Mail & Packages in Portugal: How to Receive Amazon, DHL, FedEx, and CTT Without Losing Your Mind

The first time you order something online to your new Portuguese address is a small adventure. The package either arrives in three days (and you wonder why you ever stressed) or it bounces between three different post offices across two districts for two weeks (and you wonder why you ever moved here). Most of the time the outcome is somewhere in between: the package arrives, but the journey is more interesting than you expected, and you learn things about Portuguese logistics you never wanted to know.

The good news is that receiving packages in Portugal in 2026 is dramatically easier than it was five years ago. Amazon.es, Amazon.de, and increasingly Amazon.pt deliver directly to Portuguese addresses with tracking that actually works. DHL, FedEx, UPS, and GLS all operate country-wide. CTT — the Portuguese national post — has modernized its tracking, modernized its parcel lockers, and mostly abandoned the old "leave a slip in your mailbox and make you trek to the post office" model that defined the 2010s. But there are still quirks. Customs handling for non-EU shipments, the CTT aviso (pickup notice) system, the strange hours of local post offices, and the question of whether your apartment actually has a campainha (doorbell) and a working buzzer — these are the realities that catch new arrivals off guard.

This is the practical playbook for getting mail and packages in Portugal as an expat. It covers CTT (the universal carrier), private couriers, Amazon in its various European incarnations, customs and duties on non-EU shipments, what to do when things go wrong, and the optional services (lockers, mail forwarding, virtual addresses) that solve the problems the basic system cannot.

For the broader context on setting up utilities and other arrival logistics, see our moving to Portugal checklist. For setting up direct debits and recurring payments once you have a Portuguese address locked in, see our setting up direct debits guide. And for the foundational documents you need before any of this works — NIF, bank account, residence permit — see our NIF guide.

The Two Postal Systems You Need to Know

Portugal has effectively two parallel postal systems: CTT (Correios de Portugal) for everything domestic, standard international, and most government mail; and private couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS, GLS, DPD, Chronopost, MRW, SEUR, InPost) for express international shipments, e-commerce from non-EU stores, and same-country express. Knowing which one your package is using — and what their rules are — saves an enormous amount of frustration.

CTT (Correios de Portugal)

CTT is the universal postal service. It handles regular mail, domestic parcels, EU-bound standard post, and most government correspondence (AIMA, Finanças, Segurança Social, Câmara Municipal). It is also the carrier Amazon.pt, eBay Portugal, Worten, and most domestic Portuguese e-commerce sites default to. CTT has been around since 1580 in one form or another, was privatized in 2014, and has spent the last decade catching up with European peers on tracking and delivery speed.

The things you need to know about CTT:

• Delivery attempts are usually only one. If you are not home, the carteiro (postman) leaves a aviso (pickup notice) in your mailbox and the package goes to your local estação de correios (post office) or a ponto CTT partner pickup point. You then have 5 business days to collect it before it is returned to sender. There is no second delivery attempt for standard CTT Encomendas (parcels).
• Tracking works but is delayed. CTT's online tracking at ctt.pt updates in real time once a parcel enters their final-mile network, but cross-border tracking (e.g., a parcel coming from Germany via CTT's EU partners) can stay on "in transit" for days without updating. This does not mean the package is lost.
• Pickup offices have strange hours. Most CTT stations open at 09:00 and close at 18:00 on weekdays, with shorter hours (often 09:00–12:30) on Saturdays. They are closed Sundays and most feriados (public holidays). Smaller ponto CTT partner pickup points (often tabacarias, newsagents, or supermarkets) have more flexible hours but limited storage capacity.
• The aviso slip is your key. The paper notice tells you the pickup office address, the tracking code (starting with two letters followed by nine digits, e.g., EE123456789PT), and the deadline. Photograph it on arrival. The slip is not strictly required to collect the package (your ID and the tracking code are enough), but it makes the process faster.
• CTT Express and CTT Premium exist for time-sensitive shipments, but most expats will rarely use them. They are mainly used by businesses.

