🇵🇹 Portugal
Visa-free, cheap by Western European standards, and increasingly busy.
No - Australian passport holders can enter Portugal without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Pack a Type C/F adapter for the 230V supply, one Australian dollar buys about 0.62 EUR.
Entry rules last checked 24 October 2026.
Portugal is the cheapest country in Western Europe for Australians and has gone from an add-on to a main destination in about a decade. Entry is 90 days visa-free under Schengen rules. The practical planning is about crowds and hills rather than paperwork - Lisbon in August is uncomfortably full, and the city is genuinely steep.
Your Portugal trip setup
21 things Australians need to sort. Tick them off as you go.
Entry requirements
Visa-free (Schengen Area)Up to 90 days in any 180-day period View detailsFlights
Compare 3 searchs Search flightsConnectivity
Compare 8 plansFrom $8.50 Compare eSIMsTravel insurance
Compare 7 policysFrom $18.50 Compare insuranceMoney & payments
Compare 5 cards0.43%-0.65% conversion fee Compare cardsAirport transfer
LIS → LisbonFrom $3 Compare optionsDriving
IDP requiredDrives on the right Compare car hireTravel essentials
Adapter type C/FTap water: safe to drink View guideThings to do
Compare 7 experiencesFrom $38 Explore activitiesPortugal at a glance for Australians
Best time to visit
April-June and September-October
The Algarve is a summer destination; Lisbon and Porto are better in shoulder season when the queues are shorter and it is not 38C on a cobbled hill.
24h 00m from Sydney
Busiest month for Australian travellers: October, quietest February. Portugal travel statistics
Health & safety
Smartraveller: Exercise normal safety precautions
Australia has no reciprocal health care agreement with Portugal. You pay for treatment up front, and an air ambulance home is the cost that turns a bad week into a bad decade.
Emergency: 112 for everything
Money
Very good. Multibanco is the domestic network and takes international cards at nearly every terminal.
Use Multibanco ATMs, which are fee-free and everywhere. Avoid Euronet.
Tipping: Not expected. Round up in a cafe, leave 5-10% in a restaurant if the service was good. The couvert - bread and olives brought unasked - is charged for, and you can send it back.
Language & culture
Portuguese
English: Very good in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve; decent almost everywhere else
Capital: Lisbon
Australian dollar to Euro
€0.62 EUR per AUD
Last recorded rate
These are mid-market rates - the rate banks trade at, published by the European Central Bank. It is not what you will be offered. Expect a card or exchange service to take 0.5% to 5% off it, which is exactly what our travel money comparison is for. Past movement doesn't predict future rates, and none of this is financial advice.
View the numbers as a table
Where Australians go in Portugal
Lisbon
Porto
Faro
Sintra
Madeira
Portugal FAQs for Australian travellers
Do Australians need a visa for Portugal?
No. Australian passport holders can enter Portugal visa-free for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, drawn from the Schengen allowance shared across all Schengen countries.
Do I need an International Driving Permit in Portugal?
Yes. Portugal requires foreign drivers to carry a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit with their Australian licence. Apply through your state motoring club before leaving Australia.
What are the electronic tolls in Portugal and will they catch me out?
Several motorways, including the A22 across the Algarve, have no toll booths at all and bill by number plate. If your hire car has no transponder fitted the charges arrive months later as administrative fines. Ask the hire company to fit one when you pick the car up.
What power adapter do I need for Portugal?
A Type C or F adapter, the round two-pin European plug. Portugal runs on 230V at 50Hz, the same as Australia.
Is Portugal cheaper than Spain?
Slightly, and noticeably cheaper than France or Italy. Restaurant meals, wine and accommodation outside central Lisbon are the biggest savings. The Algarve in July and August is the exception.
What is the couvert charge in Portuguese restaurants?
The bread, olives and cheese brought to your table before you order are not free - they are itemised on the bill. You can decline them or send them back untouched at no cost.
Planning Portugal?
We will send you the Portugal guide as it grows - what to book before you go, which eSIM and travel card are worth it there, and what things actually cost in Australian dollars.