Briefing
The single biggest thing to know about driving in Portugal in 2026 is that the SCUT (Sem Custo para o Utilizador) network is no longer tolled. Under Lei n.º 37/2024, of 7 August, the A22 across the Algarve, the A23 (Torres Novas–Guarda), the A24 (Interior Norte), the A25 (Aveiro–Vilar Formoso), the A28 between Esposende and Antas, the A4 Túnel do Marão and the A13 became free at 00:00 on 1 January 2025 — roughly 951 km of motorway.
The "MULTILANE FREE FLOW — sem barreiras" gantries are still in place on the A22, A24 and A25, so if you drive them in a foreign-plate hire car you still need a Via Verde transponder or an EASYToll/TollCard registration to be billed cleanly on the stretches where tolls remain (the AE Litoral Centro on the A17 around Aveiro, the A21 Ericeira–Venda do Pinheiro, the Lusoponte bridges into Lisbon, the Grande Lisboa and Norte concessions, parts of the A1 Lisbon–Porto, A2 to the Algarve, the A8 north of Lisbon, the A9, A10, A12, A13-1 and A33).
EASYToll is the easiest option for tourists: a kiosk at the first border crossing or airport links your bank card to your number plate for 30 days for a 1 EUR setup plus 0.32 EUR per electronic transit. TollCard is the pre-paid alternative (5/10/20/40 EUR top-ups).
Most rentals from Faro and Porto airports come with a Via Verde "Visitors" tag already in the windscreen — confirm at pickup, because the alternative of trying to pay at a Pagamentos de Portagens Payshop within 5 days of the trip is a known tourist trap.
In Lisbon, EMEL began rolling out ANPR camera enforcement of the existing Zona de Emissões Reduzidas during 2026: Zone 1 (Av. da Liberdade and Baixa, between Rua Alexandre Herculano and Praça do Comércio) requires Euro 3 or newer; the wider Zone 2 needs Euro 2; weekdays 07:00–21:00. The Marquês de Pombal roundabout still works on the local convention that cars on the outer ring exit, inner ring continues — signage is minimal.
In Porto, watch the Cedofeita/Ribeira access-controlled streets and the lane drops onto the Ponte Dom Luís I and Ponte da Arrábida. On the Algarve's N125 between Lagos and Faro, single-carriageway sections are speed-camera dense; the BAC limit drops to 0.2 g/L for drivers in their first three years (regime probatório) and for professionals.
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