Private Couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS, GLS, DPD, InPost, MRW)

Express couriers handle most cross-border e-commerce, especially from non-EU stores (the US, UK, Canada, Japan) and from larger EU merchants that have negotiated their own shipping contracts. They are faster than CTT (typically 2–5 days from order to door for EU shipments, 3–7 days for the US), they provide real-time tracking, and they almost always require a signature on delivery — which means you need to be home or you need a neighbor who can sign for you.

The things you need to know:

• DHL Express and FedEx International Priority are the two you will see most often for US and UK packages. They will phone you 30–60 minutes before delivery (the number shown is often a Spanish or German number — answer it). They will attempt delivery twice before holding the package at a local depot for pickup.
• DPD, GLS, and InPost handle a lot of EU e-commerce and are increasingly common for Amazon.de, Zalando, and Spanish stores. InPost in particular has aggressive parcel locker deployment in Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve — the lockers look like orange vending machines and use a code sent by SMS.
• UPS, MRW, SEUR are mainly used for Iberian Peninsula shipments and some Amazon.es orders. Service is comparable to DPD.
• Customs handling is the differentiator. DHL and FedEx handle customs clearance themselves; CTT often subcontracts it to a separate broker, which can add 2–5 days to non-EU shipments. For more on customs, see the dedicated section below.

Amazon in Portugal: Which Site Should You Use?

This is the single most common question new expats ask, and the answer is more nuanced than "just use Amazon.es." Portugal has its own Amazon site (Amazon.pt), but its catalog is a fraction of what you will find on the Spanish, German, French, or Italian versions, and pricing is often higher.

The Amazon Site Decision Matrix

Amazon.pt — Use for: Portuguese-language books, items you need quickly with Prime shipping, products that are stocked in the new Amazon.pt fulfillment centers. Pros: fastest shipping (often next-day in Lisbon and Porto), Portuguese-language customer service, no customs fees on EU-origin items. Cons: limited catalog, prices sometimes higher than Amazon.es.

Amazon.es — Use for: most general shopping from Amazon with delivery to Portugal. Pros: Spanish catalog is much larger than Amazon.pt, prices are competitive, free shipping above €19 in most categories, EU-based so no customs on most items. Cons: occasional Spanish-language product descriptions, customer service in Spanish (English support available on request), shipping is 2–5 days instead of next-day.

Amazon.de — Use for: electronics, German-brand products, items only available on the German site. Pros: largest Amazon catalog in Europe for non-English-language products, often best prices for specific German brands (Lego, Bosch, Siemens, Miele). Cons: German-language product listings (use Chrome with auto-translate), German customer service (English support available), shipping 3–7 days.

Amazon.it, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.uk — Use only for items that are specifically not stocked elsewhere. UK shipments are now post-Brexit and trigger customs duties like any non-EU shipment. Italian and French shipments work but offer no advantage over Amazon.es unless a specific product is in stock only there.

The Prime Question

Amazon Prime in Portugal works on Amazon.pt, Amazon.es, and Amazon.de (your Prime account is Europe-wide since 2024). Prime on Amazon.pt covers Portugal, Spain, and Italy for shipping. Prime on Amazon.es covers Spain, Portugal, and the Balearic Islands. The same Prime account gives you access to all three, but the product selection is per-site. Annual Prime is €49.95/year, monthly is €4.99/month. For most expats, Amazon Prime is worth it after the third or fourth order — the free shipping savings add up fast.

Amazon Locker and Hub Delivery

If your apartment building does not have a working campainha (doorbell), or you cannot guarantee being home during delivery windows, Amazon Hub Locker is the answer. Lockers are self-service pickup points installed in convenience stores, tabacarias, gas stations, and shopping centers. Amazon delivers to the locker, sends you a pickup code, and you collect within 3 days. Lockers exist in Lisbon (several in the Baixa, Saldanha, Colombo shopping center), Porto (Boavista area, NorteShopping), the Algarve (Faro, Albufeira, Portimão), and most major cities. Search "Amazon Hub Locker" on Amazon.pt or Amazon.es to find the nearest one to your address.

