Don’t want to pay unnecessary ATM fees in Portugal?

Us too!

Thankfully, you don’t have to! There are ATMs in Portugal that offer FREE withdrawals.

But that’s not the case for all of them!

There are still ATMs around the city charging ridiculous fees for you to withdraw cash – no matter how small or big the amount.

Matthew and I spent 1 month living in Lisbon as digital nomads. It’s part of our everyday life to figure out the best travel cards and where to withdraw cash. And as someone who hates paying ATM fees, you can bet Matthew found the best ATMs (without fees).

Here’s our complete Portugal ATM guide helping you spot the best ATMs to use (zero fees to withdraw). We’ve also included the ATM to avoid in Lisbon and general money tips.

Key Takeaways: Using ATMs In Portugal

The best ATMs to withdraw cash have a Multibanco sign on them. Why? This sign means that it is part of the Multibanco network aka 27 Portuguese banks offering free withdrawals.

Here’s our key takeaways for using ATMs in Portugal.

Currency In Portugal

The official currency used in Portugal is the Euro (EUR).

Portugal adopted the Euro back in 1999, 13 years after joining the European Union. This makes it very easy to convert if you are traveling across the Schengen Zone because it’s used by over 20 countries like France, Netherlands and Spain.

Which ATMs Should You Use In Portugal?

There are a lot of ATMs in Portugal to use but not all of them are recommended. Why?

Some ATMs in Portugal charge ridiculously high fees and you DON’T need to pay that. There are perfectly good and most importantly, FREE ATMs to use in Portugal, especially in Lisbon.

We lived in Lisbon for a month exploring the city and trying to live like a local doing mundane things like grocery shopping, withdrawing money and enjoying the local specialty coffee scene. With this digital nomad lifestyle, we are used to figuring out the banking and ATM system in countries like Greece, Colombia and Portugal.

If you need to withdraw cash and HATE paying fees like us, here’s the best guide to choosing the best ATMs in Lisbon and making payments while living in Portugal.

Trusted ATMs Around Portugal

Which are the best banks in Portugal?

You have quite a few options because of the Multibanco system. This makes it very easy and accessible to withdraw money for free. Here’s a quick list of the best ATMs in Portugal, including Lisbon that you can trust and find all around:

These are pretty big banks across Europe so you know you can trust them to withdraw cash. One isn’t necessarily better than the other which is good because that means you have SO many ATMs in Portugal you can use.

The 🔑 key to free withdrawals is the Multibanco sign! More than looking for the right banks, simply look for the Multibanco sign which is usually above the screen on the ATM.

Let’s understand what all this Mutlibanco mumbo jumbo means!

The Multibanco Network of ATMs

Portugal has made it very easy for locals to do their banking (even paying taxes via ATM) and foreigners to take cash out for their travels throughout the country.

How?

One word: Multibanco

Multibanco is a combined network of 27 Portuguese banks offering an easy ATM system for customers across the country. There are more than 12,000 ATMs in Portugal that are part of the Mulitbanco system.

What does this mean for locals and travelers?

The Multibanco system allows clients of participating banks (Banco Santander, BBVA, etc.) to pay bills, pay taxes and withdraw cash for free from an ATM machine.

If you are not a client of any of the participating banks (ie. a foreigner traveling Portugal), don’t worry! You can still use ATMs and enjoy the benefits of the Multibanco system even if you have foreign cards.

6-Digit Pins On Portugal ATMs

You’re going through the motions of withdrawing money and it is time to put in your pin but you see space for 6 numbers (eg. 123456).

What do you do if you’ve only got a 4-digit pin?

Add in your 4-digit pin and press enter.

The 4-digit pin is most common but some banks do issue 6-digit pins hence why they allow you to put 6 numbers. Just enter your details per usual and it should be fine!

Portugal ATM Withdrawal Limit

Most ATMs in Portugal allow up to €200 per withdrawal and a limit of €400 per day. If you need to get more cash than that per day, unfortunately, you can’t do so with the same card.

If you have an upcoming payment that’s more than €400 (for things like rent, for example), we suggest withdrawing the limit every day till you reach the amount you need. Again, it’s free to withdraw anyway if you use the Multibanco network of ATMs but you just need to plan ahead!

Where To Find ATMs In Portugal?

It’s easy to find ATMs in Lisbon because they are literally everywhere!

Although you can usually pay by card for most things in Lisbon, it’s always a good idea to have cash on hand.

That’s why we recommend getting at least around €20-€50 out depending on how long you are traveling across Portugal.

You can find ATMs in Portugal in places like:

• shopping malls
• metro stations
• and around most street corners

If you want specific ATMs in Lisbon, these are Google Maps locations we have personally used with no issues:

• Rossio Train Station
• Armazéns do Chiado (Shopping Mall)
• Millenium BCP Multibanco Liberdade
• Multibanco ATMs Baixa

If you want to search for ATMs near you in Lisbon, simply type ‘Multibanco’ into Google Maps and your options will pop up.

If you search for Multibanco, it eliminates ATMs like Euronet from popping up on your search and wasting your time!

Are ATMs Free In Portugal?

Yes…if they have the Multibanco sign on them. If not, they may charge a fee.

