This post was most recently updated on January 6th, 2023
Can 16 years old drink in Portugal?
The legal drinking age in Portugal is 18 years. Initially, the legal age was 17 years, but it has been raised to 18 since the rise of illegal sales and bad alcoholism influence among young kids. However, in most cases, there is an exception for minors aged 16 and 17 to consume a glass of beer, wine, or cider with a meal in a restaurant if they are with their family.
If you are a tourist, you are suggested to bring your id, passport, or passport copy with you every time while buying alcohol.
The sale of alcoholic drinks is controlled by law, and only licensed businesses can serve or sell alcohol. It is an offense to serve alcohol to a person under 18, and pubs, hotels, and restaurants that serve alcohol can do so only during specified hours.
Offenders caught selling alcohol to minors could face fines that range from €500 to €30,000.
The new law for serving alcohol to only 18 years and above was passed on 1st July 2015. Before that, 16 and 17 years old could buy alcohol.
National media had explained that the new set of rules came from scientific studies that show “experimentation with alcohol is coming earlier and earlier in children” and that “the younger the age, the greater the likelihood of alcohol dependence in the future”.
One of the bad practices Portuguese people do is, they water down the alcohol (mainly wine) and give it to their kids who are 15/16 years old.
If kids start getting this kind of support from their families, they would obviously lean toward alcoholism at a young age. At least, that’s what I think. What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below.
Portugal Alcohol Laws
As we already discussed, the legal age for drinking in Portugal is 18 years. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is 0.5 grams per liter of blood, so don’t drive drunk.
If you are driving and your blood alcohol content measures over 0.5 grams per liter, you incur penalties of different gravity, varying based on the registered levels of blood alcohol content.
Can you drink on beaches in Portugal?
It’s also OK to drink in public places (like beaches) in Portugal, and it’s also more or less socially acceptable and very not frowned upon as long as you behave well and don’t cause any scenes or get into physical fights.
What time can I buy alcohol in Portugal?
It depends on where you are buying the alcohol from. Usually, supermarkets are open 7 days a week from 8 o’clock in the morning to 8 o’clock in the evening. If you are buying it from a pub or a bar, you could get it any time of the day or night.
Buying alcohol in Portugal is fairly straightforward, with supermarkets selling a wide range of alcoholic drinks alongside their other products.
How do you ask for a beer in Portugal?
If you need a beer, you ask, “Posso pegar uma lata de cerveja, por favor?”
What is the legal drinking age in Madeira?
The legal drinking age in Madeira is 18 years old which is the same all over Portugal.
What is the legal drinking age in the Azores?
The legal drinking age in the Azores is 18 years old, which is the same all over the country including Madeira.
What is the legal smoking age in Portugal?
The legal smoking age in Portugal is 18 years. You also have to be 18 years old to buy Cigarettes. Smoking is also prohibited in cars carrying children under the age of 16.
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