Hub Delivery is the alternative — Amazon delivers to a neighbor's address or a participating local business. The "Hub Counter" version uses tabacarias and papelarias. The "Hub Locker" version is the locker above. Both work well in Portugal.

Customs, Duties, and the Non-EU Shipping Question

This is the part that confuses almost everyone. Portugal is in the EU but not in the Schengen-only customs union in the way that matters for goods. Goods from outside the EU (US, UK, China, Japan, Canada, Australia, Brazil) are subject to import VAT (IVA at 23%) and customs duties based on the type of goods and their declared value.

The €45 Threshold That Confuses Everyone

Since July 2021, the EU abolished the old €22 VAT exemption. All goods entering the EU from outside are subject to VAT regardless of value. For shipments valued at €150 or less, customs duties are usually waived but VAT still applies. For shipments valued at more than €150, both duties and VAT apply.

In practice, this means:

• Gift from your mom in the US worth $30? You will pay IVA (23%) plus a small handling fee when it arrives in Portugal. The courier will email you a payment link.
• US$500 laptop shipped from a US retailer? You will pay IVA (23%) plus customs duty (typically 0–4% for electronics) plus the courier's handling fee (€10–€25).
• €20 Amazon US shipment? You will pay €4.60 IVA plus a €5–€15 handling fee. Total cost: ~€25 for the €20 item. Buy it on Amazon.es instead.

Who Pays the Customs Bill?

The courier pays it on your behalf and then bills you, often before delivery. DHL, FedEx, UPS, and DPD all have their own brokerage arms. CTT uses a subcontracted broker called CTT Expresso / Forwarding for non-EU parcels. The brokerage fee is typically €10–€25 for small packages, more for larger ones.

You can refuse the package at customs, in which case it gets returned to the sender (you do not pay the duty but you also do not get the package). This is rarely worth it for small-value items because the return shipping cost is often higher than the duty.

The IOSS System (Pre-Paid VAT)

For packages valued at €150 or less coming from outside the EU, many sellers (especially Amazon US, eBay, AliExpress, and Etsy sellers) can register for IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) and collect VAT at the point of sale. This means the package clears customs without you paying anything extra — VAT is already baked into the price. When checking out from US Amazon, look for "IOSS" or "VAT pre-paid" before completing the order. This is dramatically faster and cheaper than the old "pay the courier later" model.

The NIF Question at Customs

If you order anything from outside the EU, the courier or customs broker will ask for your NIF. Have it ready. Without a NIF, you cannot clear customs and the package will sit at the depot. Your NIF goes on the customs declaration (CN22 or CN23 form), and the corresponding VAT invoice needs to include it for you to claim back the VAT on business imports. For more on the NIF itself, see our NIF guide.

What You Cannot Ship to Portugal Easily

A few categories are problematic or banned:

• Lithium-ion batteries standalone — many electronics with internal batteries are fine, but standalone battery shipments are restricted under IATA rules.
• Food, plants, seeds, animal products — require special permits from DGAV or DG SANTE. Do not ship these without checking.
• Weapons, replicas, ammunition — restricted and require licensing.
• Counterfeit goods — seized and destroyed, with potential fines.
• Some supplements and cosmetics — especially those containing CBD or specific active ingredients not approved in the EU.
• Used electronics without CE marking — possible but requires compliance paperwork.

The CTT *Aviso* System and How to Pick Up Packages

If you miss a CTT delivery, you will find an aviso slip in your mailbox. The slip has a 13-character tracking code and a pickup location. Here is the procedure:

1. Wait 24 hours before going to pick up. Most CTT stations need at least 24 hours to register the package in their local system after the failed delivery. Going earlier just means a wasted trip.

2. Bring your passport or Cartão de Cidadão and know the tracking code. The slip is optional but speeds things up.

3. Go to the listed pickup location. This is usually the estação de correios nearest your address, but it could be a ponto CTT partner (a tabacaria, papelaria, or supermarket with the yellow-and-red CTT sign).

