If you have to travel to Portugal in 2024, you must set off informed about the Portugal motorway toll and the system in which the Portuguese collect related tolls.
Especially if you are a carrier, you have to pay attention to the electronic payment systems installed on the car, because each highway has a special system for it, which does not always correspond to the others.
In this article we will show you everything you need to know about the Portugal motorway toll payment system and what the Portugal vignette system consists of.
Portugal motorway toll payment methods
The Portugal motorway toll system has 2 modes: manual and electronic.
It is important to know that each highway has only one payment system, so on highways with a manual payment system, you will not be able to pay electronically. Also, on motorways with an electronic payment system, you will not be able to pay manually.
This can put drivers in difficulty, especially since the 4 electronic Portugal motorway toll payment systems are not compatible with each other. The only one compatible with all equipment is Temporary Via Verde.
We will talk about all these in the following.
Portugal motorway toll payment manual system
Portugal’s manual motorway toll payment system is a classic one. When entering the motorway, you will have to pick up a ticket, and when exiting the section of road traveled, you will pay the Portugal motorway tax according to the category of the vehicle and the distance traveled (details recorded in the ticket).
Careful! Payment is only made in cash at gas stations or at the special cash machine.
Electronic systems for payment of motorway toll Portugal
Regarding the electronic payment systems, depending on the motorway you are on, you will have to use one of the 4 ways to pay the Portugal motorway toll:
- EASYToll
EASYToll is an electronic highway toll payment system, specially designed for tourists.
It works by associating the credit card (Mastercard or Visa) with the vehicle registration number. The driver can pay the toll without leaving the vehicle by inserting the credit card into the payment terminal.
Toll fees are debited directly from the account associated with the card. The initiation fee is €0.60+VAT and each trip costs €0.26+VAT. The service is valid for 30 days from the moment of activation. The vehicle driver can correct the registration number or cancel the service here.
- TOLLCard
TOLLCard is an SMS-enabled toll payment system with a fixed amount that will be consumed based on vehicle traffic.
It is valid for one year. Users can also choose to use pre-loaded cards with amounts of €5, €10, €20 or €40, with an additional cost of €0.60 + VAT for each card purchased.
- TOLLService
The driver can purchase a pre-paid ticket with unlimited access for 3 days at the cost of €20, valid only for light vehicles. This includes a service charge of €0.60 + VAT and an administration fee of €0.26 + VAT per trip.
There is also a pre-paid ticket option with pre-set date and journey, such as travel from Spain – Porto Airport via A28 or A41 (return) or travel from Spain – Faro Airport via A22 (return ).
The TollService ticket can be bought at service areas on the A24 motorway, at Porto and Faro airports and at the Matosinhos IKEA point.
- Temporary device VIA VERDE
The driver can temporarily rent a “Via Verde Visitors” device for frequent visits.
The rental cost is €6 for the first week and €1.50 for each subsequent week.
An initial deposit of €27.50 is charged (which will be returned when the device is returned).
The fee is based on usage and the device validity period is 90 days with the possibility of renewal.
To learn more about these services, go here.
Categories of vehicles
To classify your vehicle in one of the categories imposed by the Portuguese for the Portugal motorway tax, see the classification method here:
| Class 1 | All vehicles with or without a trailer, having a height of less than 1.10 m next to the first axle. The number of axles is not considered in this category. |
| Class 2 | All vehicles (without trailer), with two axles having a height greater than or equal to 1.10 m, measured over the first axle. |
| Class 3 | All three-axle vehicles (including trailers) having a height greater than or equal to 1.10 m, measured over the first axle. |
| Class 4 | All vehicles with four or more axles (including trailers) having a height greater than or equal to 1.10 m, measured over the first axle. |
| Class 5 | All motorcycles equipped with the ViaVerde Box device (class 1). Motorcycles equipped with the ViaVerde Box (category 1) can pay a lower tax. |
Soluțiile noastre pentru plata taxelor de drum
If you often transit the countries of Europe, in our articles you will find information about the road tax payment system for all European countries.
Moreover, if Hungary, Bulgaria or Poland are the destination or frequent transit countries, we offer you the installation of road toll payment equipment – HUGO, BGTOLL and eTOLL, at the highest standards.
For efficient fleet management, we recommend the eTMS system – the best system for streamlining your fleet activity at the highest standards.
Do you want to know more about our services? Contact us now!
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