Driving in Portugal as an American
Portugal drives on the right, the same as the United States. Your American license is all you need to drive in Portugal. At junctions without signs or road markings, traffic from your right goes first, even from a small side street. You can't turn right on a red light, even after stopping.
Unless signposted otherwise, the limits are 50 km/h in towns, 90 on country roads and 120 on freeways, or about 31, 56 and 75 mph. Watch for fixed, mobile and average speed cameras, and for unmarked camera cars. The alcohol limit is 0.05, lower than the 0.08 at home.
Portugal and the United States side by side
The rows in yellow are different from home.
| Rule | Portugal | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Drive on the | Right | Right |
| Speed units | km/h | mph |
| Alcohol limit | 0.05 | 0.08 |
| Holding a phone | Banned | Banned |
| Turn on red | No | Yes, after stopping |
| Unmarked junctions | Traffic from the right | First to arrive |
| Roundabouts go | Counterclockwise | Counterclockwise |
| Daytime headlights | When visibility is poor | When visibility is poor |
The rules that catch Americans out
The most important first.
No turning right on red
You can't turn on a red light here, even after stopping. At home you can, so it's an easy habit to bring with you. Wait for green, or for a flashing arrow if one is shown.
Lane discipline on roundabouts
On multi-lane roundabouts, only use the right-hand lane if you are taking the first exit. For later exits, stay in an inner lane until you pass the exit before yours, then move right. Expect lorries and cyclists to stay in the right-hand lane. Cars already on the roundabout have right of way, the way a car already crossing does at a four-way stop.
Average speed cameras
Some cameras measure your average speed between two points. Sign H42 marks the start of the controlled stretch, so slowing down only at the camera does not help.
Mobile radars without warning signs
Fixed cameras are always signposted, but GNR and PSP police also use mobile radars, sometimes in unmarked cars. The law does not require any warning for these.
Priority to the right
At crossroads and junctions without signs, vehicles coming from your right go first. Drivers coming out of parking lots, fuel stations and private roads must yield. Think of it as a four-way stop with no signs, where the car on your right always goes first, even if you got there first.
Lower alcohol limit for new drivers
The limit is 0.2 g/l, not 0.5 g/l, for drivers in their first 3 years and for professional drivers. Fines start at €250. The blood alcohol limit is 0.05, and 0.02 for drivers in the probationary period, the first 3 years after getting a license. That's lower than the 0.08 at home.
Toll roads
Many freeways have toll booths, but several have only electronic gantries that read your license plate. A rental car needs a toll device or a registered payment method before you use them. On traditional toll roads you take a ticket on entry and pay at the exit booth by cash or card. Electronic-only sections start at a sign reading Portagem Eletrónica. There are no booths, and cameras on the gantries record your plate. Gantries photograph your license plate, and an unpaid toll leads to a fine of at least five times the toll.
10 more rules worth knowing
Gasóleo means diesel
At the pump, gasóleo is diesel and gasolina is gas. The words look alike, and putting the wrong fuel in a rental car is an expensive mistake.
Minimum speed on freeways
You must not drive below 50 km/h on a freeway unless traffic is heavy. Keep to the right-hand lane except to pass.
Hazard lights for sudden slowing
Turn on your hazard lights when you brake hard for a queue, an obstacle or bad weather, to warn drivers behind you.
Carry photo ID
You must carry photo ID, such as your passport, at all times, including while driving.
Fines paid on the spot
Police can ask non-residents to pay a fine on the spot by card. Refusing can mean a deposit, the police keeping your license for the time being or the car being impounded.
Speeds are in km/h
Speed signs and your speedometer's main scale are in kilometers per hour. 50 km/h is about 31 mph, 90 km/h is about 56 mph, 120 km/h is about 75 mph.
Speed limits
Towns are 50 km/h (about 31 mph) here, faster than the 25 mph at home. The sign with the town's name on it sets the town limit by itself, usually with no speed sign.
What the car must carry
The car must carry a warning triangle, a reflective vest and a child restraint. Rental cars should have them, but check before you drive away, because the driver gets the fine.
Lisbon low emission zone (ZER)
On weekdays from 7:00 to 21:00, cars must meet Euro 3 (roughly registered in 2000 or later) in Zone 1 and Euro 2 (roughly 1996 or later) in Zone 2. There are no restrictions at weekends or on public holidays. Where: Central Lisbon. Zone 1 is the Avenida da Liberdade and Baixa axis, from Rua Alexandre Herculano to Praça do Comércio. Zone 2 covers a wider central area. Any modern rental car meets these standards. The rules have not changed in a decade, but in 2026 EMEL is installing license plate cameras at the zone entrances.
Your American license is enough
With an American license, your own license is enough. You don't need an International Driving Permit. Licenses from countries in the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna road traffic conventions are recognized for tourists for up to 185 days. The Australian and US governments confirm their licenses can be used in Portugal.
Open Portugal in the app, set to an American licence, and keep all of this with you offline.
Open it in the appSpeed limits compared with home
Signs here are in km/h. The black marks show your limits at home, converted.
Who goes first
Priority to the right
When your road has priority
Signs that look different from home
Speed camera ahead
A fixed SINCRO camera that measures your speed at one point is a few meters ahead.
Yield
Yield to traffic on the road you are joining.
Roundabout ahead
There is a roundabout ahead.
Speed limit
Maximum speed in km/h from this point.
No entry
No entry for any vehicle in this direction.
No passing
Passing motor vehicles is banned from here.
No parking
Parking is banned. Stopping briefly is allowed.
Crosswalk ahead
There is a crosswalk ahead.
Signs you won't know from home
Start of a road section where your average speed between two points is measured.
You have priority at the junctions ahead.
Drive round the roundabout counterclockwise.
You must not drive slower than this speed.
Start of a freeway.
Start of a road reserved for cars and motorcycles.
Stopping and parking are both banned.
Parking is allowed here.
Speed cameras
The national SINCRO network has 123 speed control sites. 100 measure speed at one point and 23 measure average speed over a stretch. Every SINCRO site is signposted in advance, and ANSR publishes the locations and shares them with Waze. GNR and PSP police also use mobile radars, sometimes in unmarked cars, and these do not have to be signposted. Camera fines are processed by ANSR, the national road safety authority. Since July 2019 ANSR can identify the driver of a rental car from a database supplied by rental companies and send the notice straight to that driver, including tourists. Police also stop drivers and collect fines on the spot.
Before you drive
- Your driving licenseThe physical card, not a photo or a digital license.
- Your passportRental companies and police ask for ID.
- Warning triangleEvery motor vehicle must carry one. Put it out whenever the car is stranded on the carriageway. A missing triangle costs €60 to €300.
- Reflective vestWear it when you place the triangle or deal with the car on the road. Keep it in the cabin, not the trunk. A missing vest costs €60 to €300.
- Child restraintSmall children must ride in the back in an approved child restraint. A child under 3 may sit in the front in a rear-facing seat only if the airbag is switched off.
- Lisbon low emission zone (ZER)Any modern rental car meets these standards. The rules have not changed in a decade, but in 2026 EMEL is installing license plate cameras at the zone entrances.
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Where Americans drive next
Portugal for drivers from elsewhere
Sources: the official Portugal sources listed on the Portugal guide, checked 15 October 2026.