4. Take a number from the queue machine and wait. The wait is usually 5–20 minutes outside peak times.

5. Sign for the package on the courier's tablet or paper log. You do not need to open it — but you can ask to inspect it before signing if there is visible damage.

6. Keep the comprovativo de entrega (proof of delivery) in case the package turns out to be damaged and you need to file a claim.

When the Pickup Office Has Closed

If you arrive during a feriado (public holiday) or outside business hours, the package sits until the next business day. There is no 24-hour pickup option for CTT stations (unlike parcel lockers). If you are consistently missing CTT deliveries because of work hours, see the section on mail forwarding and virtual addresses below.

What Happens If You Do Not Pick Up

After 5 business days (sometimes 10, depending on the service level), the package is returned to sender at the sender's expense. For Amazon and most major e-commerce, you will be refunded automatically. For smaller senders, you may need to contact them and ask them to refund or reship.

Mail Forwarding, Virtual Addresses, and When You Need Them

For most expats, having packages delivered to your real Portuguese address works fine after the first few months. But there are specific situations where a forwarding service or virtual address makes sense.

You Are Still Abroad When Your Stuff Arrives

If you moved to Portugal and your belongings, mail, or ongoing subscriptions (magazines, supplements, US-only services) are still coming from abroad, a mail forwarding service consolidates your mail and ships it to you in Portugal on a schedule. The two main options:

MyUKMailBox / Forward2Me / PostScanMail (US-based) — these services give you a US or UK address. Mail arrives at their warehouse, you get an email notification, and they forward to your Portuguese address on your schedule (weekly, monthly, or on demand). Costs: $10–$30/month base + $5–$15 per forwarding shipment.

BOUND (formerly Borderlinx) and MailBox Etc are the EU equivalents — they give you a tax-free EU address (typically in Germany, the UK pre-Brexit, or the Netherlands) for non-EU online purchases. You ship to their warehouse, they consolidate, and they ship to Portugal via DHL. The savings on US-imported items (avoiding US retail markup) often justify the service fees.

You Do Not Have a Permanent Address Yet

If you are between rentals, living in temporary accommodation, or in the early months of setting up your NIF and residence permit (and therefore do not have a stable address that deliveries work to), a virtual mailbox at a ponto CTT partner or a service like MBE (Mail Boxes Etc) gives you a stable address for all deliveries. The MBE network in Portugal is small but exists in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro. Costs are €15–€50/month plus per-package handling fees.

Your Building Has No Working Buzzer

This is a surprisingly common Lisbon and Porto problem — old apartment buildings with broken campainhas (doorbells). The courier rings, no one answers, the driver leaves an aviso slip. If this is a recurring problem:

• Get an Amazon Hub Locker as your default delivery address (see Amazon section above).
• Use a ponto CTT pickup point — your default address becomes the CTT partner, and you collect on the way home.
• Install a smart doorbell (Ring, Nest, Xiaomi) — €60–€120 and resolves 90% of "missed delivery" issues.
• Negotiate with neighbors for permission to leave packages with the building porteira (concierge) or a trusted neighbor.

Common Problems and How to Solve Them

"My Tracking Has Been Stuck for a Week"

If your package is "in transit" with no updates:

1. Check the carrier's website directly (not Amazon's tracking, which is often delayed in showing updates). DHL, FedEx, CTT all have more accurate tracking.

2. Wait 7 days for non-EU shipments — customs clearance can take that long.

3. Wait 3 days for EU shipments — usually means the package is on a delivery truck somewhere in your region.

4. Call the carrier with the tracking number. CTT: 707 26 26 26. DHL: 707 50 50 50. FedEx: 707 50 80 80.

5. Open a case with the seller if it has been more than 14 days for an EU shipment or 30 days for a non-EU shipment. PayPal and most credit cards offer buyer protection.

