Photography permits in Lisbon and Sintra: what you need to know

Most people booking a photoshoot in Lisbon never need to think about permits. A couple, a family or a solo traveller with one photographer and a handheld camera, in a public street or viewpoint, is simply visiting the city with a camera. Things change when a shoot starts to look like a production, moves into a monument or heads to Sintra. Here's how it works, as of September 2026.

Streets, squares and viewpoints

Private portrait sessions in public spaces — the viewpoints, Alfama's lanes, Praça do Comércio, the riverside — do not normally need a permit when they are handheld and discreet: no crew, no lighting stands, nothing that occupies the public space or blocks people's way. That covers the vast majority of proposal, couples, family and travel sessions.

Productions are different. Commercial shoots for brands, film and video work, large crews, equipment set up in the street or anything that closes off space generally needs authorisation, which in Lisbon goes through the Lisboa Film Commission and the city council.

Monuments and museums

Monuments set their own rules. As a ticket-holding visitor you can usually take personal photos, but professional sessions inside monuments — including the Jerónimos Monastery — need permission from the institution that manages them, and tripods and flash are often restricted. We photograph Belém Tower and the Jerónimos façade from the outside, where no permission is needed for a private session.

Sintra: the Parques de Sintra rules

Pena Park and Palace, Monserrate, the Moorish Castle and the other sites managed by Parques de Sintra have clear rules for professional photo sessions:

Heritage image fee

€150

Where to pay

Ticket office, on the day

Covers

Park entry for 6 people incl. photographer

Inside monuments

Not allowed

• The fee cannot be paid in advance and does not give exclusive use of any area; monuments are not opened outside normal hours.
• Tripods, external flash, reflectors and drones are not allowed.
• Sessions must not interfere with visitors or block the usual routes.
• Images are for personal, non-commercial use.
• If your group is larger than six, the others need normal entry tickets.

Quinta da Regaleira is managed by a different foundation and has its own conditions, so we check with them separately. Sintra's village streets are public and don't need a fee. More on our Sintra photoshoot page.

Drones

Drones are heavily regulated in Portugal. On top of the EU rules, taking aerial photos or video in Portugal generally needs a separate authorisation, and much of central Lisbon sits inside restricted airspace around the airport and the city centre. Parques de Sintra also bans drones. For these reasons we don't offer drone photography in Lisbon or Sintra — and we'd suggest leaving yours at home.

Beaches and the coast

A private session on a public beach in Cascais or along the coast is fine. Commercial productions on beaches and cliffs need permission from the local authorities. Cliffs like Cabo da Roca are unfenced in places: we stay well back from the edge, whatever the photo.

Being a good guest

• Alfama, Graça and Bairro Alto are homes, not film sets. Keep doorways clear and don't photograph residents without asking.
• Don't block trams, stairways or narrow pavements. We move aside and wait.
• Churches are places of worship: no sessions during services, and always ask first.
• Decorations and props in public spaces should be small, temporary and taken away afterwards.

Planning something bigger — an elopement with guests, a styled shoot or a brand campaign? Tell us early and we'll help you find out exactly what's needed. See elopements in Lisbon.