Your guide to Lisbon’s Transport
When I first settled into my new home in Lisbon I was very confused about how do I go about getting a frequent travel card. There was a lot of information online and not much up to date either.
In case you’re also struggling with getting all the information, here is a little guide on how to get the Lisbon frequent traveller public transportation card.
I would 100% recommend getting a Navegante Card!
The Navegante Card is a customised physical card that can be loaded with monthly passes valid for use on all modes of transport (such as buses, trains and metros)
There are a few different types of frequent traveller passes that you can get. The two main ones that are valid for all transportation operators are:
Municipal Navegante (30 Euro)
Metropolitan Navegante (40 Euro)
I would definitely recommend getting the Metropolitan Navegante (40 Euro) this Pass is valid in Lisbon and the 18 municipalities of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area while the 30 euro pass is only valid in Lisbon. The 30 euro pass is fine if you plan to stay in Lisbon for most of your trip but the 40 euro pass will allow you to venture outside of Lisbon to gorgeous places like Barreiro, Cascais, Loures, Palmela, Seixal, Setúbal, Sintra and more.
You can find the Transport grids for the Trains, Metros, Ferries clicking on the following links.
Where To Get The Physical Card
After determining which pass best meets your needs, you need to get a physical card. This card cannot be shared since it is personalised for only one person and features a picture on the back. You can obtain your physical Navegante Card as an urgent card if you need it right away. A card typically takes 10 business days to arrive. The "Carto Urgente" allows you to receive it the following business day.
Get the Metro to Marques de Pombal MetroStation. Here you will be able to get your card.
What you need to bring
Identification Document
You will need to bring an Identification Document. Make sure to bring an ID or your passport if you’re not a European citizen. On the form, you will have to write down the document number but they will also ask for your identification document at the counter so make sure to bring it with you.
Passport Picture
You can get a passport picture at stores that sell printed pictures. There is two places right beside the information desk in the metro station where you can get them done. Make sure to bring cash as they do not take international cards!
Form:
After getting your photo sorted you’ll find the form you must fill out in order to get your card, the form is located at the Urgent Card (Cartão Urgente) station.
The form is in Portuguese so here is a translated version of the form
After filling in the form you will need to get a ticket to wait your turn to give your photo, your ID and your filled out form to operator.
Biggest Tip: It usually takes a really long time to queue after you get your ticket to give your information to an operator for your card. I would recommend the app Proximo, it lets you queue digitally.
In the app, you can get a ticket digitally, and see how many people are queuing in total and how many are still in line before you. I would recommend taking a ticket at least 45 minutes before you plan to be there, as it can take quite a while. Just know if you miss your turn, you might need to queue again.
It’s best to stay close by and spend a little time in Parque Eduardo VII or grab a coffee somewhere. The app will give you a push notification if it’s your turn soon.
What’s Next
After you have filled out the form and they double-check your information at the counter, you will have to pay 12 Euros for the card. They will give you a little piece of paper with the information when you can pick it up. Just bring this the next time when you can pick up your card!
Once you have the physical card you can load the pass using a ticket machine at any of the metro stations.
I hope this guide helped you a little with what you have to do to get your metro card for frequent travellers :)