Lisbon

If Portugal is your main destination, the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar issues the visa on Portugal's behalf — there is no need to go to Beijing. Book an appointment online with VFS Global and attend in person at the embassy premises to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus a 100,000₮ VFS service fee. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days.

Tip: Your main destination is the country where you spend the most nights. If you combine Spain and Portugal, the German Embassy represents both.

Medical insurance of at least €30,000 valid across Schengen is mandatory. Attach a return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and an employment letter. On first entry to Schengen the EES system records your fingerprints and face; ETIAS does not apply to visa holders.

Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, Belém Tower and the Oceanarium all use timed tickets that sell out, especially in summer. Buy only on the official sites — look-alike reseller sites charge more.

Take the red line from Aeroporto and change at Alameda or São Sebastião for other lines. A single is €1.90, and the reusable Navegante Ocasional card costs €0.50 the first time; tapping a contactless bank card at the gate costs €1.92. Load 'Zapping' credit on the card and each ride costs €1.72.

Tip: One card is for one person — get a separate card for each family member.

With lots of luggage or children, a taxi, Bolt or Uber is quickest into town. The official taxi rank is outside arrivals; taxis run on the meter, with luggage and night supplements. Ignore strangers offering 'taxis'.

If you fly MIAT to Frankfurt, you enter Schengen there and continue to Lisbon on an intra-Schengen flight — there is no passport check on arrival in Lisbon. Leave enough time between connections and check that your bags are checked through.

If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: it works as soon as you land in Frankfurt or Lisbon. Pick a Europe-wide plan and it works in your connecting city too.

Tip: Download Lisbon and Sintra in Google Maps and Portuguese in Google Translate for offline use.

Buy a SIM with your passport at a MEO, NOS or Vodafone store or airport counter. City stores are cheaper than the airport and offer big data bundles. An EU SIM works in other Schengen countries at no extra charge.

A single on the metro and Carris buses and trams is €1.90, or €1.72 with Zapping. A 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket is €7.25, or €11.40 including CP trains. Buying from the tram driver costs €3.30 — top up your card instead.

Tram 28 runs through the old quarters and the 15E goes to Belém. Since the Glória funicular accident in September 2025, the Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars are closed; the Graça funicular reopened in April 2026. The Santa Justa lift runs, but queues are long.

CP urban trains run to Sintra from Rossio station and to Cascais from Cais do Sodré. A Lisbon–Sintra or Lisbon–Cascais return is €5.10 each; the 24-hour Train & Bus ticket covering the trains and Sintra buses 434 and 435 is €14. Give Sintra a full day.

Most places take cards and phone payments; small cafés and markets may want a little cash. Withdraw euros from Multibanco bank ATMs; tourist ATMs such as Euronet charge high fees. Tipping is optional — round up for good service.

Tip: If the ATM or card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.

In Lisbon, guests aged 13 and over pay €4 per night, up to 7 nights per stay (€28). Hotels collect it separately. Sintra, Cascais and other towns may have their own tax.

Non-EU visitors show their passport in shops with a Tax Free sign to get the form. Validate it at the electronic customs kiosk at the airport where you leave the EU — in Frankfurt if you connect there.

Pastel de nata (custard tart), salt cod (bacalhau), grilled sardines, the bifana pork sandwich, octopus (polvo) and seafood rice (arroz de marisco). Children like roast chicken (frango assado) and the prego steak sandwich.

Tip: Bread, olives and cheese put on the table unasked (the 'couvert') are charged — send them back if you don't want them.

Lunch is at midday and dinner starts late. The weekday lunchtime 'prato do dia' (dish of the day) is cheap and good. Small family-run 'tascas' are cheaper and tastier than restaurants on the tourist streets.

Buy groceries at Pingo Doce, Continente, Lidl and Minipreço. Campo de Ourique market and the market hall under the Time Out Market sell fresh fish and fruit. Tap water is drinkable.

Police, ambulance and fire all answer on 112 — free, 24 hours, from any phone. For health advice call the SNS 24 line. The emergency department is 'Urgência'; the children's hospital is Hospital Dona Estefânia.

Thieves work Tram 28, the Baixa, Rossio, Alfama and Belém — they create crushes at tram doors. Ignore people offering drugs in the street. Don't leave your phone unattended at viewpoints or on the beach.

Cobbles get slippery in the rain and the hills are steep — hard going with a pushchair. The summer sun is strong; drink plenty of water. If you lose your passport, report it to the PSP police and contact the Mongolian embassy accredited to Portugal — check contact details on consul.mn.

'Bom dia' (good morning), and 'Obrigado' (said by a man) or 'Obrigada' (said by a woman) for thank you. Many Portuguese dislike being addressed in Spanish; English is the better choice.

Cover shoulders and knees in churches. Talking or filming during a fado song is frowned upon — clap when it ends. Keep the noise down near doors and windows — people live in Alfama.

Friends greet with a kiss on both cheeks; a handshake is usual on first meeting. You ask for the bill — 'A conta, por favor'. Meals are relaxed — nobody will rush you.

Google Maps covers Lisbon's metro, trams and buses well. Bolt and Uber are usually cheaper than taxis. Check card types and zones on the Navegante site.

Bookmark the official sites: parquesdesintra.pt, regaleira.pt, castelodesaojorge.pt and oceanario.pt. Google Translate's camera mode translates Portuguese menus on the spot.

Take the metro red line to Aeroporto station; a single is €1.90. Be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight: the EES exit check, Tax Free and security can be slow.

Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. If you connect via Frankfurt, you exit Schengen there. Carry Tax Free goods in your hand luggage.