Home / Shipping to Portugal / How to Ship from China to Portugal
How to Ship from China to Portugal: Ports, 23% IVA and Customs
Portugal looks like a small import market — around 10 million people — and on its own it is. But very few of the importers who use Portugal are selling only into Portugal. They are using it as a way into two much bigger things: Spain, which shares the peninsula and is a day or two of trucking away, and the Portuguese-speaking markets in Africa and Brazil, where Portugal's commercial ties and trade facilitation genuinely help.
That is the frame worth holding onto, because it changes how you should plan the shipment. If your real market is Iberia as a whole, the question is not "Portugal or Spain" but "which port, and where do I clear". If your market is Lusophone Africa, Portugal is often the natural place to hold stock and re-export from.
This guide is written for buyers who are new to importing from China. It covers the three working ports, transit times, what the trade terms mean, the 23% IVA rate and why the islands are different, the step-by-step process, product paperwork, invoicing obligations, and how to tell a forwarder who understands Portugal from one who does not. No prior logistics knowledge assumed.
If you only remember three things. Pick your port by where the goods are actually going — Sines for deep-water and Iberian rail, Leixões for the north, Lisbon for the centre. Get a NIF before your first shipment; you will need it for customs, invoicing and banking alike. And if you import regularly, ask whether you can account for import IVA through your VAT return instead of paying 23% at the quay.
How your cargo moves: China to Portugal
Eight steps from your supplier's door to yours. The last four are the ones shaped by local rules.
- Pickup from your supplierWe collect the goods anywhere in China and bring them to our consolidation point.
- Export clearanceChina customs declaration filed and released before the goods move to the port.
- Loading and departureContainer loaded, sealed and handed to the carrier at the Chinese port.
- Main carriageOcean, air or rail movement booked on the route agreed for your cargo.
- Arrival at the gatewayDischarge at the port or airport of entry, recorded on the carrier's manifest.
- Import clearanceCustoms declaration filed locally, with duty and tax assessed on the declared value.
- Customs releaseGoods released into free circulation once duty and tax are settled.
- Final deliveryOnward movement to your delivery address, warehouse or nominated depot.
Duty rates, VAT rates and clearance times move, and the figure that applies to your goods is the one set for your commodity code on the day of clearance. We check the current position against your code before your goods sail and confirm it to you in writing — ask for that check when you request a quote.
Portugal's two back doors: Spain and Portuguese-speaking Africa
This is the reason to read a Portugal page at all if your goods are not staying in Portugal.
Spain, overland
Portugal and Spain share the Iberian peninsula and an open EU border. Goods cleared in Portugal move into Spain with no further customs formalities. Depending on where your Portuguese port is and where in Spain the goods are going, that is typically a day or two of trucking — and Sines has rail capacity into the Iberian interior, which matters for heavier volume.
Worth weighing against clearing in Spain directly: Spanish IVA is 21% against Portugal's 23%, so if your goods are destined for Spain anyway, clearing there is usually cheaper. See our Spain guide for that comparison.
Lusophone markets
Portugal maintains trade facilitation arrangements with the Portuguese-speaking community — Angola, Mozambique, Brazil and others — and Portuguese customs and documentation practice is well adapted to those lanes. If you are importing from China to re-export into those markets, holding stock in Portugal tends to be simpler than doing it from a non-Lusophone EU country.
Say what the real destination is. If half your container is going to Madrid and half to Luanda, tell your forwarder at quotation stage. The routing, the clearance point and sometimes the documentation all follow from that, and retrofitting it after sailing is expensive.
Sines, Leixões or Lisbon: which Portuguese port
| Port | Character | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Sines | Deep-water Atlantic port with significant container capacity and rail links into the Iberian interior. | Large volumes, and cargo that will move onward into Spain by rail or road rather than staying in Portugal. |
| Leixões (Porto) | Serves northern Portugal and the Porto industrial region. | Deliveries into the north, and the surrounding manufacturing base. |
| Lisbon | Central Portugal's main port, with customs and inland clearance facilities. | Deliveries into the Lisbon region and the centre of the country. |
| Setúbal | Secondary port south of Lisbon. | Specific carrier calls and regional delivery. |
| Funchal (Madeira) | Island gateway. | Madeira deliveries — and note the regional VAT rate of 22% rather than 23%. |
Customs offices (alfândegas) also operate at the international airports in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira and the Azores, and at the seaports of Lisbon, Setúbal and Leixões, including inland clearance offices for commercial freight. Clearance itself is typically quick — one to three days for routine cargo, longer where goods are sensitive, documentation is incomplete, or an examination is ordered.
