Portugal

Is Portugal safe to visit?

Yes, and by most measures it is the safest of the big southern European destinations. Portugal ranks 7th of 163 countries on the 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary, the US gives it its lowest advisory level, and its internal security report counted 98 homicides in 2025, about 0.9 per 100,000 people. We score it 86, just ahead of Spain and Italy. Its weak spots are the roads, wildfires, and pickpockets in Lisbon.

Pickpockets in Lisbon and Porto

Theft is the crime most visitors will hear about. Pickpocketing in Lisbon rose 9.5% in the first half of 2026 to about ten reported thefts a day, according to Diário de Notícias, and tourists are the main targets.

The trams are the classic hunting ground, especially the 28 through Graça, Alfama and Baixa and the 15 to Belém. Lisbon police have spent years chasing tram pickpockets, and the gangs now also work the streets: Rossio and Praça do Comércio, the viewpoints of Alfama, the queues in Belém and the nightlife lanes of Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré. In Porto, watch your bag on the Ribeira waterfront, at São Bento station and on the Dom Luís I bridge.

A Lisbon quirk is the men on Rua Augusta, in Rossio and in Bairro Alto who quietly offer hashish or cocaine. What they sell is usually pressed bay leaves, and buying anything is illegal. They rarely bother anyone who says no, but the groups fight over the trade. On 10 August 2026 a 40-year-old tourist was hit in the chest by a stray bullet in the Baixa when two of them clashed; she survived, and three suspects are in pre-trial detention. Police have since reinforced patrols in the Baixa and other tourist areas.

Roads and transport

Portugal is less safe on the road than its neighbours. It recorded 589 road deaths in 2025, a preliminary figure in the EU data reported by ISTAT. That is 54.8 per million people, compared with 36.2 in Spain and an EU average of 43.4. Rural national roads, motorbikes and speed are the main factors. The A22 in the Algarve is busy in summer, northern mountain roads and the cliff roads of Madeira are narrow, and Portuguese drivers tailgate.

On 3 September 2025, the Glória funicular in central Lisbon derailed and crashed, killing 16 people and injuring about two dozen. The preliminary report by the accident investigator GPIAAF pointed to maintenance failures. The final report is now expected by the end of March 2027, and some of the city's other historic lifts have stayed closed for inspection. Metro, trains and the ordinary trams run normally.

Fire, heat and the Atlantic

Wildfires are Portugal's biggest natural hazard. The forest agency ICNF counted 269,085 hectares burned between January and mid-October 2025, the second-highest total since 2015. Most of it was in the interior districts of Guarda, Viseu and Castelo Branco, away from the main tourist areas, but fires also reach the Algarve hills around Monchique and the mountains of Madeira. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary notes that starting a fire, even by accident, can bring a fine or prison sentence.

Summer heat inland, in the Alentejo and the Douro valley, often passes 40°C. On the coast the bigger danger is the sea: the FCDO says people drown every year, warns of strong undertow and rip currents, and notes that falling rocks from eroding Algarve cliffs are a hazard. Earthquakes are a real but rare risk, and the Azores are the most active part of the country.

Hikers in Madeira and the Azores should take the levada and ridge paths seriously. The FCDO advises checking path closures and weather, as rain makes narrow trails slippery and unstable.

How to stay safe in Portugal

• Wear your bag in front on trams 15 and 28 and in the crowds at Rossio, Alfama and Belém, or walk the route instead.
• Ignore street drug offers in Baixa and Bairro Alto.
• Swim only at lifeguarded beaches and respect red and yellow flags; never sit under Algarve cliffs.
• If you hire a car, make sure it has a toll transponder and keep your distance on the motorway.
• In July and August, check the IPMA fire risk before hiking inland or in Madeira.
• Call 112 for emergencies, or the SNS 24 line (808 24 24 24, option 9 for English) for medical advice.

How we scored it

Violent crime (95) and conflict (93) are Portugal's strengths, with no serious terrorism or unrest. Road safety (77) and natural hazards (77) are its weakest factors, because of a road death rate above the EU average and large summer wildfires. Petty crime (68) is a smaller problem than in Barcelona or Rome, but rising in Lisbon.