Useful Tips

Portugal
  • You can open a bank account at ABANCA, Activo Bank and Santander, with whom Alter Solutions has a partnership; 
  • Once you have an active account, theMB Way service can be very useful in your everyday life, helping you to make online payments and transfers to other users via your phone number.

  • There are several food delivery apps (from restaurants or supermarkets), including Uber Eats, Bolt Food (only in the Lisbon area) and Glovo;
  • The main supermarket chains in Portugal are: Continente, Auchan, Pingo Doce, Mercadona, Minipreço, Intermarché, Lidl and Aldi. The first three allow you to shop online with home delivery.
  • There are also multiple options of locations for you to buy Halal food. Check this link to know more. 
  • The main real estate agents (Remax, ERA, Century 21) have flats available for rent on their websites.
  • There are also platforms such as Idealista or Imovirtual.
  • Alter Solutions Alter Solutions has partnered with companies that help with the relocation process, such as  Facility4u,  Living Porto,  Remax and habita.
  • Informal Facebook groups for letting houses and rooms are valuable channels in this process. This is usually where you'll find the cheapest rental alternatives.
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  • The main petrol brands are: BP, Galp, Repsol and Prio, with petrol stations all over the country. You can get discounts at Repsol petrol stations with the Alter Solutions meal card.
  • A number of electric vehicle charging stations and posts are also available in Portugal. Most of these are in the Lisbon and Porto metropolitan areas. You can see the distribution of these points on the Electromaps 
  • Many urban areas in Portugal have paid parking, particularly in central areas. In Lisbon, this is managed by EMEL; in Porto, by Eporto.
  • Most public parking metres only allow cash payments. In Lisbon, the EMEL and Via Verde app enables you to pay for parking meters online, remotely. In Porto, you can do this via the Via Verde or Telpark apps.
  • Most motorways in Portugal will charge a toll. In some cases, when there is no physical toll station, this payment is made later, at a Post Office or via the “Pagamento de Portagens” portal.
  • In Lisbon, the carsharing service Free2Moveallows to access vehicles distributed throughout the city, offering mobility solutions without the need to own a car.
  • There are several passenger transport apps available in a number of Portuguese cities - Uber, Bolt, Free Now. Also, in some locations (especially Lisbon and Porto) it is possible to rent bicycles and scooters.
  • For those who choose to use public transport (train, metro, bus), there are monthly passes, for a more economical mobility option.
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Here are the main stores where you can find technological products and household appliances in Portugal:

In Portugal, there are several applications and websites where you can sell and buy second-hand items: