Tax Free Shopping Portugal
- mcoelho813
- Sep 6
- 10 min read
How to Enjoy Tax-Free Shopping in Portugal
Quick Facts about Tax-Free Shopping
You must be a resident outside the European Union. EU
The goods must be packed in your luggage and taken out of the EU
The goods should be for personal use, not for resale.
Minimum purchase amount: In Portugal, you must spend at least €61.50 in a single store on the same day to qualify.
The standard VAT rate is 23% in mainland Portugal (sales tax on most goods)
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Tax-free shopping in Portugal
Shopping in Portugal. Tax-free shopping in Portugal. Global Blue tax-free shopping PORTUGAL TAX-FREE SHOPPING. How to shop tax-free in Portugal? What is the VAT in Portugal? Are the sales taxes in Portugal high? How to get a tax refund in Portugal? How much do I have to spend in Portugal to receive tax-free shopping? Where to eat in Portugal on a budget? What is the best ATM to use in Portugal?
Tax-free applies only to tangible items, such as jewelry, clothing, jerseys, and shoes.
What is VAT? It is a sales tax on goods purchased.
Value Added Tax (VAT) is a consumption tax levied on goods and services in many countries worldwide. The national tax systems of Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia allow refunds of VAT to most non-resident business entities worldwide.
The Portuguese VAT system has a standard VAT rate of 23%, on most items two reduced rates of 13% (includes some food, admission to cultural events, restaurant and cafe food, some agricultural supplies, wine, and mineral water) and 6% (Specific goods and services, including certain foodstuffs, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, medical and dental care, hotel accommodation, social housing, reading materials, and some legal services.) as well as a 0% rate (international passenger transport)
How to Enjoy Tax-Free Shopping in Portugal: A Complete Guide
Step 1: Eligibility- Who qualifies?
Who is eligible for tax-free shopping in Portugal? Outline the criteria that tourists need to meet.
Non-EU citizens who purchase items in Portugal.
Did you know? $$$$$$
Global Blue /Tax-Free Shopping in Portugal
As an American, I can purchase items over 61.50 euros in a store that will fit in my suitcase. and get a tax refund
(Any non-EU resident can purchase items at a tax-free store)
Step 2: Making Purchases- Top destinations to shop.
Identifying participating stores and making purchases eligible for tax refunds
You need the receipts.
You need a form completed from the store.
Where to shop tax-free in Portugal?
Look for stores with tax-free signs in the window all around Portugal
(FYI, almost all of the shops at the Lisbon airport participate in Global Blue)
Be sure to inform the store clerk that you would like the tax-free forms and receipts.
It is important to have the forms filled out the same day you purchase the items. You have to show your non-EU passport and have a current email.
Most cities and medium to large towns have tax-free shopping.
Tax is 23% in Portugal on most goods, ie, jewelry
There is a tax break for expats who move to Portugal to live
Is there a Global Blue website?
PORTUGAL TAX-FREE SHOPPING.
How to shop tax-free in Portugal?
Go Shopping - Minimum Purchase amount required.
Look for the Global Blue logo in-store
When paying for your purchases, ask for a Global Blue Tax Free Form
If you are a Global Blue member, present your Shop Tax Free barcode to store staff. Your details will be filled out automatically
If not, show your passport
The taxable amount on the sale of goods and the supply of services is the value received by the seller or supplier in exchange for the goods or services supplied without Value Added Tax (VAT).
The taxable amount includes:
taxes, duties, fees and other charges
incidental costs charged, e.g. commissions, packaging, transport, insurance and advertising
subsidies linked to the price of the transaction, set before the sale or provision of services takes place and established on the basis of the number of units transmitted or the volume of services rendered.
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What is the VAT in Portugal?
Are the sales taxes in Portugal high? Yes
How to get a tax refund in Portugal?
There are 2 different ways to get a refund.
Download the Global Blue app.
Create an account
Your details are securely saved automatically. No more forms to fill out.
The benefit is Automatic Refunds
Add your chosen payment details. Once your goods are validated, you will receive your refund automatically.
Shop at a Global Blue store.
Fill out the paperwork.
Go to the airport.
Use the Global Blue kiosk to submit your refund.
If you are in a hurry, you can mail the forms and receipts.
How much is the VAT refund in Portugal?
The standard VAT rate in Portugal is 23%. Portugal will reimburse between 13.75% and 14.5% of the amount you spend during your trip on products subject to standard VAT rates. If you are charged the full 23% tax, you will not get it all back.
In Portugal, Value Added Tax (VAT) is known as Imposto sobre o Valor Acrescentado (IVA). The standard rate on the mainland of Portugal is 23%, with intermediate and reduced rates of 13% and 6% applying to specific goods like food, books, and hotel stays. The refund you receive is not the full amount of taxes paid on the items you purchase.
Step 3: Getting the VAT Refund- Where to Claim Your Refund
The process of getting a VAT refund at the airport.
Go to the Global Blue kiosk at the airport in front of the Tax Free Store.
I prefer to complete the refund online.
Is it difficult to get a tax-free refund in Portugal? No
I thought it would be more difficult than it was at the airport to get my Tax Free Global Blue form validated. I purchased earrings and other jewelry at our local Jeweler outside of the airport. They completed the tax-free form using my passport.
Where to get a refund? Airport or online
Airport Tax-Free Shopping Kiosk
When we were at the airport, I went to the Tax-free kiosk and scanned my passport. I followed the prompts. Then scanned the forms and chose how to receive the tax money back. I chose to charge my credit card. It was easy. There was a worker behind the tax-free counter if you had a problem. The kiosk is before you enter the Tax-Free shopping store.
