Hate paying unnecessary ATM fees?
Us too!
As digital nomads, it’s part of our everyday life to figure out the best travel cards and where to get our money.
The ATMs in Lisbon were surprisingly good because some had ZERO fees every time you withdrew cash. But that’s not the case for all of them!
There are still some ATMs in Lisbon that are charging a ridiculous fee for you to take money out – no matter how small or big the amount. That’s why it’s important to find out which are the best ATMs in Lisbon and where you can find them across the city.
Here’s the complete Lisbon ATM guide to help you avoid unnecessary fees, paying a commission on exchange fees and the best ATMs that offer free withdrawals.
QUICK GUIDE: Using ATMs In Lisbon, Portugal
Want to pay zero fees when withdrawing cash from ATMs in Lisbon? The best ATMs to withdraw cash are machines with a Multibanco sign on them. Why? This sign means that it is part of the Multibanco network of 27 Portuguese banks offering free withdrawals. Locals and foreigners can use the Multibanco system.
We have used Banco Santander ATMs that had the Multibanco sign with no issues. The withdrawal limit in Portugal is usually around 200-400 euros per day. If the ATM asks for a 6-digit pin, simply input your 4-digit pin and press enter – you should be fine!
Do you need cash in Portugal? The short answer is yes. It’s always good to have a few euros on you as a traveler. Whether it’s the small change to pay for a walking tour or if you want to buy a drink at a small convenience store – you’ll need cash.
What Currency Does Portugal Use?
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 In Lisbon Should I Withdraw Money From?
There are a lot of ATMs in Lisbon to use but not all of them are recommended. Why?
Some ATMs in Lisbon charge ridiculously high fees and you DON’T need to pay that. There are perfectly good and most importantly, FREE ATMs to use in Lisbon, Portugal.
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 Lisbon.
Trusted ATMs in Lisbon, Portugal
Which are the best banks in Lisbon to trust?
There are quite a few banks you can trust 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 Lisbon you can trust and find all around the city:
- Banco Santander ATM Portugal
- Barclays ATM Portugal
- Millenium BCP ATM Portugal
- BBVA ATM Portugal
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 Lisbon 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.
Are ATMs Free In Lisbon?
Yes and no – you’ve got to be careful about choosing your ATMs.
You don’t have to 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 Fees For Portugal ATMs
There is one evil ATM in Lisbon that you should avoid at all costs that are called…
…Euronet Worldwide ATMs!
They charge ridiculously high fees for withdrawing money (no matter how small or high the amount). You will find Euronet ATMs wherever they can easily trap tourists in places like the arrivals area at the Lisbon airport or shopping malls. They don’t just operate in Portugal, Euronet ATMs are spread all across Europe in major cities like Paris, Amsterdam and Athens.
I don’t mean to be so harsh but you know, that’s how they earn their money! If you don’t care about paying withdrawal fees, they are very conveniently located at many European airports.
We avoid using Euronet ATMs and always give them a mean 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!
6-Digit Pins On Lisbon 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?
Simply 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. If you’ve only got a 4-digit pin, don’t worry! Just enter your details per usual and it should be fine!
Portugal ATM Withdrawal Limit
Most ATMs in Portugal allow up to 200 euros per withdrawal and a limit of 400 euros per day. If you need to get more cash than that per day, unfortunately, you can’t with the same card.
If you have an upcoming payment that’s more than 400 euros (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 Lisbon?
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 euros out depending on how long you are traveling across Portugal.
You can find ATMs in Lisbon in places like:
- shopping malls
- metro stations
- and around most street corners
If you want specific ATM locations in the city center of Lisbon, these are the ones 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!
Can You Make Card Payments In Lisbon?
Yes, you definitely can!
We were pleasantly surprised by just how many things we could pay for by card. You can pay for things like groceries, drinks at bars and food at restaurants with a card. 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’.
Is Contactless Payment In Lisbon A Thing?
Yes, most card machines can do contactless (pay wave, tap) payments.
Do You Need Cash While Visiting Lisbon?
Yes and no!
Most places accept cards but there are those random times when you just need cash. What kind of scenarios, you ask?
If you go on any walking tours and want to tip your guide, you’ll need cash. If you want to buy Giginha from the streets of Alfama, you’ll need cash.
We recommend having 20-50 euros on hand while visiting Portugal. The amount can depend on how long you plan to spend traveling the country. If you continue to other European countries that have the Euro currency, you can get as much as you want out.
Will Your Credit Card or Debit Card Work 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 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 fret at the sight of it. If you can, we recommend having a variety of cards so you don’t run into trouble!
If you’re visiting any of the popular cities in Portugal like Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve – you shouldn’t have a problem paying by card.
The Cards We Use For Better Exchange Rates And No Fees
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…
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 ours while living in Bali as digital nomads fairly quickly! 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.
Conclusion: ATMs In Lisbon Are Plenty, But Watch Out For The Fees
Here’s the bottom line on ATMs in Lisbon – you won’t have any trouble finding ATMs across the city, they are everywhere! What’s the best news?
FREE withdrawals are possible in Lisbon, Portugal!
Yes, you don’t have to pay fees, if you know what to look for. Here’s the thing – it doesn’t really matter which bank (or ATM machine) you go with – you can use most ATMs in Lisbon for FREE if…
…they have the Multibanco sign on them. The Multibanco network allows you to withdraw cash for free from approximately 27 Portuguese banks.
The ATM you should avoid at all costs is Euronet Worldwide. You will find these at the Lisbon airport and you just need to look the other way. They 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 the city’s establishments accept cards 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!