Ocean, air and rail into Portugal, ranked by speed
| Mode | Typical transit | Best for | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea FCL (20ft / 40ft / 40HQ) | Roughly 30–40 days port to port into Lisbon, Leixões or Sines. South China origins tend to sit at the faster end; North China at the slower end. | Planned volume and lowest cost per unit. The default once you import regularly. | Routings vary between Suez and the Cape of Good Hope, and that is a difference of 10–14 days. Ask which one your service uses. |
| Sea LCL | Sea transit plus roughly 5–8 days for consolidation and deconsolidation. | Small volumes, or several suppliers combined. | Above roughly 15 CBM, price a full container too — it is frequently cheaper once both sets of CFS charges are counted, and it stays sealed. |
| Rail | About 18–25 days. In practice the service runs via Madrid: Yiwu to Madrid is roughly 20–22 days station to station, plus one to two days onward into Portugal. | The middle option when five weeks is too long and air is too expensive. | It is an intermodal move, not a direct train to Portugal. Build the Spanish leg into the plan and the cost. |
| Air freight | About 4–8 days airport to airport into Lisbon or Porto. | Urgent replenishment, high-value and low-weight goods. | Charged on chargeable weight — the greater of actual and volumetric. |
| Express courier | Roughly 1–4 days door to door. | Samples and documents. | Since 1 July 2026 even small consignments carry the flat low-value duty. |
The distinction suppliers blur: port to port covers only the ocean leg, from loading in China to discharge in Portugal. Airport to airport is the air equivalent. A realistic door-to-door figure on sea freight adds origin collection and export clearance, then deconsolidation, clearance and final delivery at the destination — typically pushing a 32-day sailing to a 38- to 42-day delivery.
Incoterms in Portugal: which one puts you at risk
| Term | Who controls the shipment | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| EXW (Ex Works) | You, from the factory door. | You handle Chinese export clearance, which is hard without a Chinese entity. Avoid it. |
| FOB (Free On Board) | You, from loading. | The supplier handles Chinese export formalities and delivery to port. This is the term to ask for — you control the main leg and the pricing stays visible. |
| CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) | The supplier, to the Portuguese port. | Looks comparable to FOB, but the supplier picks the carrier and often holds a margin on freight you cannot see. Destination charges are yours. |
| DAP / DDU | The supplier, to your address. | You clear and pay duty and IVA and keep your own VAT position, but the supplier controls transport. |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | The supplier, end to end. | Simplest on paper. Someone else is importer of record, so you cannot use your own VAT arrangements — the IVA is pre-financed by whoever clears and priced into your landed cost. |
Underneath all of these is the same question: who files the import declaration in Portugal. If your business is not established in the EU, you will normally need a Portuguese fiscal representative to register for IVA, and you may need indirect customs representation, where the representative acts in its own name and carries the heavier customs liability. Your EORI number is separate and simpler — one issued in any member state is valid across all 27.
The 23% rate, and why Madeira and the Azores are different
Mainland Portugal (o Continente) applies three IVA rates:
| Band | Mainland | Madeira | Azores | Typical coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 23% | 22% | 16% | Electronics, clothing, footwear, household goods, most commercial supplies |
| Intermediate | 13% | 12% | 9% | Some foods, restaurant meals, wine, certain agricultural inputs |
| Reduced | 6% | 5% | 4% | Basic foods, medicines, books, passenger transport, hotels |
The regional rates are a fiscal-autonomy feature, not a surcharge: which rate applies depends on where the transaction is localised, not on where your supplier is based. So a delivery into Funchal or Ponta Delgada is taxed differently from the same goods delivered to Lisbon.
