Rules · Portugal
Wild camping and overnight parking in Portugal with a motorhome or campervan: what the law says
Since 25 August 2021 an IMT-approved motorhome may stay overnight (22:00 to 07:00 with people on board) for up to 48 hours in the same municipality, unless the municipality has its own regulation. Overnight stays and "aparcamento" are banned in Rede Natura 2000 areas, protected areas and zones covered by coastal plans (POOC), except at places authorised for it. Fines are €60 to €300, or €120 to €600 in those protected zones.[1][2]
Last reviewed 14 October 2026 against the primary sources listed below. Mainland Portugal and the islands, under the national Código da Estrada. Municipal regulations and signs can be stricter. This is a summary of the law, not legal advice: local signs and bylaws can be stricter.
At a glance
| Where | Verdict | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Street or public car park, outside protected areas, no municipal rule | Allowed with limits | IMT-approved motorhomes only; up to 48 hours in the same municipality.[2] |
| Where the municipality has its own regulation | Depends on local rules | The 48-hour permission applies only where there is no municipal regulation for the activity.[2] |
| Rede Natura 2000, protected areas, POOC coastal zones | Not allowed | Overnight stays and aparcamento are banned outside places expressly authorised for it.[2] |
| Places expressly authorised (motorhome areas) | Allowed | The law sets no limit on the number of nights there.[2] |
| Camping on the street: awning, chairs, using more space than the vehicle | Not allowed | Art. 48.º n.º 7 forbids camping activities and occupying space beyond the vehicle's perimeter.[2] |
| Emptying waste or water outside disposal points | Not allowed | Art. 48.º n.º 7 b).[2] |
Where you can stay and service your van in Portugal
- Aires & motorhome parking
- 336
- Of those, recorded free
- 69
- Campsites
- 385
- Service points (dump stations)
- 121
Counts of places mapped in OpenStreetMap; 21% of aires and parking places are tagged free. Being on the map doesn't make overnighting legal at a spot: check its page and the signs.
- Motorhome aires in Portugal 328
- Dump stations in Portugal 121
- Water points in Portugal 251
- Motorhome aires in Faro 68
- Motorhome aires in Leiria 28
- Motorhome aires in Coimbra 22
- Motorhome aires in Guarda 19
- Motorhome aires in Aveiro 17
- Motorhome aires in Santarém 17
- Motorhome aires in Lisbon 16
- Motorhome aires in Setúbal 16
The 48-hour rule, exactly
Article 50.º-A of the Código da Estrada ("Pernoita e aparcamento de autocaravanas") says that in the rest of the country, and where there is no municipal regulation for the activity, IMT-approved motorhomes may stay overnight for a maximum of 48 hours in the same municipality. At places expressly authorised for overnight stays there is no limit on the number of nights.[2]
A "pernoita" (overnight stay) is defined as a motorhome or similar vehicle remaining in place, with occupants, between 22:00 and 07:00.[2]
The law does not say "consecutive" hours, and it limits only overnight stays, not daytime parking.[2]
When the rule started
Article 50.º-A was first added to the Código da Estrada by Decreto-Lei n.º 102-B/2020 of 9 December 2020. That version banned both overnight stays and aparcamento everywhere outside authorised places, defined the overnight window as 21:00 to 07:00 and had no 48-hour allowance. Its fines were €60 to €300, or €120 to €600 in Rede Natura 2000 and protected areas.[3]
Lei n.º 66/2021 rewrote the article. It was published in the Diário da República on 24 August 2021 and, under its article 4.º, entered into force the day after publication: 25 August 2021. Pages that give a later or earlier start date are wrong.[1]
In the consolidated text, which runs to Lei n.º 24/2025 of 12 March 2025, article 50.º-A has been amended only by Lei n.º 66/2021.[2]
Does it apply to my campervan?
The article covers an "autocaravana ou similar": a vehicle with a living space, or adapted for one, classified by the IMT (the Portuguese vehicle authority) as "autocaravana", "especial dormitório" or "caravana".[2]
The 48-hour permission is written for motorhomes "homologadas" (approved) by the IMT. A van converted without that classification does not clearly benefit from it. The text does not mention vehicles registered abroad, and we have not found an official clarification.[2]
Where it's banned
Overnight stays and aparcamento are prohibited in Rede Natura 2000 areas, protected areas and zones covered by the Planos de Ordenamento da Orla Costeira (coastal plans), except at places expressly authorised for it.[2]
Separately, article 48.º n.º 6 bans parking motorhomes at all in Rede Natura 2000 areas, protected landscape areas and POOC zones outside places authorised for vehicle parking.[2]
Check signs and the municipality's rules before you stop near the coast.
Parking, "aparcamento" and camping on the street
"Aparcamento" is defined as parking the vehicle while occupying more space than its own perimeter. The law lists no examples, but an awning, chairs or a table set up outside the van take up more space than the vehicle.[2]
Motorhomes park under the same conditions as other vehicles, but article 48.º n.º 7 adds that they must respect municipal parking and traffic regulations and forbids camping and associated activities on the public road and public space, emptying organic waste and water outside proper disposal systems, and occupying more of the road or public space than the motorhome's perimeter.[2]
The registration platform
Article 50.º-A n.º 7 to 9 allows the Government to make the 48-hour permission subject to a daily registration on a free electronic platform that validates the location and keeps the record for up to 60 days. The same platform is to log validation of where the vehicles regularly discharge their waste water. Where that applies, not complying increases the fine by 50%.[2]
Fines and penalties
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Overnight stay or aparcamento outside the rules of art. 50.º-A n.º 2 | €60 to €300[2] |
| The same in Rede Natura 2000, protected areas or POOC coastal zones | €120 to €600[2] |
| Parking a motorhome in those zones outside authorised parking (art. 48.º n.º 6) | €60 to €300[2] |
| Camping on the street, emptying waste or water, using space beyond the vehicle (art. 48.º n.º 7) | €30 to €150[2] |
| Paying on the spot | Settles the fine at the minimum amount[2] |
Know before you go
Changes to this page
- 14 October 2026: Re-checked against the Lei 66/2021 text in the Diário da República and the consolidated Código da Estrada. Added the 2020 fines and the municipal-regulation duty in art. 48.º n.º 7; amendment history now cited to the consolidated text.
- 13 October 2026: First published. All claims checked against Lei 66/2021 and the consolidated Código da Estrada.
Sources
- Lei n.º 66/2021, de 24 de agosto, Diário da República. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Código da Estrada (Decreto-Lei n.º 114/94), consolidated text: arts. 48.º and 50.º-A, Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Código da Estrada art. 50.º-A, version added by Decreto-Lei n.º 102-B/2020, Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa. Accessed 14 October 2026.
Written and checked by Campervan Atlas against these sources. Spotted a change in the law? Tell us.