I – TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEMS

WHAT IS A TRADITIONAL TOLL BOOTH?

Barrier installed at motorway entrances/exits, including lanes with manual payment of tolls due for the trip made (a ticket is taken at the motorway entrance and paid for at the exit for the value of the trip, presented at that time) and electronic lanes, with passage recorded by reading an identifier or image of the vehicle (automatic number plate recognition), with tolls paid via a compatible electronic device installed in the vehicle or by prior subscription to a prepaid product (Easytoll, Tollcard or Go Toll).

When approaching toll barriers, you will see the following sign:

WHAT IS AN EXCLUSIVELY ELECTRONIC TOLL SYSTEM?

With this type of collection system, there are no toll booths, but instead a series of collection points (gateways) installed along the route, which have no means of manual payment.

Equipment is installed at these gateways enabling vehicles and their respective license plates to be automatically recognized, thus generating a toll charge for the section of road used and the class of vehicle.

At the entrance to sections of highway with exclusively electronic tolls, the following sign can be seen:

HOW CAN I CHECK THE TOLL CHARGE ON A MOTORWAY WITH ELECTRONIC TOLLS ONLY?: The toll charge is set (by vehicle class) for each collection point and is shown in a display panel next to each gateway (you can also calculate the cost by using our toll calculator.

WHAT IS MY VEHICLE CLASS?

Your vehicle class is determined based on physical characteristics, such as height and number of axles, according to the definitions below:

When using motorways, the class is automatically identified by toll systems at toll gates and booths.

II – TOLL PAYMENT SYSTEMS

WHICH TOLL PAYMENT SYSTEMS ARE AVAILABLE AT EXCLUSIVELY ELECTRONIC TOLLS?

MANUAL PAYMENT: payment only valid on motorways with a traditional toll system, at the toll barrier, in cash or by bank card.

AUTOMATIC PAYMENT: payment for the use of these roads is debited directly from your bank account. There is no need to go anywhere to pay your bills or top up cards.

PREPAYMENT: consists of creating a prepaid account, which is topped up in advance and then used to pay for motorway tolls (electronic toll collection lanes).

PRE-PAYMENT WITH IDENTIFICATION OF THE VEHICLE’S OWNER: pre-payment is made which is associated with the vehicle’s owner, which can then be used when driving on roads with electronic toll collection.

ANONYMOUS PRE-PAYMENT: pre-payment is made which is associated with an electronic device, which can then be used when driving on roads with electronic toll collection. Pre-payments expire after 90 days, and must be renewed otherwise the device will be invalid.

POST-PAYMENT: payment made, in cash or equivalent means, at CTT – Correios de Portugal, S.A., or another authorised service provider, after passing through a toll gate, within a maximum period of 15 working days (Ordinance 60/2022 of 25 January).

You must subscribe to a payment system with a Toll Service Provider, such as Via Verde Portugal – Gestão de Sistemas Eletrónicos de Cobrança. S.A. and CTT – Correios de Portugal, S.A..

For detailed information on all available options and to choose the most suitable one, please see the ‘How to Pay’ section on our website.

WHAT ARE TOLL SERVICE PROVIDERS?: They are collection entities responsible for managing toll payment systems, thereby mediating the relationship and financial flows between their customers and motorway concessionaires and toll collection system operators. Via Verde Portugal – Gestão de Sistemas Eletrónicos de Cobrança. S.A. and CTT – Correios de Portugal, S.A. are examples of Toll Service Providers.

WHAT IS THE LEGAL DEADLINE FOR POST-PAYMENT OF TOLLS?

If you have not subscribed to an electronic device, post-payment of tolls is available within the legal deadline of 15 working days (Ordinance 60/2022 of 25 January), and the amounts owed (toll charges and administrative costs) must be paid during this period at a CTT desk or Payshop network, or by ATM reference, which can be obtained directly from the CTT website or by SMS on your mobile phone.

Post-payment is permitted by law only for vehicles with national registration.

III – ELECTRONIC DEVICES

WHAT IS AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE?

Equipment capable of transmitting your identification code in accordance with the European Electronic Toll Service.

Electronic devices are not transferable between vehicles, and must be affixed to the front windscreen, inside the vehicle (find out more here).

CAN A VEHICLE DRIVE ON HIGHWAYS WITH EXCLUSIVELY ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION WITHOUT AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE?

Yes. In this case, toll charges will necessarily be collected using image and automatic number plate recognition.

