Practical Information in Lisbon

Lisbon is one of the largest cities in Portugal, so if you are planning to pay a visit these few Lisbon practical information tips will help plan your holiday.

Visa and Passport

If you are planning to visit Lisbon, you must prepare your passport, identification and visa. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the length of your stay in Lisbon, if not, your request for a visa may be denied. With regards to visa, there are different requirements depending on nationality. Citizens of the following countries are allowed to enter without obtaining a visa prior to arrival in Lisbon: Australia, Canada, UK and USA. If you are not from any of these countries you will be required to have a tourist visa which is normally valid for 30 to 90 days.

Customs

You are not allowed to import or export: prohibited drugs, pornographic materials, wild flora and fauna, weapons, precious metals and dairy and meat products. You are allowed to import duty free products in reasonable amounts such as: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco, 50ml perfume, 1 liter alcohol, 100g tea, 500g coffee, 250g caviar, 2kg fish and any goods amounting to €175 or less. However, you need to prove that these products will be for your personal consumption.

Climate, Geography and Time Zone

Lisbon is situated in the westernmost part of Europe, right along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and Tagus River. This city has a Mediterranean climate which is mostly sunny all through the year. Summer is from May to September and the usual day temperature is 26 degrees to 29 degrees C and 16 degrees to 18 degrees C by nighttime. 

Lisbon belongs to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC 0) time zone, which is 6 hours ahead of the EST time zone.

Currency

The official currency used in Lisbon is the Euro (€). It will be advisable to exchange your currency through the banks and the exchange offices at the airport. If you run out of money you can withdraw from various ATM machines; however, you are only allowed to withdraw a maximum amount of €200. The exchange rate is 1€ = $1.35.

Important Telephone Numbers

If anything unfortunate happens during your stay in Lisbon, you can dial the following numbers for assistance:

• Police, Ambulance and Fire: 112
• SOS Health Line: 808-242-424
• Intoxication: 808-250-143
• Maritime Rescue: 214-401-919 / 214-411-646