Worth contrasting with Spain's islands. Madeira and the Azores stay inside the EU VAT system — they simply apply lower rates. Spain's Canary Islands sit outside it entirely and use a different tax, IGIC at 7%, with Ceuta and Melilla outside the EU customs territory altogether. Three Iberian island groups, three different regimes. If your delivery address is on an island, check which system you are in before you book — see our Spain guide.
Import IVA through the periodic return instead of at the port
Paying 23% at the quay and reclaiming it a quarter later is a real financing cost on every shipment. Portuguese-registered importers can in some cases account for the import IVA through their periodic VAT return instead — declaring and deducting it in the same return, which is broadly cash-neutral where the VAT is fully recoverable.
What this depends on:
- A Portuguese VAT registration, which for a non-EU business normally means a NIF plus a fiscal representative.
- Your filing arrangements. Returns are monthly above EUR 650,000 of annual turnover and quarterly below, filed by the 20th of the second month following the period.
- Confirmation from your Portuguese accountant or broker, because eligibility turns on the specifics of your registration.
This is a general description, not tax advice. Confirm eligibility with your Portuguese adviser before you rely on it.
A Portuguese import from factory to warehouse, in stages
Get the NIF and the commodity code sorted first
The 10-digit TARIC code sets your duty rate and any licensing requirements. In parallel, get the Portuguese tax number moving — it is needed for customs, invoicing and banking, and it is the item most likely to hold up a first shipment if left until the container is on the water.
Book on FOB and nominate your forwarder
Tell the supplier who collects and which port the goods go to. Agree the term while the price is still being negotiated; changing Incoterms afterwards rarely works in your favour.
Collection and consolidation in China
Your forwarder collects from the factory — or from several factories — and consolidates at a warehouse. Damage gets checked here, while it is still cheap to argue about.
Chinese export clearance and loading
Export declaration filed, container loaded and sealed, vessel or flight departed. You receive the bill of lading or air waybill.
Advance cargo information reaches EU customs
The ICS2 entry summary declaration must be filed before arrival, and for sea cargo that means ahead of the vessel reaching port. Missing or late ENS data is one of the most common reasons a first shipment is held.
Clearance at the Portuguese port
Your broker files the import declaration electronically. Duty is paid; IVA is either paid at the port or, where you are eligible, accounted for through your periodic return. If customs orders an examination, this is where the delay happens — routine cargo is typically one to three days.
Inland delivery, in Portugal or onward
Truck from the port to your warehouse — or onward into Spain, which is where a lot of cargo cleared in Portugal actually ends up. Price this leg separately rather than assuming it is included.
Product rules that catch newcomers out in Portugal
Food, drink and wine
Food safety is controlled by ASAE, the food and economic safety authority, and wine has its own import requirements. Expect health certificates and, for animal or plant products, additional documentation. Note that many foods fall in the 6% or 13% IVA bands, so the commodity code affects your VAT as well as your duty.
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
INFARMED approval is required. This is not a formality you can sort out after arrival — build the lead time into your plan.
Electronics and batteries
CE marking where applicable, WEEE registration for electrical equipment, and UN 38.3 test documentation plus correct dangerous-goods declaration for lithium cells. See our dangerous goods to Portugal page.
Chemicals
REACH registration evidence, a safety data sheet in the correct format, correct UN number and classification, and ADR (road) or IMDG (sea) documentation. See non-DG chemicals to Portugal.
Textiles, footwear and furniture
Standard EU requirements, with two recurring problems: incorrect fibre composition labelling on textiles, and wood packaging that does not meet ISPM-15. Both are cheap to fix in China and expensive to fix at the port.
Anything with a certificate requirement
Missing CE, REACH or product certification is one of the most common causes of a Portuguese clearance slipping from days into weeks. Have your forwarder check the documentation set before the goods sail, not after they land.
Across every category, keep the commercial invoice, packing list, transport document and any certificates consistent with one another. Inconsistency between documents is the single most common cause of an examination.
