Taking a Dog or Cat on Public Transport in Portugal
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When your dog or cat can ride Portuguese trains, metros, buses, and trams, what carrier, lead, and muzzle it needs, and what its ticket costs.
Last verified: October 2026.
Who this is for
- Dog and cat owners living in Portugal who travel without a car.
- Residents planning a train trip across the country with a pet.
- Visitors from other EU countries bringing a pet on Portuguese trains.
Not for you if: you travel with an assistance dog or need help boarding. Read "Using Public Transport with Reduced Mobility in Portugal".
Yes, you can. The law says public transport cannot refuse a dog or cat that is properly accompanied and restrained. A small pet in a carrier you can hold as hand luggage rides free on CP trains, the Porto metro, and Carris buses and trams. Where a dog may ride outside a carrier, it needs a muzzle and a short lead. On CP's Alfa Pendular and Intercidades, that dog pays a full fare. Seven breeds, and any dog classed as dangerous, cannot travel.
The rules that apply everywhere
The national rules cover dogs, cats, small rodents, small birds, small reptiles, and aquarium fish on public buses, trains, and boats. They apply when the animal travels with you.
- Health and hygiene. Your pet must be clean and show no clear signs of a contagious or parasitic disease.
- The carrier. It must be clean and in good condition, sturdy enough that the animal cannot escape, and ventilated. It must be washable, easy to disinfect, and leakproof, so it cannot soil the vehicle.
- Where the animal rides. Inside the passenger area, never on a seat. Where a vehicle has a space for animals, a blue A6 sign with white animal outlines marks it.
- Busy times. Operators may refuse animals at their busiest periods. They must publish how many animals they accept, the hours when animals are not allowed, and the price.
- If you break the rules. The operator can stop you and your animal from continuing the journey.
These rules do not apply to assistance dogs, which have their own law (see below).
Dogs that cannot travel at all
Dangerous and potentially dangerous animals are banned from public transport. Potentially dangerous dogs include seven breeds on the official list:
- Fila Brasileiro
- Dogo Argentino
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Rottweiler
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Tosa Inu
Any dog of any breed counts as dangerous if, for example, it has bitten or attacked a person, or seriously hurt another animal. CP adds that a dangerous dog is marked as such in its vaccination booklet, and a potentially dangerous one on its municipal licence.
CP trains
CP runs Portugal's national trains: Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, InterRegional, Regional, the Celta to Vigo, and the urban trains of Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra.
In a carrier. One pet per passenger travels free on every CP train, in a carrier you can take as hand luggage. On the Celta, the limit is 10 kg, and the carrier can be no larger than 60 by 35 by 35 cm. It must also have a way to hold and remove waste.
A dog outside a carrier. You may take one dog per passenger. It must be muzzled, on a short lead, and must not sit on the seats. It needs its own ticket:
| Train | The dog's ticket |
|---|---|
| Alfa Pendular and Intercidades | A full fare in the class you travel in. A return costs double. |
| Regional and InterRegional | Half fare. A return costs double. |
| Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra urban trains | Free |
On long-distance and regional trains, buy the dog's ticket at a station ticket office. CP's general conditions add that you can pay on board if the ticket office is closed.
Documents. Show the dog's up-to-date vaccination booklet when you buy the ticket. It must carry the microchip number, or you show the pet identification document. Without one of these, CP will not sell the ticket. If you are from another EU country or a Council of Europe country such as Switzerland, show your pet's EU pet passport. Carry the dog's municipal licence too.
If you board without the dog's ticket. You pay the fare on board plus a 50 percent surcharge, at least €5. If you do not pay at once, staff can put you and the dog off the train with no refund.
When pets cannot travel. CP's general conditions say no pets on historic and tourist trains, and no animals when a planned bus replaces part of the journey. CP's pets page says small pets in a carrier may ride replacement buses (see "Where the rules disagree").
Lisbon: the Metro and Carris
Metro de Lisboa. Pets may ride unless they are dangerous, unwell, or dirty. They must be with you and restrained so they cannot bite or cause damage. A dog can ride outside a carrier if it is muzzled, on a short lead, and you carry its up-to-date vaccination booklet and municipal licence. The Metro's published rules mention no fare and no time limits for animals.
