Before you start

A Portuguese address and (for licence steps) a NIF tax number and proof of legal residence
For the Andante: any reloadable Andante Azul card or the Anda app on a smartphone
For a non-EU licence exchange: your original foreign licence valid and not expired, plus a Portuguese medical certificate (atestado médico)

Step-by-step

1
Buy and load an Andante Azul card for the Metro, buses and trams
Get the reusable blue Andante Azul card (€0.60) from any Metro station machine, the Andante shop at Trindade, or kiosks, then load zone-based titles. Central Porto is Z2: a single ride is €1.40 (valid ~1 hour, including transfers across Metro, STCP bus and the CP urban train). The same card works on the historic trams and the Guindais funicular. For visits or your first days, an Andante Tour pass gives unlimited travel: Tour 1 (24h) €7.50 or Tour 3 (72h) €16.00. You can also use the Anda app to pay by phone.
Mobile appWho: Anyone (no residency or registration needed)Same day — card issued instantly at any machine or shop€0.60 card + €1.40 per Z2 ride; Tour 24h €7.50 / 72h €16.00
2
Switch to a monthly Andante pass once you commute regularly
If you ride most days, load a monthly pass (Andante) onto a personalised Andante Gold card (one-time €6.00 for the named card with photo). The 30-day pass is unlimited within your chosen contiguous zones — roughly €30 for two-zone (Z2), rising by zone band to ~€40-45 for wider commutes, with student/senior discounts. From the airport, the Purple Line E reaches Trindade in the centre; that trip crosses to Z4, so a single is ~€2.25 rather than the Z2 €1.40.
In personWho: Regular commuters (named card requires ID and a photo)Card issued same day at Andante shops; pass runs 30 days from first validation€6.00 personalised card + roughly €30 (Z2) to €45 monthly by zones
3
EU/EEA drivers: keep your licence and register it with IMT
EU/EEA driving licences stay fully valid in Portugal. As a resident you don't exchange, but you should register your licence and address with the IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes) — required when your licence nears expiry, hits Portuguese age-based medical checks, or has no expiry date. Do it through the IMT portal (aminhacartadeconducao.imt-ip.pt). A car is genuinely optional: Porto's centre is hilly, narrow and one-way-heavy with scarce paid parking, and the Metro plus walking covers most of it. For intercity drives get a Via Verde transponder — most motorways are electronic-toll only.
OnlineWho: EU/EEA licence holders resident in PortoOnline registration is quick; act before any expiry/medical-check deadlineFree to keep driving; small IMT fee only when re-issuing the licence
4
Non-EU drivers: exchange your licence via the IMT online portal
Non-EU residents may drive on a valid foreign licence for a window after getting residence, then must exchange it. Apply online at the IMT portal (aminhacartadeconducao.imt-ip.pt) — the exchange is submitted online. Upload your foreign licence, NIF, proof of residence, an electronic medical certificate (atestado médico, ~€30 from a participating doctor who files it to IMT), and for many non-EU countries a certified translation plus a declaration of authenticity. Pay the €30 IMT fee. Exchange is simple if your country has reciprocity (CPLP and most OECD states; the US is decided state-by-state); no reciprocity means sitting the Portuguese theory + practical exam.
OnlineWho: Non-EU residents whose country has a reciprocity agreement (otherwise take the test)Drive on the foreign licence for the post-residency window; processing averages ~60 days (provisional licence issued meanwhile)€30 IMT exchange fee + ~€30 medical certificate + translation/authentication if required

Documents you’ll need

Original foreign driving licence (valid, not expired)
Portuguese residence permit / certificate and NIF tax number
Electronic medical certificate (atestado médico) filed to IMT
Certified translation of the licence (for many non-EU/non-convention countries)
Declaration of authenticity from the issuing authority or consulate (non-EU)
Passport or national ID and a passport photo (for the named Andante card)

Things most newcomers don’t know

One Andante Azul card and one tap cover the Metro, STCP buses, the historic trams and the Guindais funicular — and a single Z2 title lets you transfer across all of them within ~1 hour.

Newcomers often buy separate tickets per mode; the zone-and-time model means a €1.40 Z2 ride is really an hour of unlimited connected travel, which changes how you plan trips.

Source: Metro do Porto — Fares (metrodoporto.pt)

The airport is on the Purple Line E, but reaching the centre crosses into Z4, so it costs ~€2.25 rather than the in-town Z2 €1.40 — far cheaper and often faster than a taxi up Porto's hills.

People assume every Metro ride is the base fare and are surprised at the airport gate; knowing it's a Z4 trip avoids underloading the card and getting stopped by an inspector.

Source: Metro do Porto — Fares & network (metrodoporto.pt)

Owning a car in central Porto is usually a net negative: the medieval core is steep, narrow, one-way and short on parking, while the Metro plus walking covers daily life — and intercity motorways are electronic-toll (Via Verde) only.

Relocators from car-dependent countries default to buying a car and then fight parking and tolls; most Porto residents find an Andante pass plus occasional Bolt/Uber cheaper and far less stressful.

Source: Metro do Porto network & Via Verde tolling

Common mistakes to avoid

Forgetting that the airport→centre trip is Z4 (~€2.25), not the Z2 €1.40 — under-loading your card risks a fine from inspectors
Assuming a US licence exchanges automatically — recognition is state-by-state, and non-reciprocity states require sitting the full Portuguese theory + practical test
Letting the post-residency driving window lapse: drive too long on an unexchanged non-EU licence and you can be treated as unlicensed
Skipping a Via Verde transponder before a road trip — many Portuguese motorways have no toll booths, only electronic gantries, so unregistered cars rack up penalties
Buying single tickets daily when commuting — a monthly Andante pass pays for itself within roughly a week of round trips

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.