In Portugal there are many ADSL or Fibre internet, mobile and fixed-line telephone providers. The best known are Vodafone, NOS and MEO. These providers offer different packages starting at 30€ including services such as
- unlimited Internet
- A pack of TV channels (including foreign channels)
- Unlimited landline telephone calls in Portugal and/or abroad
- Offers for mobiles with unlimited internet access on mobiles and fixed lines in Portugal
As in other European countries, the duration of Internet and telephone subscriptions in Portugal is 12 or 24 months. Here you can get big discounts or an interesting installment payment on the latest generation mobile phones when you subscribe. It is advisable to visit the 3 main Portuguese telephone companies to find out about these offers and choose the most interesting one. I personally obtained a free Huawei P9 Lite from NOS when I signed up.
It is important to note that, at the time of writing, Portugal has not yet introduced free mobile calls in Europe in its offers. Therefore, you won’t find unlimited mobile packages in Europe and you will have to give preference to other means of communication such as Skype or Whatsapp. However, this change is currently underway and is expected to take place in 2018.
Internet in Portugal: connection and subscription
Contrary to popular belief, the connection to Portugal is very fast in large cities like Lisbon and other smaller ones. Most homes have everything you need to install a fibre optic internet subscription and therefore very fast. However, I would advise you to ask in the shop for a check of the installations at your new address in case you move house. This verification can be done by remote agents by computer.
You can proceed to the subscription of the offers and services internet / telephone with the numerous shops present in all the cities of Portugal. You will need to present different documents such as :
- An identity document or passport
- Proof of address
- A bank statement for direct debits
- Your Contributor Number (TIN)
Please note that providing your bank statement (PIN) is not mandatory. It is possible to pay your bills directly from ATMs (MultiBanco). This will avoid errors or incorrect withdrawals from your Portuguese bank account. Check our page on opening a bank account in Portugal if you have not yet made your choice.
Once the offer is subscribed, the commissioning is fast and is carried out if necessary by the intervention of technicians at your home in order to install a line by ADSL or fibre. In case of a new subscription or contract in the name of a Portuguese or foreign company, it is possible to ask for the reimbursement of this intervention which can be around 100 to 150€.
