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Via Verde: How Tolls Work in Portugal and How to Get Started

  • Blog Post
  • Vehicles, Live in Portugal

Via Verde: How Tolls Work in Portugal and How to Get Started

If you’re going to drive in Portugal, you’ll soon hear about Via Verde. Many Portuguese motorways have tolls, and some can only be paid electronically — there are no booths at all. Here’s how it works and how to make sure you never miss a payment.
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🛣️ How Tolls Work in Portugal

There are two kinds of tolls on Portuguese motorways:

  • Traditional tolls: you take a ticket or pass a booth and pay by card or cash.
  • Electronic-only tolls: there are no booths, just gantries over the road that read your Via Verde device or photograph your plate. If you don’t have a device, you’ll have to pay afterwards.

 

 

The good news: since 1 January 2025, several former SCUT motorways in the interior and the Algarve (such as the A22, A23, A24 and A25) no longer charge tolls.

🟢 What Is Via Verde?

Via Verde is an electronic payment system. You place a small device (the identificador) on your windscreen, and tolls are charged automatically to your bank account. You simply drive through the green “V” lanes without stopping.

Depending on your plan, Via Verde can also pay for:

  • Car parks and street parking in many cities
  • Fuel at participating petrol stations
  • Electric vehicle charging
  • Even some drive-thrus

💳 Plans and Costs

Via Verde has a few plans with low monthly or annual fees. In 2026, the motorway-only plan starts at around €1 per month (less with electronic statements), while broader “mobility” plans cost a little more and include parking, fuel and charging.

⚙️ How to Get Via Verde

  1. Sign up online at viaverde.pt (or at a Via Verde shop).
  2. Have your documents ready: ID, NIF, proof of address and your vehicle registration document.
  3. Associate a payment method — usually a bank account for direct debit.
  4. Receive your device by post (or collect it at a shop) and stick it to your windscreen, behind the rear-view mirror.

🚗 Driving a Car With Foreign Plates?

You still have options:

  • Via Verde Visitors: a device you rent for your stay, with a refundable deposit.
  • EASYToll: links your plate to a Visa or Mastercard when you enter Portugal.
  • TollCard: a prepaid card linked to your plate.

⚠️ No Device? Pay On Time

If you drive on an electronic-only toll road without a device, the amount becomes available 48 hours later, and you can pay it at CTT post offices, Payshop agents or by Multibanco reference. You have a limited period to pay — after that, you may receive fines much higher than the toll itself.

 

🚀 Final Considerations

If you drive regularly in Portugal, Via Verde is almost essential: it saves time, avoids fines and makes parking easier too.

📢 Expert Advice: Rented a car? Ask the rental company whether it has a Via Verde device and how tolls are charged — it can save you a lot of trouble.

Bringing your car to Portugal? Step Inside Portugal handles the vehicle legalization process, so you can get your Portuguese plates and drive with Via Verde. ✨

This article is for general information and reflects the situation as of October 2026. Prices and conditions may change, so confirm them on viaverde.pt.

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