How To Get The Lisbon Metro Pass
Getting the Lisbon transportation card for frequent travellers was definitely one of the more confusing things I had to deal with when I first settled into my new home. I struggled to find clear instructions online, as there are multiple websites and I did not really understand how everything works together. Not speaking Portuguese made this even trickier. Luckily I got help from some amazing people who gave me recommendations. In case you’re also struggling with getting all the information, here is a little guide on how to get the Lisbon public transport card.
This guide mainly focuses on how you can request your Lisbon Navegante Card. The Navegante Card is a personalized physical card onto which you can either load monthly passes valid for all transportation operators (like bus, metro, train, etc.) or you can top it up with money (which is called “Zapping”). Alternatively, you can also just buy a paper version and load trips onto them, which is what I would recommend for tourists. However, the Navegante card is the better solution long-term.
Where to get the physical card?
What do you need to request the card?
What Options Do You Have
Although you can use your Navegante Card to do Zapping (load money directly onto it), I recommend you get a monthly pass. I tried Zapping and ended up spending a lot more money than I did with a monthly pass. And I work from home, hence I did not travel around that much. Also, if you have a monthly metro card in Lisbon, you can use it for all kinds of transportation and depending on the pass you can even go outside of Lisbon.
One thing that kind of confused me was the different names for everything and that the information was across multiple websites. I found information concerning the different monthly passes on Carris (one of the transport operators in Lisbon, mainly buses and trams) and CP (train operator in Lisbon) but then information on how to get the physical Navegante Card on VIVA.
Here’s a short version of what exactly you might need. 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:
- Metropolitan Navegante (40 Euro/month)
This Lisbon metro pass is valid in Lisbon itself and the 18 municipalities of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. This includes: Alcochete, Almada, Amadora, Barreiro, Cascais, Lisbon, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Montijo, Odivelas, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sintra and Vila Franca de Xira.
Generally, the Metropolitan Navegante Pass is valid for all public transportation (bus, train, tram, metro, ferry etc.). However, for the train, there is one exception. The pass is not valid for the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains, where it is mandatory to make a seat reservation. If you still want to travel further than the Metropolitan Navegante pass covers, you can purchase the “CP Azambuja Carredago” Add-on. (You can also see that on the train map below, after the station “Carregado” the zones end.) For stops within the area and besides the mentioned exceptions you can take the train without any problems.
Tip: Usually there are gates at the train stations similar to how they are at the metro stations. Just touch your Navegante Card on the scanner and pass the gate. If you are at a station that doesn’t have any gates, make sure to validate the card at a scanner before you step on the train.
- Municipal Navegante (30 Euro/month)
The Municipal Navegante pass is only valid for one municipality area, which can be chosen from the 18 municipalities: Alcochete, Almada, Amadora, Barreiro, Cascais, Lisbon, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Montijo, Odivelas, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sintra and Vila Franca de Xira. Similar to the Metropolitan Navegante pass it also covers all of the public transport operators within the chosen area.
Note: The same exception applies to the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains.
There are 3 train stations which are included in 2 municipalities, so choose whatever municipality that fits your needs better:
- Algés – included in Navegante Oeiras or Navegante Lisboa
- Moscavide and Sacavém – included in Navegante Loures or Navegante Lisboa
There are additional passes for elders and children or you can also get passes for specific train routes. You can read about the passes for elders and children here. If you need a pass only for a specific train route I recommend checking out CPs website.
Important: The passes are always valid until the end of the month. It doesn’t really matter what day you get it. However, you can already purchase the pass for the next month on the 26th of the current month. Meaning you won’t be able to purchase a monthly pass for the current month after the 25th of that month.
Lisbon Train (CP) Zones
Here is an overview of the different train lines. It also shows some of the different zones for the Lisbon public transport card that were just listed above.
Source: CP
Lisbon Metro Lines
Lisbon has 4 different metro lines:
- Blue: Santa Apolónia – Reboleira
- Yellow: Odivales – Rato
- Green: Cais do Sodré – Telheiras
- Red: São Sebastião – Airport
Source: Metrolisboa
Ferry Lines
There are 5 different Ferry Lines that cross the River.
Source: Transtejo Soflusa
Where To Get The Physical Navegante Card Lisbon
Once you know what pass best fits your needs, you should consider getting a physical card. If you’re unsure what pass is best for you don’t worry, since this is a monthly pass you can also vary and try both passes or even try Zapping with your Navegante Card.
Anyway, the Navegante Card is specific for one person and has a picture on the back, therefore, it can’t be shared. If you are in a hurry you can get your physical Navegante Card as an urgent card. Normally it takes around 10 business days to get a card. With the “Cartão Urgente” you can get it on the next business day. You can get the card at a few different places. Here’s a list.
Tip: If you can’t read Portuguese (or any other language) use a browser like Chrome, where you can translate websites. It’s not always 100% perfect but at least you can get some information.
It usually takes a really long time to queue. I got a recommendation from a friend to use the app Proximo, which lets you queue digitally. As far as I know, you can use the app to queue for the urgente card in a few locations. I used it in Marquês de Pombal. Although I haven’t used it for anything else yet, you can use the app to queue for other documents not only the Lisboa Navegante Card.
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 (if you’re going to Marquês de Pombal station why not 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 You Need To Request the Navegante Card
Ticket to Queue
As just covered you can either get the ticket in the app or go there in person and grab a paper ticket. If you haven’t requested the card yet, you need to grab the ticket for “Urgent LV Card Request”. Once you have submitted the request and come back a day later you have to take the ticket to queue for the pickup.
Form
In order to get the card you can pick up a form in front of the counter and fill it out. I was a bit unsure how picky they were with the form. I’ve experienced some places where you’d have to fill out a form again if there was one mistake, but here they were very chill about it. I filled in the information for my passport but forgot to pack it and only ended up with my ID card. The lady at the counter just used some TipEx to correct the wrong information.
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.
NIF
The NIF is the tax identification number that everyone in Portugal has. When filling out the form you ideally already have your NIF number. Usually, this number should be one of the first things you get when moving to Portugal because you need it everywhere. Make sure to bring a document or something to confirm the number because at the counter they will double-check your filled-out form with the documents.
Passport Picture
You can get a passport picture at stores that sell printed pictures. If you google “foto passaporte lisboa” it will show you some places.
I went to a store called “Instanta Chiado”. And in addition to my passport pictures, they randomly gave me this big printout in a plastic stand. I’m not sure why, but I thought it was quite funny. My sister told me to send it home, so my mum could look at it when she misses me. I ended up framing it because the stand broke and it makes me laugh every time I look at it.
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 and take a ticket for LV card pickup and get your card (this part is easy).
Once you have the physical card you can load the pass using a ticket machine at any of the metro stations. It’s a monthly pass so you will need to charge it again every month. If you are using Zapping you can also top up your card at the same ticket machine.
I hope this little guide helped you a little with what you have to do to get your metro card for frequent travellers
Angela
Angela, the mastermind behind theslowtravelista, is a passionate traveler who embraces slow travel's essence. With a knack for immersing herself in diverse cultures, she treasures connections formed across the globe. Beyond her adventures, Angela's vibrant personality shines through her love for spontaneous hair changes, hitchhiking escapades, and culinary delights. Join her for travel insights, laughter, and unforgettable adventures.
