Portugal News · সাধারণ

Parking too close in Portugal could result in fines

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We’ve all been there. You return to your car only to discover that another driver has parked so close that getting out of the space has become a challenge.

By , in News · 16 Oct 2026, 15:03 · 0 Comments

But in Portugal, leaving too little room between parked cars can actually result in a fine.

Under Article 48 of the Portuguese Highway Code, drivers must leave enough space for other vehicles to exit their parking places and for vacant spaces to remain accessible.

Failing to do so can result in a fine of between €30 and €150.

Minimum distance

There is no specific minimum distance that drivers must leave between parked vehicles.

Instead, the law focuses on whether another car can safely and reasonably manoeuvre out of its space.

Article 50 also prohibits parking in a way that prevents access to or the departure of another properly parked vehicle.

And in more serious cases, where a vehicle is blocking another from leaving, authorities may also have grounds to arrange for its removal.

So while squeezing into a tight parking space isn’t necessarily against the law, leaving another driver unable to get out could prove expensive.

It’s worth taking an extra moment to check how much room you’ve left before walking away.

Author

Kam Heskin is an American writer, journalist, presenter, and actress who spent 25 years in Los Angeles building an extensive career in front of the camera. Her credits include Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, playing the female lead, Paige Morgan, in three films in The Prince & Me franchise, and major roles in the NBC daytime dramas Sunset Beach and Passions. She has also appeared in various television series including Charmed, Angel, and CSI: NY.

A graduate in Communications and Political Science, Kam has always had a parallel interest in writing and storytelling. In Los Angeles, she contributed to luxury fashion and lifestyle magazine Genlux. Since moving to Portugal in 2022, she has written for Wherever magazine, where she was a columnist and social editor, creating and running Seen in the Algarve, the magazine’s social diary, for three years.

Today, Kam writes and creates video content for The Portugal News and also presents its online weather reports. Her work draws on decades of on-camera experience, a journalist’s curiosity and the perspective of an American building a life in Portugal. Away from the camera and keyboard, she can usually be found playing padel, exploring the Algarve or spending time with her two sons.

Kam Heskin

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