Can you shop Tax-Free at the Airport? Yes
I also shopped at the Portuguese store at the airport and spent a total of 75.00 euros. I had the cashier complete the Tax form and then went back to the kiosk to receive the tax back. You must spend $61.50 or euros in one store to be eligible for the Tax break. You can buy one item or a total of items.
What is the VAT refund amount in Portugal?
Portugal's refund rate ranges from 12% to 15% of the purchase amount, with a minimum purchase amount of 61.5 euros per receipt. You can buy items that total $61.50 or more. Pharmacy goods, food, books, medical products, and items purchased in Madeira and the Azores Islands are tax-free, too. You need to have permanent residence in a non-EU country to be eligible.
Step 4: Enjoy Your Savings
Ways to enjoy the money saved through tax-free shopping.
Refund to credit card
Lisbon, Portugal
Can I reclaim VAT on accommodation?
VAT cannot generally be reclaimed on the following items: • entertainment for clients, staff, personal use of assets, etc; • food and drink (unless acquired as stock-in-trade for resale); • accommodation (unless at a 'qualifying' conference); • passenger cars (20% of VAT is recoverable on purchase, lease, or hire
How much do I need to spend in Portugal to qualify for tax-free shopping? 61.50 euros
Where to eat in Portugal on a budget? Pensao, Continente store
What is the best ATM to use in Portugal? MB
Time limit for archiving transaction records
Business owners must keep transaction records for 10 years.
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Global Blue Addresses
Printed Tax Free Forms validated by Customs and original receipt must be sent to:
Standard and registered mailGlobal Blue P.O. Box 363, 810 00 Bratislava,Slovakia, EuropeFor courierGlobal Blue, Mlynske nivy 55 (the Mill), 821 09 Bratislava,Slovakia, Europe
Lisbon airport
The airport can be busy one day and not so busy another day. The day of the week and time of departure or arrival matter.
Arriving at the Lisbon airport for a departure, allow 4 hours for non-Schengen destinations and 3 hours for Schengen ones. If you are returning a rental car at the airport, allow an extra 30 minutes for its return near Terminal 1.
Upon reaching Terminal 1, a large plasma screen in the main entry area informs you of your flight's check-in area. Each airline has a designated check-in area labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, with corresponding numbers. Some airlines will only check you in 3 hours before the flight.
For checked luggage, follow your airline's assigned letter and number to the specific check-in line. If you have carry-on only, check in online or use the self-check-in kiosk to get your boarding pass. We usually fly on American Airlines. The staff is extremely helpful. After we check in and drop off the checked bags, we head to the AA lounge upstairs above the food court.
After check-in, follow signs for the "Boarding Gates". You will only need your boarding pass to enter these gates. You will then join the line to clear carry-on security. These lines can be long. There is a sign stating the approximate minutes to clear security. The line zigzags back and forth. This is only checking you and your bags. You still need to clear passport security after the food court.
After carry-on bag security clearance, you enter a large food court and duty-free shops. The airline lounges are upstairs. The lounge has a plasma illuminated screen telling you which flights are boarding. Flight gates and locations are displayed there. Gates for USA or Canada flights (N41-47) are past the food court; Do not hang around the food court for long, as Non-Schengen travelers will have to undergo passport control, sometimes taking 30-45 minutes. Terminal 1 gates are divided into S7-26 for Schengen and N41-47 for non-Schengen. The new e-gates have opened, allowing for passport checks to be quicker than before. I think there are more than 50 kiosks to check your passport.
E-passport kiosks at passport control are available if all travelers are over 18, Portugal was the Schengen entry point, and you have an electronic passport. All USA passports are electronic. My husband is a Portuguese citizen, so I go with him, and we can remain as a group. He has an EU passport.
Post-passport control, you enter the "non-Schengen" transfer area near the gates, featuring smaller cafes and shops.
Heads up: There is a hidden passport check for travelers going to the USA. If your boarding pass has a red circle on the bottom left, you will have additional screening at the gate. I was randomly picked last year. This took an additional 25 minutes to board the airplane. I had to have all of my bags checked, passport screened, and I even had to remove the case on my cell phone for scanning.
I prefer to arrive early whenever I fly. I like to have extra time built in so we are not arguing about being late. It makes for calmer entries and exits on our trips. Lisbon airport can cause me extra anxiety because you have to go through your carry-on bag check, the tax-free shopping area, the food court, and then the passport check before the gates. My hubby enjoys the AA lounge above the food court, so we stop there for a short visit. Safe travels.
Things I do not like about the Lisbon Airport:
Random extra screening at the gate
Departing passengers and arriving passengers are in the same areas.
Passport check is after the food court and shopping areas.
There is a lot of walking to get to the gate when you are departing.
It feels like you're in a loud maze when you arrive at the airport from your airplane.
People are in line to enter their airplane; people are strolling around the airport; other passengers are trying to exit the gate, get their checked bags, and exit the airport.
Things that I like about the Lisbon Airport
You can purchase a Vodafone SIM card in the baggage claim area for your travels within Portugal. I paid 35 euros for unlimited data for 30 days.
The restaurants are reasonably priced, and the food is good.
Taxis are in front of the airport. You can't miss them.
It is clean.
The staff is friendly and helpful.
Portugal Quick facts
Capital | Lisbon Lisboa |
Populations 2026 | 10.4 million |
Currency | Euros |
Time Zone | WET 1 hour behind Spain year-round 5 hours ahead of EST (New York) |
EU Member | since 1986 |
Land Borders | Spain |
Calling code for telephone | 351 |
Area | @ 92,000 km2 |
Language | Portuguese Most people under 30 can speak Portuguese and English |
Number of Regions | 18 districts plus Madeira Island and the Azores |
Emergency Contact telephone number | 112 |
To call the USA from Portugal | 00 1 area code local number |
Telecommunication companies in Portugal | MEO NOS Vodafone |
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