Customs duty, IVA and the 2026 parcel change
Portugal applies the EU common customs tariff. There is no free trade agreement between the EU and China, so Chinese-origin goods receive no preferential rate.
- Customs duty at the TARIC rate for your commodity — broadly 0–17% for consumer goods, with electronics at the low end and footwear and textiles higher.
- Portuguese IVA at 23% standard, calculated on the customs value (generally CIF) plus duty, with 13% and 6% bands for qualifying goods. Island deliveries may fall under the Madeira or Azores rates instead.
A worked example on a EUR 14,000 CIF shipment of general consumer goods at 8% duty, cleared on the mainland:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Customs value (CIF) | EUR 14,000 |
| Customs duty at 8% | EUR 1,120 |
| IVA base (value + duty) | EUR 15,120 |
| Portuguese IVA at 23% | EUR 3,478 |
| Total duty and IVA | EUR 4,598 |
| Landed cost before inland delivery | EUR 18,598 |
Indicative only. Duty rates vary by commodity code and change over time — confirm the current TARIC rate for your product before committing to a landed cost.
What 2026 changed here. Two things, and the second is the one people misread:
- From 1 July 2026 the old EUR 150 duty-free threshold ended EU-wide. Consignments up to EUR 150 now carry a flat duty of roughly EUR 3 per tariff line, an arrangement expected to run until the EU Customs Data Hub is in service.
- Portugal removed the EUR 22 VAT relief for low-value imports back on 1 July 2021. So unlike some neighbours, Portugal was already charging VAT on low-value imports before 2026 — the 2026 change here is about duty, not VAT. If you are modelling e-commerce unit economics, do not double-count it.
Invoicing and SAF-T: the compliance step nobody warns you about
If you set up a Portuguese company as your import vehicle, there is an obligation that has nothing to do with shipping and catches new arrivals out.
Portugal runs one of Europe's more demanding digital tax reporting regimes:
- Invoices must be issued from certified software. You cannot simply send a PDF from a word processor.
- Invoices carry an ATCUD code, which ties the document to the certified series and is validated by the tax authority.
- Businesses maintain Portuguese SAF-T (Standard Audit File for Tax) records — a structured export of accounting and invoicing data.
- VAT returns are monthly above EUR 650,000 of annual turnover and quarterly below, filed by the 20th of the second month following the period.
- Businesses below EUR 15,000 of annual turnover can fall under the VAT exemption regime, though that comes without input credit.
This is not a shipping problem and your forwarder will not raise it. But it belongs in the comparison if you are deciding whether to register your Iberian entity in Portugal or Spain — Spain has been phasing in a comparable structured e-invoicing obligation of its own.
A private buyer and a Portuguese company are treated differently
As a private individual
You can receive goods, and genuinely personal shipments are treated differently from commercial ones. But commercial quantities sent as personal parcels to avoid duty are treated as misdeclaration, and the consequences are back taxes and penalties. Portugal has charged VAT on low-value imports since July 2021, so the small-parcel route has not been a relief valve here for years.
As a company
You need a NIF — the Portuguese tax number used for customs, invoicing, contracts and banking — and an EORI number for customs, which one EU-wide registration covers. If your business is not established in the EU you will normally need a Portuguese fiscal representative to register for IVA.
Finding a factory online versus shaking hands at a fair
Sourcing online (Alibaba, 1688, Made-in-China)
Samples, then a trial order, then repeats. Samples go by courier; trial orders are usually too small to fill a container, so they move as LCL or air. The saving comes later: once you are buying from several online suppliers, consolidating them into one container in China turns multiple shipments into a single customs entry and a single entry fee.
Sourcing at a trade fair (Canton Fair and similar)
You have met the factory and often negotiated on the spot, but samples still need to go home for evaluation and the first production order is usually bigger than an online trial. Expect samples by courier straight after the fair, then a consolidated sea shipment once production finishes. Agree FOB at the fair, while the price is still on the table.
Three parties on a Portuguese shipment
Worth being blunt, because it is the mistake new importers make most often: the company you need is a freight forwarder — not a shipping line, not a trucking company and not a warehouse. A shipping line sells port-to-port space and will not collect from three factories, consolidate, handle Chinese export formalities, or arrange Portuguese clearance and delivery. Each of the others does one piece of the chain.
