Without Via Verde, electronic tolls in Portugal (the gantries with no booths) are paid after the trip, at CTT post offices, at a Payshop agent or by Multibanco reference. You have 15 working days, counted from midnight of the next day, plus €0.32 per trip in admin fees, up to €2.56 per payment. Miss the deadline and the fine is 5 times the toll, at least €25.
This guide explains, step by step, how to pay tolls without Via Verde, when the amounts show up, what to do if the deadline has passed, how it works for foreign-plated cars and what changes when you buy a used car. For a general overview of motorways, prices and systems, see our guide to tolls in Portugal.
Traditional tolls and electronic tolls: the difference
Portugal has two kinds of toll, and only one of them is paid afterwards:
- traditional toll: there is a barrier with booths. You take a ticket on entry and pay on exit, in cash or by card, at no extra cost. Just avoid the lanes reserved for Via Verde;
- electronic-only toll: no booths, only gantries over the road that read the number plate. You cannot pay on the spot, so without a device the toll stays outstanding until you pay it.
Stretches with electronic-only tolls are signposted at the entrance, and each gantry has a panel showing the amount charged per vehicle class. According to the PT Tolls portal of Infraestruturas de Portugal, there are electronic charging points on motorways such as the A4, A7, A8, A11, A16, A17, A19, A21, A25, A28, A29, A33, A41 and A42 (in some cases only on certain stretches).
Since 1 January 2025, Law 37/2024 abolished tolls on several former SCUT motorways in the interior and the Algarve, such as the A22 and the A23. Before a trip, check the PT Tolls simulator to see whether your route still has gantries.
How to pay tolls without Via Verde: 3 ways
Post-payment is only available for cars with Portuguese plates. Trips can take up to 48 working hours to become available for payment, so do not worry if they do not show up the same day.
1. Multibanco reference from the CTT website or by SMS
This is the easiest way. On the CTT website you enter the plate and your mobile number and get a Multibanco reference. You can also request it by SMS to 68881 (costs €0.30) with the text CTTMB, the plate and your tax number (NIF), separated by spaces.
- the reference covers all tolls still within the deadline plus the admin fees;
- it can be paid at any Multibanco ATM or in online banking and is valid for 2 days;
- pay the exact amount: according to CTT, a different amount, even a higher one, leaves the tolls unpaid;
- within 48 hours you get an SMS confirming payment, with a reference to obtain a receipt.
2. At a CTT post office
At the counter you just give the number plate. At CTT you can choose which days to pay, but you always pay the full toll amount for those days. Handy when several people used the car and each pays for their own trips.
3. At a Payshop agent
At a Payshop agent (many newsagents, kiosks and cafés) you also pay with the plate, but here you have to pay all tolls within the deadline at once.
Deadline to pay tolls: 15 working days
The post-payment deadline is 15 working days, counted from midnight of the day after passing the gantry. It was extended from 5 to 15 working days by Ordinance 60/2022, in force since February 2022. Weekends and public holidays do not count.
In practice, a trip made on a Monday, with no holidays in between, can be paid until the Monday three weeks later (the 15th working day). Do not leave it to the last day: after the 15th working day you can no longer pay at CTT or Payshop.
How much it costs to pay tolls without Via Verde
You pay the toll shown on the gantry panel plus the admin fees set by law:
- €0.32 per trip, up to a maximum of €2.56 per payment (VAT included);
- drivers with a device (Via Verde, CTT prepaid or another) do not pay these fees.
A return trip paid a few days later therefore costs €0.64 extra. If you use gantry motorways every week, a device pays for itself quickly. According to PT Tolls, a Via Verde device costs €37.50 (with electronic statements) or comes as a subscription, and the CTT prepaid device costs €45. The details are in our Via Verde guide.
What if you do not pay in time? Overdue tolls and fines
After 15 working days you can no longer pay at CTT or Payshop. You have to contact the operator of the motorway you used. The process follows Law 25/2006:
- notice: the car owner, identified by the plate in the vehicle register, gets a letter to pay the toll and related admin fees within 30 working days;
- offence report: if you neither pay nor state within that period that you were not the driver, a report is drawn up and the debt goes to the Tax Authority, which handles the offence;
- fine: since 1 July 2024, under Law 27/2023, the fine ranges from 5 times the toll, never less than €25, up to double that minimum;
- several trips in one month: if made by the same driver, with the same car, on the same motorway, the maximum fine is that of a single offence; the minimum is based on the sum of the tolls.
So a forgotten €1.50 toll can reach the Tax Authority as a fine of €25 or more, on top of costs and the toll itself. Paying on time is by far the cheapest option.
Unpaid tolls do not cost points on your licence, because they are not a Highway Code offence. To check for other pending fines, follow our guide to checking traffic fines online.
Foreign-plated cars: how to pay tolls
Foreign plates cannot use CTT post-payment. You need an active payment method before the first gantry. According to the PT Tolls portal of Infraestruturas de Portugal, the options are:
- EasyToll: links a bank card to the plate; €1 sign-up plus €0.32 per trip, valid for 30 days;
- Tollcard: prepaid card of €5, €10, €20 or €40, activated by SMS, valid for one year, plus €0.32 per trip;
- Go Toll (Via Verde): subscription of €0.77 per month, only in months of use, plus €0.32 per trip;
- a device from your home country, if the issuer has an agreement with Via Verde (check with the issuer first).
EasyToll and Tollcard do not work on the 25 de Abril and Vasco da Gama bridges, where you pay at the booth. If you have already driven through without a payment method, contact the motorway operator to settle the trips.
On AUTO.MOTO.PT, on 2 November 2026, 6,012 of the 9,832 cars for sale (61%) were imported, almost all already on Portuguese plates. If you buy an imported car that does not yet have Portuguese plates, tolls follow the foreign-plate rules while it runs on its original plates.
Bought a used car? Watch out for the previous owner’s tolls
Notices for unpaid tolls go to whoever is in the vehicle register. If you buy a car and the registration is still in the seller’s name, your trips may end up in their letterbox, and the other way round.
- complete the vehicle registration in your name right after buying;
- if the car has a Via Verde device, it is tied to the seller’s contract: ask them to remove or cancel it;
- agree with the seller who pays the tolls for the last weeks before handover.
If you are looking for a car, browse the used cars for sale on AUTO.MOTO.PT. In the AUTO.MOTO app you can save your search and get an alert when a new car within your budget appears.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pay tolls without Via Verde?
With Portuguese plates, after the trip: by Multibanco reference from the CTT website or by SMS to 68881, at a CTT post office or at a Payshop agent.
How long do I have to pay tolls?
15 working days, counted from midnight of the day after passing the gantry. Amounts can take up to 48 working hours to appear.
Can I pay tolls online?
Yes. On the CTT website you request a Multibanco reference with the plate and your mobile number and pay it in online banking. The reference is valid for 2 days.
How much are the admin fees?
€0.32 per trip, up to €2.56 per payment, VAT included. Drivers with an electronic device do not pay them.
What happens if I do not pay the tolls?
You get a notice to pay the toll and fees within 30 working days. If you still do not pay, the case goes to the Tax Authority, with a fine of 5 times the toll, at least €25.
How do I pay overdue tolls?
After 15 working days it is no longer possible at CTT: contact the motorway operator or pay through the notice you receive.
Do unpaid tolls cost licence points?
No. Unpaid tolls are punished under Law 25/2006, not the Highway Code, so they do not cost points.
