Health: Nationals from the 25 European Union countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland are entitled to free or reduced-cost healthcare (the same benefits as Portuguese citizens). In order to have access to health services, citizens from the above-mentioned countries, who are not resident in Portugal, must produce their European Health Insurance Cards (issued by the origin country) together with passports or identity cards.

If you are not a national of any of the countries above, you will need to make your own arrangements and you are strongly advised to obtain a suitable medical insurance cover before you leave home.  

Pharmacies: In general, pharmacies are open on weekdays between 9 am and 7 pm (some close for lunch between 1 and 3 pm) and on Saturdays between 9 am and 1 pm. All of them have information posted on the door indicating the nearest pharmacies that are open at night.

Telephones: Country Dialing Code 00351.

In public telephone booths, coins and special cards can be used. They are sold in Portugal Telecom shops, post offices and some kiosks and news-stands.

Mobile Telephones: The mobile phone standard in Portugal is GSM 900/1800. The three network service providers have roaming agreements with most international mobile phone companies and provide users with a good coverage nationwide.

Mobile Telephone Companies: TMN, Vodafone and Optimus.

Internet: Internet access is available on payment in some Cafés and in numerous Post Offices that have the Netpost service. In various hotels and public facilities, like Airports, Conference centres, Restaurants, Service Areas in motor-ways and Shopping centres, there are duly marked "wi-fi" areas where it is possible to access wireless Internet.

Money and Banks: Portugal official currency is the Euro. 1 euro is divided into 100 cents. The coins come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 euros. The notes are differentiated by their size and colour and come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros.

You can exchange money at banks, at bureaux de change and at automatic currency exchange machines.  

Portugal has a national network of cash machines (ATMs) identified by the symbol MB (Multibanco), from which you can withdraw cash 24 hours a day.

In Portugal, the most commonly used credit cards are: Visa, American Express, Diners Club, Europay / MasterCard, JCB and Maestro.  

Banking Hours: Banks are open from 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. five working days a week.

Electricity: The electric current in Portugal is 230/400 volts at a frequency of 50 hertz and sockets comply with European standards. You will need a 230 volt transformer and an adaptor to use American-style flat-prong plugs.

Shopping hours: Shops are open from Monday to Friday, from 9 or 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some close for lunch from 1 to 3 p.m. On Saturdays from January to November, shops generally close at 1 p.m. though in city centres some are open in the afternoon. Shops tend to stay open on Saturday afternoons and sometimes even on Sundays in December for Christmas shopping. There are plenty of shopping centres inside and outside the cities that are usually open from 10 a.m. to midnight every day of the week.

Post Offices: In general, post offices are open from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

National holidays: New Year’s Day - 1 January, Freedom Day - 25 April, Worker’s Day - 1 May, Portugal Day - 10 June, Feast of the Assumption - 15 August, Implantation of the Republic - 5 October, All Saints Day - 1 November, Restoration of Independence - 1 December, Immaculate Conception - 8 December, Christmas Day - 25 December. Moveable public holidays: Good Friday, Corpus Christi.

Cuisine: The dishes of the portuguese cuisine are mainly made up of fish or meat. Between the soups, very good is Açorda de Mariscos a soup of fish, and the sopa de legumes. The cod, “bachalau” in Portuguese, is the main dish of the portuguese cousine, it comes served in hundred of ways: “assado”, that is fried with potato, or “cozido” (bubbled) or in the oven with potatoes and onions. Another famous dish, always fish, is the “fataça na telha”. Also popular are sardines, especially when grilled as sardinhas assadas, octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, lobster, hake, horse mackerel (scad), lamprey, sea bass, scabbard (especially in the islands) and a variety of shellfish. Caldeirada is a stew consisting of a variety of fish and shellfish with potatoes, tomato and onion. Between the meat: “bife com batatas” (the steak with potatoes), leitao assado (meat of roast pig), roasted chicken or cabrito (the kid), the carne de porco a Alentejana, that is a combination of pig and sea fruits. There is a wide variety of Portuguese cheeses, especially made from goat's or sheep's milk, like Queijo de Azeitão, Queijo de Castelo Branco and Queijo da Serra da Estrela. PORTUGUESE CUISINE RECIPES.