Your forwarder in China
Collects from suppliers, consolidates, warehouses if needed, prepares documentation, handles Chinese export clearance, books vessel, train or flight space, and reports to you in one thread. Errors are cheapest to fix here — a wrong commodity code caught in Shenzhen costs nothing; the same error found in Lisbon costs demurrage.
Your customs broker in Portugal
Files the import declaration electronically through the Portuguese tax and customs authority (AT), arranges duty and IVA payment or deferment, handles any examination, and organises delivery. For commercial or complex shipments, work with a licensed broker acting under AT supervision.
Your fiscal representative (if you are outside the EU)
Supports your Portuguese IVA registration. Separate from the customs representative: one secures your VAT position, the other files the declaration. Non-EU businesses may also need indirect customs representation.
Questions a Portugal-lane forwarder answers without hesitating
| Ask | A competent answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| "Is this staying in Portugal or going on to Spain?" | They plan the routing around it, and will say plainly that Spanish IVA is 21% against Portugal's 23% if the goods are Spain-bound anyway. |
| "Sines, Leixões or Lisbon?" | A reason tied to your delivery address and onward mode — Sines for deep-water and Iberian rail, Leixões for the north, Lisbon for the centre. |
| "Is this rail service actually a train to Portugal?" | They know it runs via Madrid and that the Spanish leg is part of the plan, not a surprise. |
| "Do I need a NIF before the goods ship?" | Yes, and they flag it early rather than discovering it at clearance. |
| "Is my delivery in Madeira or the Azores?" | They know the regional rates differ — 22% and 16% respectively — and confirm which applies before quoting. |
| "Does the quote include destination charges and inland delivery?" | They itemise terminal handling, broker fees and the port-to-warehouse leg rather than quoting only the ocean freight. |
The general signs apply too. Green flags: they ask about your commodity before quoting; they quote the whole route; they hold an NVOCC licence and will give you the number; you get a named contact. Red flags: a price far below every other quote; reluctance to put the cost breakdown in writing; no questions about cargo or commodity code; and any suggestion to declare a lower value "to save you duty" — that is fraud, and as importer you carry the liability.
Four Portuguese imports and the routing behind them
A distributor selling into northern Spain
Sea FCL into Leixões, cleared in Portugal purely because the vessel call and inland Trucking worked out better than a Spanish port for that rotation — even though Spanish IVA is two points lower. The arithmetic was done on the whole route, not on the VAT rate alone.
A re-exporter serving Angola and Mozambique
Sea FCL into Sines, held in Portugal and re-exported in smaller lots. Portugal's trade facilitation with Portuguese-speaking markets made the onward documentation materially simpler than shipping from elsewhere in the EU.
A hotel group fitting out a property in Madeira
Furniture and fittings by sea FCL into Funchal. The delivery is localised in Madeira, so the regional rate structure applies — and the buyer confirmed the treatment before ordering rather than after the invoice arrived.
A first-time buyer with three suppliers and one trial order
Consolidated in China and shipped LCL to Lisbon. Above roughly 15 CBM the plan is to move to a full container — and the buyer was told at quotation stage that the 2026 change affects duty on small consignments but that Portugal already charged VAT on low-value imports before that.
Frequently asked questions
Why import through Portugal rather than Spain?
Portugal is a small consumer market of about 10 million people, but it works well as an entry point to two larger ones. Goods cleared in Portugal can be trucked into Spain within a day or two, and Sines has rail capacity into the Iberian interior. Portugal also has long-standing commercial ties and trade facilitation with Portuguese-speaking markets in Africa and Brazil, which makes it a practical base for re-export into those lanes.
How long does shipping from China to Portugal take?
Sea freight typically runs 30 to 40 days port to port into Lisbon, Leixões or Sines, with South China origins slightly faster than North China and LCL adding roughly 5 to 8 days for consolidation and deconsolidation. Air freight to Lisbon or Porto is about 4 to 8 days airport to airport. Rail runs via Madrid — Yiwu to Madrid is roughly 20 to 22 days station to station, plus one to two days onward into Portugal. Express courier is about 1 to 4 days door to door.