If you are driving a vehicle with a national registration number, you can use the post-payment system. For vehicles with a foreign registration number, there are other solutions based solely on image recording and debiting of toll charges from a bank account or prepaid balance (Easytoll, Tollcard or Go Toll).

To find out about all the options available for foreign registration numbers, please consult the detailed information on our website.

IS THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE FREE OF CHARGE?: No. It is optional equipment and is paid for.
WHERE CAN I GET AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE?: These devices can be obtained from authorized retail distributors (such as Via Verde Portugal or CTT - Correios de Portugal and other distributors which may be authorized in the future.
IF I DRIVE WITHOUT AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE IS IT MORE EXPENSIVE?: Yes, electronic collection lanes. By law, tolls for passing gateways have an added administrative cost of €0.32 for each toll point, with a maximum limit of €2.56 € per payment.

DOES AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVE OTHER USES APART FROM PAYING FOR TOLLS, SUCH AS PAYING FOR PARKING?: Yes. Drivers using vehicles equipped with electronic devices can choose to pay for other services such as parking provided which are provided by collection organizations.

IV – FOREIGN-REGISTERED VEHICLES

CAN DRIVERS OF FOREIGN REGISTERED VEHICLES USE EXCLUSIVELY ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS?: Yes, there are several payment systems available, with different operating and subscription features. You can check out the available solutions here.

WHICH MEANS OF PAYMENT ARE AVAILABLE FOR FOREIGN REGISTERED VEHICLES AT EXCLUSIVELY ELECTRONIC TOLLS?: There are different means of payment, with specific characteristics. You can check the available payment methods here.

IF I HAVE AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE FROM THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN ON MY VEHICLE, CAN I DRIVE ON TOLL ROADS IN PORTUGAL?: There are several devices which are authorized for all Portuguese highways through partnerships between the issuing entity and Via Verde. You can consult the list of accepted issuers here.
To confirm whether you can use your identifier on electronic lanes in Portugal, you must first check with your issuer.

WHEN SHOULD I GET A MEANS OF PAYMENT FOR A FOREIGN-REGISTERED VEHICLE?: Means of payment for foreign-registered vehicles should be acquired before you travel in Portugal, ensuring that the product is valid for the duration of your trip. If your vehicle already has a device from another country, check with the issuer to see if it is compatible with electronic lanes in Portugal, as only devices recognised by the Via Verde network can be used.

V – EASYTOLL SERVICE

WHAT IS THE EASYTOLL SERVICE AND HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE TO IT?

EasyToll allows automatic toll payment by associating a bank card (Visa, Mastercard or Maestro) to the vehicle registration number.

The tolls are debited directly from the card account, with an additional cost of €0.32 per trip. Registration is valid for 30 days and applies to all national motorways.

Subscribe at one of the four EasyToll stations near the borders or online.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY REGISTRATION NUMBER HAS BEEN ENTERED INCORRECTLY IN THE EASYTOLL SYSTEM?: When subscribing to the EasyToll system, we suggest that you carefully check the receipt obtained from the machine (or the subscription confirmation received by email) to identify any possible errors in the registration number. If you find any errors, please use the Registration Number Correction option available on our website to update your details quickly and easily.

I USED THE ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION LANE (VIA VERDE) AND THE YELLOW LIGHT FLASHED/WENT ON. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?: This signal simply indicates that the system did not detect a device in the vehicle. If you have subscribed to the EasyToll (or Tollcard) system, the registration number will be captured by image and automatically associated to your account, ensuring that the toll is charged correctly.

AT TRADITIONAL TOLL BOOTHS, I ENTERED VIA THE MANUAL LANE AND EXITED VIA THE ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION LANE. HOW CAN I PAY FOR THE TOLL?

If you have a valid EasyToll (or Tollcard) subscription, your toll will be paid automatically. In these cases, you will be charged the amount corresponding to the toll for the trip actually made, based on the vehicle registration number recorded at the entrance via the manual toll lane (where you took the ticket).

AT TRADITIONAL TOLL BOOTHS, I ENTERED VIA THE ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION LANE AND EXITED VIA THE MANUAL LANE. HOW CAN I REGULARISE MY PASSAGE?

In these cases, as no valid ticket was presented at the exit, a fee corresponding to twice the maximum amount chargeable at the exit barrier will be applied, as provided for in Article 6(d) of Law No. 25/2006 of 30 June, as currently in force.

However, you may subsequently submit a reasoned statement indicating where the entry took place so that the Concessionaire can review the situation and, if applicable, correct the toll charge.

WHAT TO DO IF NO CHARGES HAVE APPEARED 30 DAYS AFTER SUBSCRIBING TO EASYTOLL?

