Portugal's tolls confuse almost every visitor – but the rules got simpler in 2025: the old electronic-only “SCUT” motorways (including the Algarve's A22, the A23, A24, A25, A28 and the A4 Marão tunnel) are now completely free, while the main Brisa motorways (A1, A2, A3, A5…) and the Lisbon bridges still charge. The one thing that still trips up rental drivers is how to pay on the remaining toll roads. This guide explains exactly which roads are free, which still cost money, and the cheapest, safest way to pay tolls in a hire car in 2026.
Portugal has two completely different toll-payment systems on the roads that still charge, and a rental car can meet both:
On the classic Brisa network – the A1 (Lisbon–Porto), A2 (Lisbon–Algarve), A3, A5, A6 and others – you take a ticket on entry and pay at a manned/automatic booth on exit, by cash or card. Stay in the white/blue lanes, never the green “Via Verde” lanes (those are for transponders only).
Some motorways have no booths at all – overhead gantries read a transponder or your number plate. With a rental car you need either the car's Via Verde transponder or a registered payment method, or you risk a fine. This is where most tourist toll trouble happens.
Under Lei n.º 37/2024, tolls were abolished on the former SCUT motorways from 1 January 2025 – around 951 km of road. These keep their overhead gantries but no longer charge anything:
| Motorway | Route | Status 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| A22 (Via do Infante) | Across the Algarve (Lagos–Spanish border) | Free |
| A25 | Aveiro – Viseu – Vilar Formoso | Free (full length from 2026) |
| A23 | Torres Novas – Guarda | Free |
| A24 | Interior Norte (Viseu – Chaves) | Free |
| A28 | Esposende – Antas (north of Porto) | Free |
| A4 Túnel do Marão | Amarante – Vila Real | Free |
| A13 | Coimbra region link | Free |
The traditional toll motorways – mostly the Brisa network – still charge in 2026, along with Lisbon's two river bridges:
| Route | Road | Approx. car toll |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon → Porto | A1 | ~€21 |
| Lisbon → Algarve (Faro) | A2 | ~€22 |
| Lisbon → Cascais / Estoril | A5 | ~€1.5 |
| Porto → Braga / Guimarães | A3 / A7 | ~€5–7 |
| 25 de Abril bridge (into Lisbon from south) | – | ~€2 |
| Vasco da Gama bridge (into Lisbon from south) | – | ~€3 |
A handful of these (the A4 Maia–Amarante, A6, A12, A14, A17, A21) are electronic free-flow with no booths – on those you must pay via a transponder or EASYToll, exactly like the old SCUT roads used to work.
This is the part that actually matters. You have three options – pick one before you drive off:
Most companies offer a Via Verde device that bills every toll automatically to your card. Convenient, but watch the daily admin/activation fee (often €2–3/day, sometimes capped). Confirm the daily cap and the per-toll handling fee at the counter.
If you drive in from Spain, the EASYToll machines at the first motorway let you link your number plate to a credit card for 30 days. Good for cross-border road trips; keep the receipt.
Because the ex-SCUT roads are now free and the big booth motorways take cards, many visitors skip the transponder entirely – they pay by card at A1/A2 booths and stay off the few free-flow toll roads.
Toll-payment options compared
Rental car, 2026
| Method | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Rental Via Verde device | Convenience, free-flow roads | Daily admin fee (~€2–3/day) |
| EASYToll (border) | Driving in from Spain | 30-day validity, keep receipt |
| Card at booths + free roads | Algarve & most trips | Don't enter green Via Verde lanes |
The A22, A25, A23, A24 and A28 cost nothing now – route via them where it makes sense.
If you take the rental device, get the daily cap in writing.
On the A1/A2 keep a card handy and use the white/blue lanes.
You only pay the Lisbon bridges entering the city from the south bank.
Useful if a charge is queried later.
| Trip | Main road | Toll (car) |
|---|---|---|
| Faro → Lagos (across Algarve) | A22 | Free |
| Lisbon → Faro | A2 | ~€22 |
| Lisbon → Porto | A1 | ~€21 |
| Porto → Viana do Castelo | A28 | Free |
| Aveiro → Viseu | A25 | Free |
Yes. The A22 (Via do Infante) became toll-free on 1 January 2025 along with the other former SCUT motorways. You can drive the length of the Algarve with no tolls; the gantries remain but no longer charge.
Mainly the Brisa network – the A1, A2, A3, A5, A6 and others – plus the A4 Maia–Amarante, A6, A12, A14, A17, A21 and Lisbon's 25 de Abril and Vasco da Gama bridges. Most use booths where you pay by card; a few are electronic free-flow.
Three ways: take the rental company's Via Verde transponder (auto-billed, watch the daily fee), register your card at an EASYToll machine if entering from Spain, or simply pay by card at the booth motorways and stick to the now-free ex-SCUT roads.
On electronic free-flow roads the toll plus a penalty is billed later, usually through your rental company with an added admin fee. Always set up a payment method before driving, or avoid those roads.
It's the most convenient option, especially for free-flow roads, but confirm the daily admin fee and whether it's capped. For an Algarve-only trip you may not need it at all, since the A22 is free.
Yes – the A2 from Lisbon to the Algarve uses booth tolls of about €22 for a car. Once you reach the Algarve, the A22 across the region is free.
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Last updated: June 2026. Toll rules change – verify current rates with Via Verde and Infraestruturas de Portugal. Sources: Lei n.º 37/2024 (SCUT toll abolition), Via Verde, Infraestruturas de Portugal.