What VAT rate applies to imports into Portugal?
Mainland Portugal applies IVA at 23% standard, with intermediate 13% and reduced 6% rates for certain goods. The autonomous regions set their own lower rates: Madeira applies 22% standard, 12% intermediate and 5% reduced, and the Azores apply 16%, 9% and 4%. Which rate applies depends on where the transaction is localised, not where your supplier is based. Note that unlike Spain's Canary Islands, which sit outside the EU VAT area and use IGIC instead, Madeira and the Azores remain inside the EU VAT system — just at lower rates.
Do I have to pay import VAT at the port in Portugal?
Not necessarily. Portuguese-registered importers can in some cases account for import IVA through the periodic VAT return rather than paying it at customs, which removes the cash-flow hit. Eligibility depends on your VAT registration and filing arrangements, so confirm it with your Portuguese accountant or broker before relying on it. You will need a Portuguese NIF tax number and an EORI number either way.
What taxes will I pay importing from China into Portugal?
Customs duty under the EU common tariff, set by your TARIC commodity code and typically 0 to 17% for consumer goods, plus Portuguese IVA at 23% calculated on the customs value (CIF) plus duty. Reduced rates of 13% and 6% apply to categories such as some foods, books and medicines. There is no free trade agreement between the EU and China, so Chinese-origin goods receive no preferential rate. Portugal removed the old EUR 22 VAT relief for low-value imports back in July 2021, and since 1 July 2026 consignments up to EUR 150 carry a flat duty of roughly EUR 3 per tariff line.
What is a NIF and do I need one?
A NIF is the Portuguese tax identification number, and you will encounter it constantly — it is needed for customs, for invoicing, for contracts and for banking. If your company is not established in the EU you will normally also need a Portuguese fiscal representative to register for IVA. Separately you need an EORI number for customs; one issued in any EU member state is valid across all 27.
What invoicing rules apply if I set up in Portugal?
Portugal runs one of Europe's more demanding digital reporting regimes. Invoices must be issued from certified software, carry an ATCUD code, and businesses must maintain Portuguese SAF-T (Standard Audit File for Tax) records. VAT returns are monthly above EUR 650,000 of annual turnover and quarterly below, filed by the 20th of the second month following the period. Build this into your systems before your first invoice, not after.
Should I use DDP shipping to Portugal?
DDP is convenient for a first shipment because the seller's side handles Portuguese clearance and pays duty and IVA. The trade-off is that someone else is importer of record, so you cannot use your own VAT arrangements or account for the import IVA through your own return — it is pre-financed by whoever clears and priced into your landed cost. If you import regularly and hold a Portuguese NIF, clearing under your own registration is usually better.
What we take care of on the China–Portugal lane
We ask where the goods are really going
Portugal, Spain, or onward to Lusophone markets — the routing and the clearance point follow from the answer, so we establish it before quoting.
Multiple suppliers, one shipment
We collect from several factories across China, consolidate at our warehouse, check for damage, and move everything as one shipment with one customs entry.
Compliance flagged before you book
Batteries, chemicals, wood packaging and certification are identified at quotation stage — while they are still cheap to fix. See our dangerous goods and non-DG chemicals to Portugal pages.
Since 2012, NVOCC licensed
NVOCC licence GD20230925153335. One named contact from factory collection in China through to Portuguese delivery.
Goodhope Freight handles sea, rail, air and express from China to Portugal, including consolidation, export clearance and cargo insurance. We are not a Portuguese customs broker; we coordinate with yours and make sure everything on the China side is correct before the cargo leaves.
Why importers use Goodhope on this lane
Six things that are different about working with us on China to Portugal shipments.
Ready to send a first container to Sines or Leixões?
Send us the commodity, HS codes if you have them, dimensions and weight, origin city and delivery postcode — and tell us whether the goods stay in Portugal, move on to Spain, or are being re-exported. We will price the modes side by side, flag any compliance exposure, and itemise the destination charges.