"CTT Says Delivered But I Don't Have It"

The most common scenarios:

• It was delivered to a neighbor by mistake. Check with immediate neighbors, including upstairs and downstairs — carteiros are not always careful about apartment numbers.
• It was delivered to the wrong building in a multi-building complex. Check the whole street.
• It is at the ponto CTT because no one was home. Check your mailbox for an aviso slip you missed.
• It was stolen. Common in some Lisbon and Porto neighborhoods. File a police report (participação) online at queixaselectronicas.mai.gov.pt and contact the sender for a claim.

"The Package Is Damaged"

1. Refuse to sign for it if the damage is visible at the door. The carrier takes it back and the sender gets a damage claim.

2. Take photographs immediately if you discover the damage after opening. Photograph the package, the contents, and any internal damage.

3. File a claim within 48 hours with the carrier (CTT, DHL, FedEx all have online claim forms).

4. Contact the seller for a replacement or refund. Most major retailers will resolve without escalation.

"Customs Charged Me a Huge Fee"

If you believe the customs fee is incorrect:

1. Request the customs declaration (the CN22 or CN23 form on the package). The declared value determines the duty.

2. Check the HS code (Harmonized System code) used by the broker. Wrong HS codes can lead to overcharging.

3. File a contestation with the carrier's customs broker within 30 days. The broker will re-evaluate and refund if applicable.

4. Hire a despachante for high-value disputes — they are familiar with the system and can recover duties that were charged incorrectly. For more on bureaucratic help, see our Portuguese bureaucracy survival guide.

Mailbox Etiquette and Practical Tips

A few small things that make a real difference:

• Put your full name on your mailbox. Many Lisbon and Porto mailboxes are unlabeled. If the carteiro cannot identify the recipient, the package goes back to the office.
• Make sure your mailbox is accessible. If your building has a locked entrance (porta fechada) and the carteiro cannot get in, you will get aviso slips for everything. Leave a key with the porteira if you have one, or with a trusted neighbor.
• Use a buzzer code consistently. If your campainha works, share the code with couriers and ensure the building entry system is not blocked.
• Avoid ordering to your address during the first week of moving in. Get your address registered at the Câmara Municipal (your atestado de residência) and at AIMA before you start receiving packages — couriers occasionally check.
• Keep your tracking codes. Photograph the aviso slip or save the email. The tracking code is the only way to escalate if something goes wrong.
• For recurring subscriptions, use a delivery address you can guarantee — a ponto CTT pickup or an Amazon Locker works better than home for things like pet food, supplements, or anything where missed deliveries are costly.

The Quick-Reference Checklist

Before you order your first package in Portugal:

• [ ] You have your NIF (or a representante fiscal's NIF for non-resident ordering). Without it, non-EU customs is impossible.
• [ ] You have a working Portuguese address with the name on the mailbox matching your name on the order.
• [ ] You have registered for Amazon Prime if you plan to shop Amazon more than 3–4 times a year.
• [ ] You know your nearest CTT station and its hours.
• [ ] You have identified your nearest Amazon Hub Locker or ponto CTT as a backup delivery address.
• [ ] You have a smart doorbell or neighbor arrangement for private courier deliveries.
• [ ] You understand the €45 (actually €150 below duty threshold) rule for non-EU imports.
• [ ] You have saved the CTT, DHL, and FedEx customer service numbers in your phone.

The system is not perfect — a missed delivery or a custom hold will still occasionally test your patience — but after the first six months you will have a working pattern. Most expats settle into a rhythm of Amazon.es for general shopping, Amazon.de for German-brand electronics, the ponto CTT for things they want collected at their convenience, and direct courier delivery for time-sensitive purchases. Once that rhythm is in place, getting packages in Portugal is just normal — a slightly slower, slightly more interesting version of getting them anywhere else in Europe.

For the next piece of the arrival puzzle — getting your phone plan set up so you can actually receive the SMS codes that couriers and CTT send — see our internet and mobile plans guide.

Frequently Asked Questions