If no charges have appeared after subscribing to EasyToll, this may be due to a technical fault or because you have simultaneously purchased a Tollcard, which, when active, overrides your EasyToll subscription.
If you wish to cancel the Tollcard, you should contact CTT (the entity responsible for collection) on 707 100 174 / +351 21 194 91 82 or use the online form.

To settle any outstanding amounts relating to trips that have not yet been charged, please send the following information using our contact form:

Photograph or scan of your EasyToll subscription receipt (if obtained at a toll station) or forward the confirmation email (if you subscribed to it online);
Full name;
Tax identification number;
Address;
Email address;
Mobile phone number.

HOW CAN I ACCESS EASYTOLL SERVICE PAYMENT RECEIPTS?

You can consult payment receipts and details of trips charged under the EasyToll service via the link.
Please note that charges made by EasyToll are not immediate and may take up to 2 weeks to be processed. During this period, it will not be possible to access the proof of payment.

If, after this period, the payment receipt is not available, please contact CTT (the entity responsible for issuing documents on behalf of IP): https://www.ctt.pt/ajuda/contacto.

I HAVE RECEIVED A TOLL PAYMENT NOTIFICATION WITH ACTIVE EASYTOLL

If you have received a toll payment notification for a period when you had the EasyToll system active, you will need to check the situation. To do so, please send us the following information:

Photograph or scan of your EasyToll subscription receipt (if obtained at a toll station) or forward the confirmation email (if you subscribed to it online);
Front and back of the notification received.

This information must be sent via our contact form. We will then be able to analyse the case.

VI – OTHER QUESTIONS

I DROVE ON A MOTORWAY WITH ELECTRONIC TOLLS ONLY WITHOUT PAYING. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Portuguese registration number

If you have not subscribed to an electronic device, you can pay tolls and associated administrative costs through the post-payment regime, as provided by law. For more information, please visit here.

If the 15 working day period in which post-payment is accepted has already passed, you can access the portals provided by the respective concessionaires and toll collection system operators, where you can settle the debt:

Ascendi
ViaLivre
Globalvia
Toll Payment Portal

Payment can also be made to the enforcement officers of the concessionaires and toll collection system operators on duty on the motorways.

Foreign registration number

If the driver of a vehicle with a foreign registration number is travelling on a motorway with electronic tolls only and has not previously purchased a valid means of payment, they can settle the situation by consulting the portals provided by the respective concessionaires and toll collection system operators, where they can settle the debt:

Ascendi
ViaLivre
Globalvia
Toll Payment Portal

Payment can also be made to the enforcement officers of the concessionaires and toll collection system operators on duty on the motorways.

IF I DON’T PAY THE TOLL, DO I HAVE TO PAY A FINE?

Yes. Non-payment of a toll is an administrative offence under the law and is punishable with a fine.

The administrative offences provided for in this law are punishable by a fine of at least five times the amount of the respective toll charge, but never less than €25, and a maximum amount corresponding to twice the minimum amount of the fine, subject to the maximum limits provided for in the General Tax Offences Regime.

ARE INSPECTIONS CARRIED OUT?: Yes. Concessionaires and operators of toll collection systems carry out frequent inspections on highways, in collaboration with the police.

WHAT IF I AM DRIVING A RENTED VEHICLE?

Under Decree-Law No. 84-C/2022 of 9 December, companies renting vehicles without drivers on a rent-a-car and rent-a-cargo basis must equip each vehicle in their fleet with on-board equipment and subscribe to a toll payment system.
Toll payments are due by these companies whenever, in relation to a given vehicle, there is no rental contract in force or, if there is, it has not been possible to obtain payment through this contract and, subsequently, the driver has not been identified by a Toll Service Provider.

Many companies already have vehicles equipped with electronic devices, and customers can, if they wish, contract the service when renting the vehicle for direct debit of tolls. The conditions for the provision of the service must be checked with the Rent-a-Car company that has the contract with the respective collection entity (Via Verde Portugal).

In the case of a vehicle with a Portuguese registration number, and if the customer does not opt to use an electronic device and/or the Rent-a-Car company does not offer any toll payment service, the tolls can be paid later at CTT/Payshop. Please note that it may not be possible to fully match the billing period with the vehicle rental contract period. For more information, please visit the CTT website.

In the case of a vehicle with a foreign registration number, and if the customer does not opt to use an electronic device and/ or the Rent-a-Car company does not offer any toll payment service, the customer must subscribe to one of the available payment systems (more information here).

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