Carris buses and trams. Carris accepts pets only in a carrier. The carrier travels free, one per passenger, and must go as hand luggage in the luggage space. Carris sets hand luggage at up to 55 by 40 by 20 cm, with some flexibility when the vehicle is quiet. The animal may not take a seat or block other passengers. If you break the rules, staff can make you leave with no refund. Carris says nothing about dogs on a lead outside a carrier, so plan on a carrier.
Porto: the Metro and STCP
Metro do Porto. Its conditions of carriage let you take one pet free:
- Dogs travel on a short lead, no longer than 1 metre, fixed to a collar or harness. They must wear a working muzzle.
- Cats and other small pets travel in a sturdy, clean, leakproof container they cannot escape from.
- One dog, or one container, per passenger. Neither may take a seat.
- Cleaning up after your pet, in the train or the station, is your job, straight away.
- Hours. Monday to Friday, animals may travel from 10:00 to 17:00 and from 19:00 to 01:00. On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, any time.
STCP buses and trams. STCP's website sets out rules for assistance dogs only. For other pets, the national rules above apply, so use a clean, sturdy carrier.
Assistance dogs
The law gives people with disabilities the right to take an assistance dog on trains, buses, trams, the metro, boats, and taxis. There is no extra cost and the dog needs no muzzle. The same applies to dogs in training with their trainer or foster family. Operators may ask to see the dog's card and badge. CP and STCP also ask for civil liability insurance. Our guide Using Public Transport with Reduced Mobility in Portugal covers this in full, including how to book help.
Where the rules disagree
Two operators publish rules that do not match.
- Metro do Porto. Its conditions of carriage allow dogs on a lead with a muzzle. Its shorter "On the Metro" page mentions only small pets in a carrier. If you travel with a larger dog, ask station staff before you board.
- CP replacement buses. CP's pets page allows small pets in a carrier. Its general conditions say no animals on planned replacement buses. If engineering works affect your line, check with CP before you travel.
What to bring
- a carrier that is clean, sturdy, ventilated, and leakproof
- a short lead and a muzzle, for a dog outside a carrier
- the up-to-date vaccination booklet with the microchip number, or the pet identification document
- the dog's municipal licence
- an EU pet passport, if your pet comes from another EU country
- bags to clean up after your pet
Sources
This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.
- Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, Decreto-Lei n.º 276/2001, consolidated text, article 10 (pets on public transport cannot be refused) (Portuguese only)
- Diário da República, Portaria n.º 968/2009 (rules for pets on public road, rail and river transport) (Portuguese only)
- Diário da República, Decreto-Lei n.º 35/2015, republishing Decreto-Lei n.º 58/2008, article 9 (pets on trains) (Portuguese only)
- Diário da República, Portaria n.º 422/2004 (list of potentially dangerous dog breeds) (Portuguese only)
- Diário da República, Decreto-Lei n.º 315/2009 (definition of dangerous and potentially dangerous animals) (Portuguese only; original text, later amended)
- Diário da República, Decreto-Lei n.º 74/2007 (assistance dogs) (Portuguese only)
- CP Comboios de Portugal, Carrying pets on CP trains (the operator's own rules and fares)
- CP Comboios de Portugal, Condições Gerais de Transporte, chapter VIII (Portuguese only; the operator's own conditions)
- Metropolitano de Lisboa, Informação legal, transporte de animais (Portuguese only; the operator's own rules)
- Metropolitano de Lisboa, Perguntas frequentes (Portuguese only; the operator's own rules)
- Carris, Condições Gerais de Transporte, May 2025, sections VII.1 and VII.4 (Portuguese only; the operator's own conditions, marked as being updated)
- Carris, Boas práticas, animais (Portuguese only; the operator's own rules)
- Metro do Porto, Condições Gerais de Transporte, article 6 (Portuguese only; the operator's own conditions)
- Metro do Porto, No Metro (Portuguese only; the operator's own page)
- STCP, Acessibilidade, cães-guia (Portuguese only; the operator's own rules for assistance dogs)
Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.
