FAQ sul confine con Португалія

AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum):

• Website: www.aima.gov.pt
• Hotline: 800 818 000 (free in Portugal)

Embassy of Ukraine in Lisbon:

• Website: portugal.mfa.gov.ua
• Phone: +351 (21) 3924-914

Road and airport information:

• ANA (airports): www.ana.pt — queues, EES info
• Via Verde (tolls): viaverdeservice.pt — cards, payment

Requirements for Russian citizens 🇷🇺:

• ⚠️ Schengen visa REQUIRED
• ✅ Valid passport
• ✅ Official invitation or booking confirmation
• ✅ Travel insurance (€30,000 coverage)
• ✅ Proof of financial means
• ✅ EES registration (from October 12, 2025)

⚠️ Important: Since 2022, obtaining a Schengen visa for Russian citizens has become significantly more difficult. Many EU countries refuse tourist visas.

Requirements for Ukrainian citizens 🇺🇦:

• ✅ Visa-free — 90 days within 180 days
• ✅ Biometric passport (valid 3+ months after entry)
• ✅ EES registration (from October 12, 2025!)
• ✅ ETIAS (from 2026, €7, valid 3 years)

Recommended documents:

• Proof of purpose (hotel booking)
• Proof of funds (€85/day minimum)
• Travel insurance (€30,000 coverage)
• Return ticket

Routes to Portugal:

• ✈️ Flight: Kyiv → Lisbon (direct)
• 🚗 Via Spain: UA → PL → DE → FR → ES → PT
• 🚗 Via France: UA → PL → FR → PT

Fuel prices in Portugal (December 2025, approximate):

• Petrol 95: €1.60–1.70/litre
• Diesel: €1.50–1.60/litre
• LPG: €0.85–0.95/litre

Comparison with other countries:

• Cheaper than France (~€0.10/L)
• More expensive than Bulgaria (~€0.25/L)
• Similar to Spain

💡 Tip: Fill up at supermarkets (Pingo Doce, Continente) — prices are €0.05–0.10/L lower.

Portugal has moderate fines (lower than France):

• 1–20 km/h: €60 (minimum)
• 21–40 km/h: €120 (moderate)
• 41–60 km/h: €240 (significant)
• 61+ km/h: €480 + 🔴 license suspension

⚠️ Important: Foreign drivers receive fines by mail to the rental company address.

Speed limits in Portugal:

• Urban areas: 50 km/h
• Rural roads: 90 km/h
• Expressways (Estradas Expresso): 100 km/h
• Motorways (Autoestradas): 120 km/h

⚠️ Important: Speed cameras are common throughout the country, especially on motorways.

⚠️ Portugal uses PAY-PER-USE TOLLS (NOT vignette!)

Payment system:

• ✅ Toll gates on motorways
• ✅ Ticket at entry → Pay at exit
• ✅ Cash or card
• ✅ TOLLCard (€5–€40 denominations)

Price examples 2025 (cars):

• Lisbon → Porto (A1): €18–24
• Porto → Braga (A3): €10–15
• Ponte 25 de Abril (Lisbon): €2.15
• Ponte Vasco da Gama (Lisbon): €3.30 (longest European bridge!)

Operator: Via Verde — viaverdeservice.pt

🟢 Portugal land border — FASTEST IN THE PROJECT!

Any time is a good time! Queues 5–20 minutes always.

Best days of the week:

• 🟢 Best: Tuesday–Wednesday
• 🟡 Average: Monday, Thursday
• 🔴 Avoid: Friday evening, Sunday evening (minimal traffic anyway)

Best time of day:

• 🟢 Best: 6:00–8:00
• 🟡 Acceptable: 10:00–14:00

Seasonal features:

• 🟢 Off-season: 5–15 min (best)
• 🟡 Summer/winter: 5–20 min (still fast!)

⚠️ NOTE: This applies to LAND border. For airports — see separate FAQ about delays!

🔴 WARNING: Portugal has the worst EES delays in the EU!

Lisbon Airport (Humberto Delgado):

• Before EES (before Oct 12, 2025): 15–20 minutes
• After EES: 30–90 minutes 🔴 (70%+ increase!)

Reasons for issues:

• Single runway (bottleneck!)
• Slow biometric scanners
• Server overload
• Insufficient officers (236 vs needed 270)

Government measures (December 2025):

• ✅ 80 additional officers
• ✅ Mobile biometric teams (tablets)
• ✅ EES "kill switch" (paper passports during peaks)

💡 Tips:

• Arrive 3.5 hours before departure
• Flights after 09:30 are faster
• 🟢 Porto/Faro: 30% shorter queues!

Portugal has ONLY 1 land border — SPAIN!

✅ SIMPLEST BORDER IN THE ENTIRE PROJECT!

Main crossings:

• 🟢 Tui–Valença (N13/A55) — FASTEST! 5–20 minutes ⭐ PROJECT RECORD!
• Vilar Formoso–Fuentes de Oñoro (A25/A62) — 10–30 min
• Elvas–Badajoz (A6/A5) — 10–30 min (central corridor)
• Castro Marim–Ayamonte (A22/A49) — 10–25 min (Algarve–Andalusia)

✅ No controls! Both countries in Schengen — just drive!

💡 Tip: For Camino de Santiago pilgrims — Tui–Valença is the best choice.

✅ EES ACTIVE FROM OCTOBER 12, 2025!

EES (Entry/Exit System) — EU automated system for registering biometric data of foreigners.

First entry:

• Present passport
• Take photo (no mask!)
• Provide 4 fingerprints
• Time: 10–20 minutes

Subsequent entries: Biometric gates, 2–5 minutes.

Validity: Data stored for 3 years.

⚠️ NOTE: At land border with Spain, EES is virtually unnoticeable (Schengen!). Delays only at AIRPORTS (see separate FAQ).

Depends on citizenship:

🟢 EU/EEA citizens (31 countries): NO visa needed. ID card or passport sufficient. Unlimited stay.

🟢 Visa-free countries (60+): Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, USA, Canada, UK, Australia — up to 90 days in 180. Biometric passport required (valid 3+ months) + EES registration (from October 12, 2025!).

🔴 Visa required: Russia, Belarus, Turkey, China — Schengen visa mandatory.

Recommended documents: proof of purpose, finances (€85/day), insurance (€30,000 coverage), return ticket.

⚠️ New agency: AIMA (replaced SEF) — stricter oversight!