. e) Holders of Identity Cards issued by Gibraltar endorsed "Validated for EU travel purposes under the authority of the United Kingdom". f) Holders of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) passports providing the passport includes an ID card number. g) Holders of biometric passports issued to nationals of Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia (FYROM) & Montenegro. h) Holders of biometric passports issued to nationals of Serbia providing the passport is not issued by the Coordination Directorate (Koordinaciona uprava).

Entry requirements may change from time to time and should be checked with the Portuguese Embassy or Consulate.

Useful Contacts

Embassy

Embassy of Portugal 11 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8PP tel: +44 207 235 5331 fax: +44 207 245 1287 email: london@portembassy.co.uk website: www.secomunidades.pt/vistos

Airports

  • Faro
  • Funchal
  • Lisbon
  • Ponta Delgada Joao Paulo II
  • Porto Airport Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport
  • Porto Santo

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