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Portugal

Truck driving restrictions

Basic information


Prohibitions apply to cities and their surroundings.

Applies to roads


Prohibitions apply to cities and their surroundings.

Detailed information

Prohibition: every day, including Sundays and public holidays from 5:00 to 2:00 on the following day.


Area: 25th April Bridge (Tagus bridge)


Prohibition: throughout the year


Roads concerned: tunnels on the A23 motorway :

  • Barracao Tunnel, southbound, exit Guarda Sul (km 210.8)
  • Barracao Tunnel, northbound, exit Benespera (km 201.2)
  • Ramela Tunnel, southbound, exit Guarda Sul (km 210.8)
  • Ramela Tunnel, northbound, exit Benespera (km 201.2)
  • Gardunha Tunnels, southbound, exit Fundao Sul (km 158.1)
  • Gardunha Tunnels, northbound, exit Castelo Novo (km 148.8)

Note: compulsory exit is signposted 1500m before the slip road


Prohibition: Fridays, Sundays, public holidays and the day before a public holiday from 18:00 to 21:00

Roads concerned:

  • EN6 Lisbon - Cascais
  • EN10 Infantado - Vila Franca de Xira
  • EN14 Maia - Braga
  • EN15 Porto - Campo (A4)
  • EN105 Porto - Alfena (junction with the IC24)
  • IC1 Coimbroes - Miramar
  • EN209 Porto - Gondomar
  • EN209 (ER) Gondomar - Valongo
  • IC2 (EN1) Alenquer - Carvalhos
  • EN13 Porto - Viana do Castelo
  • EN1 Carvalhos - Vila Nova de Gaia (Santo Ovidio)
  • EN101 Braga - Vila Verde
  • EN125 (ER) Lagos - Sao Joao da Venda
  • IC4 (EN125) Sao Joao da Venda - Faro
  • EN125 Faro - Olhao
  • EN125 (ER) Olhao - Pinheira junction
  • EN222 Porto - Crestuma/Lever toll barrier

Prohibition: Mondays from 7:00 to 10:00, except July and August, on the access roads leading into Lisbon and Porto


Roads concerned:

  • A1 Alverca - Lisbon
  • A2 Almada - Lisbon
  • A5 junction with the CREL - Lisbon
  • A8 Loures - Lisbon
  • IC19 junction with the CREL - Lisbon (Damaia)
  • EN6 Cascais - Lisbon
  • EN10 Vila Franca de Xira - Alverca
  • A3 junction with the IC24 - Porto
  • A4 junction with the A3 - Porto
  • EN13 Moreira - Porto
  • EN105 Alfena (junction with the IC24) - Porto
  • IC1 Miramar - Porto
  • EN209 Gondomar - Porto
  • EN222 (ER) Avintes – Porto

Exceptions: (applies to all the routes indicated above, with the exception of the tunnels and the 25 April Bridge)

  • vehicles transporting dangerous goods destined for public or private health centres
  • vehicles transporting dangerous goods destined for the armed forces and the police
  • vehicles transporting dangerous goods unloaded from or to be loaded on ships (transport of dangerous goods to/from sea ports)
  • transport of fuel for the supply of airports or sea ports

Special authorizations:

The Direcçao Geral de Viaçao (General Directorate of Traffic) may issue special authorisations for vehicles:

  • which carry out loading operations during restricted periods if, simultaneously, the production or storage unit where the vehicle is loaded is served only by a restricted road and if this road allows direct access to another unrestricted road
  • which carry dangerous goods necessary for the continuous operation of production units

Requests for special authorisations should be addressed to the Direcçao Geral de Viaçao tel: (+351 21) 791 20 00.

The following documents and information are required:

  • a photocopy of the vehicle’s registration card
  • the vehicle’s ADR certificate, where applicabl
  • the name and address of the transport operator
  • the list of goods to be transported indicating the ADR class and the UN identification number
  • the proposed date, time and route of the transport operation

Local traffic restrictions


Lisbon

The transit, loading or unloading of goods vehicles of over 2.6t total weight is forbidden between 8:00 and 10:00 and between 17:00 and 19:00. The area concerned is signposted accordingly. In pedestrian areas throughout the city, loading and unloading are prohibited from 8:00 to 10:00 and from 11:30 to 19:00.


PortoThe transit, loading or unloading of heavy goods vehicles is forbidden in Porto between 14:00 and 19:00. The limits of the zone concerned by this prohibition are the following: the inner ring road, from Ponte da Arrábida to Bessa Leite, Rua de António Bessa Leite, Rua de Pedro Hispano, Rua da Constituiçao, Rua Cinco de Outubro, Rua Domingos Sequeira, Rua Quinta Amarela, Rua Egas Moniz, Rua Damiao de Gois, Rua Joao Pedro Ribeiro, Praça Marques de Pombal, Rua Latino Coelho, Praça Raínha D. Amélia, Rua Nova de S. Crispim, Av. Fernao de Magalhaes, Campo 24 de Agosto, Rua Duque de Saldanha, Largo Padre Baltazar Guedes, Av. Gustavo Eiffel, Tunel da Ribeira, Rua do Infante D. Henrique, Rua Nova da Alfandega, Rua de Monchique, Cais das Pedras, Alameda Basilio Teles, Cais do Bicalho and Rua do Ouro.


The prohibition does not apply to the following vehicles: public transport vehicles; the fire brigade; vehicles of the armed forces and the police; government vehicles; post office vehicles; emergency or first aid vehicles; vehicles transporting either livestock or other goods, provided they have an authorisation.


Other cities

Other cities have local driving restrictions. Restricted areas are signposted.

Holidays


Public holidays 2026


  • 1st January - New Year's Day
  • 18th April - Good Friday
  • 20th April - Easter Sunday
  • 25th April - Liberty Day
  • 1st May - Labor Day / May Day
  • 10th June - Portugal Day
  • 19th June - Corpus Christi
  • 15th August - Assumption of Mary
  • 5th October - Republic Day
  • 1st November - All Saints' Day
  • 1st December - Restoration of Independence
  • 8th December - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
  • 25th December - Christmas Day