The postal service in Portugal was introduced in 1533 by King Manuel I. Today CTT (Correios and Telecomunicações) is the national postal service. Many expats say that the postal service in Portugal is better than that in the UK. CTT stands for Correios, Telégrafos and Telefones. There are over 1,000 post offices (correios) in the country. Most are open on weekdays from 08:30 to 18:00 and on Saturday mornings until 12:30. People living in rural areas prefer to rent an apartment (post box) and collect the mail themselves.
Portugal's state monopolistic postal service offers a range of services, including:
* Collection and delivery of letters
* Economy postal services, normal, priority or express
* Money transfer
* Stationary
* Payment of bills
* Send and receive faxes
* Public telephone booths
Insurance packages
* Forwarding of mail
* Advertising mail
* Delivery of specific parcels
* Online auctions
Most cities have two or more post offices. Customers can pay their bills and taxes, exchange currency and fax from the local post office. Some offices have automatic machines where stamps can be purchased. The standard shape of the envelope is rectangular and does not exceed five millimeters in thickness. It should be sealed with clips or staples. The maximum weight limit for parcels is 20 kilograms, for books it is five kilograms and for correspondence it is two kilograms.
Correios e Telecomunicações offers a wide range of services for companies, including e-mail, postal postal services and express postal services. Items sent by regular mail in the country should arrive within three days. In addition to the normal maul, customers can opt for registered mail services, including EMS9, EMS12, EMS18, EMS Advantage, EMS Pronto and Quick National. Another option is same-day delivery. This service is available for Porto, Lisbon and Braga customers.
If you send a parcel to a country outside the European Union, you will be asked to make a customs declaration. Portuguese citizens are not allowed to send or receive psychotropic and narcotic substances under international control, products of animal origin, live animals, meat, fish, cut flowers and some drugs. These assets will be destroyed, seized or returned to the origin.
Postal services in Portugal cost up to five percent less than in other EU countries. The national postal system follows trends in other European states. Staff at smaller post offices rarely speak English, so you should go there with someone who speaks Portuguese or head to a larger post office in the metropolitan area.
