Lisbon Airport Arrivals

At Lisbon Airport, all arrivals are into Terminal 1. Generally, the low-cost airline's planes are parked close to Terminal 2 with a bus taking passengers to T1. These are Easyjet, Ryanair, Norwegian, Transavia, Blue Air and Wizz Air.

Most other airlines arrivals at T1 have direct airbridge access into the terminal from the front door of the aircraft. However, some planes park remotely which requires a bus transfer to the arrivals gate.

Passengers with reduced mobility or special needs can take advantage of Lisbon Airport's "My Way" assistance service. You need to request this in advance through your airline or travel agent, either at the time of booking or at least forty-eight hours in advance of your arrival.

Passport Control

When arriving on an international flight, passengers are required to show a valid passport to the immigration officers at passport control. Citizens from some countries may need a visa to enter Portugal, the details of which can be found here. Passengers from Schengen area countries and those on domestic flights don't have to go through passport control.

Baggage Reclaim

If you only have hand luggage you can continue straight to customs, but if you have hold bags they will arrive in the baggage reclaim hall. To find the number of the carousel assigned to your flight, check the main information screen. Each belt also has a screen showing the flight details and the baggage handling operator.

If any of your baggage is damaged or does not arrive at all, report it to the baggage handling agent whose offices are either in the baggage reclaim hall or the arrivals hall. Take photos of any damage before you leave the reclaim area.

In either case, report it to a representative of your airline as soon as possible. While their small print might say otherwise, they are responsible for any loss or damage under the Montreal Convention.

Customs

At customs, there are three channels, red for those with goods to declare, blue for EU passengers with no goods to declare and green for non-EU travellers with nothing to declare. There are different duty-free allowances for travelling within the EU or from outside. Also, some goods are restricted and may need to be declared. These could be foodstuffs, plants, electronics and cash over the value of €10,000. The details of allowances and restricted items are on the European Commission website.

Arrivals Hall

After customs, you will enter the public area of the arrivals hall. If you have arranged to be met by friends or a transfer driver they should be in this area.

Terminal 1 has a number of restaurants and snack bars where you can relax if you have to wait for your onward travel. There is free unlimited Wi-Fi so that you can keep in touch with friends and family. Other facilities include shops, information desk, cash points and currency exchange. The car rental offices are also located in the arrivals hall.

The taxi rank and bus stops are directly outside the arrivals area. The Metro is clearly signposted as are the car parks. For the furthest car parks, you can take the free airport shuttle bus. Tour operator and transfer buses park at the southern end of the terminal building.