CTT is Portugal’s universal postal operator, but receiving a parcel in Portugal may involve a post office, a pickup point, a Locky locker, a courier such as DPD/GLS/DHL, or customs. This guide explains the practical system: addresses, tracking, missed deliveries, lockers, sending registered mail, international parcels and what to do when a delivery goes wrong.

CTT in one minute

  • CTT: ordinary letters, registered mail, parcels, post offices and many postal services. Start at ctt.pt.
  • CTT Expresso: express parcel services.
  • Locky: CTT parcel lockers; some are accessible 24 hours. See CTT Locky.
  • Other couriers: online purchases commonly arrive through DPD, GLS, DHL, UPS and others. Track with the carrier named by the seller.

Writing a Portuguese address

Use the recipient’s full name, street/road name and house/building number, apartment/floor where relevant, and the Portuguese postcode in the form 1234-567 LOCALITY. Rural addresses can be less intuitive than urban ones: use the address formulation actually recognised locally rather than translating or inventing road names. Put a Portuguese mobile number on parcel orders when the retailer allows it; couriers increasingly use SMS/phone for delivery information.

Letters: normal, blue and registered

For something important, do not treat an ordinary stamped letter as proof that it arrived. CTT offers ordinary mail (Correio Normal), faster Correio Azul and Correio Registado. Registered mail gives evidence/tracking appropriate to the selected service and is often the sensible choice for contracts, cancellations and other documents where you may later need to prove dispatch. Check the live products and prices at CTT — sending mail in Portugal.

Receiving parcels and missed deliveries

Follow the tracking rather than assuming a parcel will simply be left at your door. Depending on the service, a failed delivery can lead to another attempt, collection at a CTT location/pickup point, a locker or return to sender. Keep the tracking number and any SMS/email/notice.

A very real Portuguese parcel frustration: ANACOM reported that in the first quarter of 2026 the absence of an attempted home delivery remained the biggest reason for postal-service complaints, accounting for 25% of postal complaints. In other words, if tracking claims an attempt that you believe never happened, you are not imagining an unknown type of problem. Check the carrier’s tracking immediately, contact the carrier/seller, preserve screenshots and escalate formally if necessary.

For CTT problems use CTT Help. For persistent postal-service problems see ANACOM Consumer. A formal electronic complaint can be made through the official Livro de Reclamações; ANACOM says an online complaint has the same value as one entered in the physical complaints book.

Locky lockers can solve the ‘I am never home’ problem

CTT Locky is particularly useful if your building is difficult for couriers, you work away from home, or you simply do not want to wait for a driver. Lockers exist on the mainland and in the autonomous regions, and some are available 24/7.

If an online shop directly offers Locky, select the locker at checkout. If it does not, CTT can provide a virtual locker address for eligible shipments. CTT sends an SMS/email and PIN when the parcel is ready. Restrictions apply—for example to oversize parcels, cash-on-delivery, items requiring personal delivery and certain customs-controlled non-EU shipments—so check the current Locky collection rules.

Online shopping from elsewhere in the EU

A normal purchase sent from another EU country to Portugal is fundamentally different from importing a parcel from outside the EU: there is normally no import customs clearance simply because the parcel crosses an internal EU border. That makes Spanish, German, French and other EU online shops practical alternatives when they deliver to Portugal. See guide #106 Shopping and supermarkets in Portugal for Amazon.es, Portuguese retailers, OLX/Vinted and other shopping options.

Outside the EU: customs can change the price

Do not assume a cheap item from a non-EU marketplace will arrive for the checkout price. VAT has applied to imported e-commerce goods since 2021, and Portugal’s rules changed again on 1 July 2026: the previous customs-duty relief for low-value e-commerce goods up to €150 was removed and qualifying B2C e-commerce consignments up to €150 can now attract a €3 customs duty per item/category entry (“adição”), in addition to VAT. Above €150, the applicable customs tariff depends on the goods.

If a seller uses the IOSS system for an eligible consignment up to €150, VAT can be collected at checkout, simplifying the VAT side of importation. That does not mean every non-EU parcel is free of customs formalities or other applicable charges. Check the Autoridade Tributária’s current e-commerce import notice before relying on an old blog or forum post.

Desalfandegamento: customs clearance

If a parcel needs customs action, follow the genuine carrier/CTT notification and verify it independently through the official site before paying. Customs-payment phishing is an obvious opportunity for scammers because recipients are already expecting a charge. CTT provides customs-clearance services and status information through its official website; the tax/customs rules themselves come from the Autoridade Tributária.

Sending parcels

  1. Measure and weigh the packed parcel, not just the item.
  2. Compare the CTT service with courier alternatives for expensive, heavy or time-sensitive shipments.
  3. Use tracking for anything you cannot comfortably lose.
  4. Photograph valuable goods and packaging before closing the box.
  5. Check prohibited/restricted contents, especially for international shipments.
  6. For non-EU destinations, complete the customs information accurately; calling a commercial sale a “gift” does not magically remove customs rules.
  7. Keep the receipt and tracking number until delivery is confirmed.

Returns from online shops

Many retailers provide a prepaid return label or QR/barcode and may use CTT, Locky or another parcel network. Follow the retailer’s exact return instructions: sending an item back to an address you found yourself can make a refund harder. Locky can also accept eligible CTT Expresso returns. For the legal difference between a return, withdrawal and warranty claim, see #108 Consumer rights, returns, warranties and Livro de Reclamações.

Useful links

Related BorderlessAdvice guides

  • #106 Shopping and supermarkets in Portugal — online shops, marketplaces and delivery shopping.
  • #108 Consumer rights, returns, warranties and Livro de Reclamações — disputes, returns and complaints.
  • #18 Registering and changing your address in Portugal — keeping official addresses straight.
  • #110 Portuguese food and eating culture — next.

Last verified: 2 October 2026. Postal prices, locker eligibility, carrier networks and customs procedures change. Check the live CTT/carrier page and Autoridade Tributária guidance before sending valuable goods or paying an import charge.