Euronet ATMs definitely charge a pretty penny to withdraw and the conversion rates aren’t good.

You won’t pay any withdrawal fees if you find ATMs with a Multibanco sign on them. There are ATMs in Lisbon that will charge you a fee if you’re not careful!

How To Avoid High Withdrawal Fees

There is one ATM in Lisbon to avoid called…

…Euronet Worldwide ATMs!

These ATMs charge ridiculously high fees for withdrawing money (no matter how small or large the amount).

If you’re after convenience though and don’t mind paying the high fees, they are located at Lisbon airport or shopping malls to easily access them.

Euronet ATMs are all over Europe, we just don’t use them ourselves after seeing the fees!

We avoid using Euronet ATMs and always give them a side-eye when we see them anywhere in Europe. If you hate unnecessary ATM fees as we do, you’ll also give those Euronet ATMs a little side-eye!

Is Cash or Card More Popular?

Both cash and card are widely accepted across Portugal.

We were pleasantly surprised by just how many things we could pay for by card at most places like the groceries, drinks and restaurants.

The only times we ran into issues was when we bought from the small convenience stores which seemed to only take cash or their card machine was ‘broken’.

If you go on any walking tours and tip your guide, you’ll need cash. If you want to buy Ginjinha (highly recommend trying this local berry liqueur) from the streets of Alfama, you’ll need cash.

We recommend having €20-€50 in cash on hand while visiting Portugal. The amount can depend on how long you plan to spend traveling the country. In general, Lisbon isn’t too expensive and that amount should get you through most things. It’s free to withdraw anytime, anyway!

Can You Use Your ATM Card In Lisbon?

Worried about your foreign card not working?

Most cards (debit or credit) should be accepted in Portugal.

If you have a US, Australian or UK card with a Visa or Mastercard – you should have no issues. A lot of countries in Europe accept Visa or Mastercard!

The cards you might run into trouble with are possibly American Express or Maestro networks.

Matthew and I have VISA, Mastercard and an AMEX. We rarely use the AMEX card because a lot of places either don’t accept or charge to use it.

If you’re visiting any of the popular cities in Portugal like Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve – you shouldn’t have a problem making card payments.

Best Travel Cards For Tourists & Nomads

We (mostly Matthew) loathe paying withdrawal fees and horrible conversion rates.

Before we got our travel cards, we had to use the Western Union method of getting cash which gets annoying real quick.

After talking to our circle of digital nomads friends, 2 fintech companies kept coming up again and again…

Revolut and Wise.

Matthew went straight into his research mode and checked both travel cards (comparing over 10).

He looked at things like conversion rates, withdrawal fees, insurance, subscription fees and so much more.

The result?

Revolut and Wise are simply the best travel cards for digital nomads.

We use Revolut daily because of our digital nomad lifestyle. It’s the best everyday card!

For bigger money transfers, we prefer using Wise. They serve somewhat of a different service for us at the moment but both are equally important!

Since getting Revolut and Wise, we don’t worry about conversion rates, withdrawal or commission fees anymore.

We have written comprehensive guides on using Revolut review and Wise review, giving our honest opinion and experiences on them if you want to read more.

They deliver the card to most countries within a week. We received our cards while living in Bali as digital nomads quick!

They have great apps you can download that are simple and user-friendly. You can easily convert, exchange, transfer and withdraw cash with Revolut and Wise!

These are the must-have cards for any digital nomads traveling or for tourists on a longer holiday.

Which ATMs In Lisbon Airport To Use?

We don’t typically recommend getting cash out of the ATMs at any airport, including Lisbon.

If you want zero fee withdrawals, wait until you get from Lisbon Airport to the city center.

Otherwise, the options at the airport for ATMs are the expensive Euronet machines. If you want convenience, these are very easy to find but it will cost more in the withdrawal fees and even the conversion rates are worse.

Getting to the city center is pretty simply in Lisbon. You can take the metro, rideshare app or a private transfer like Welcome Pickups. We usually take a rideshare on Bolt or Uber which both work in Lisbon.

But if you want someone to be waiting for you at the Arrivals area with a sign that takes you directly to your hotel – Welcome Pickups is a great option. We have tried this service in more than 5 countries and we’ve always had a positive experience!

Conclusion: Using Portugal ATMs

ATMs in Portugal are found everywhere.

But what’s the good news?

You can withdraw cash for free across the country if the ATMs have a Multibanco sign on them.

These are popular banks in Portugal to choose from:

• Banco Santander
• Millenium BCP
• Barclays

Here’s the thing – it doesn’t really matter which bank (or ATM machine) you choose. Just make sure they have the magic word – Multibanco on them.

The Multibanco network allows you to withdraw cash for free from approximately 27 Portuguese banks.

The ATM you should is Euronet Worldwide. They are found at the airports and malls but yhey charge ridiculously high fees to withdraw cash!

Lisbon, Portugal is a magical city filled with culture, delicious food like the pastel de nata and gorgeous scenery.

A lot of establishments accept card payments so you don’t need to worry too much about them!

We hope this blog post answered any questions you had about the ATMs in Lisbon, getting cash out and making card payments!

Frequently Asked Questions