Living with Teenagers in Portugal

Share | Print

Living with Teenagers in Portugal

Below is information on:

The Portuguese Ministry for Youth and Sport (Secretaria de Estado da Juventude e do Desporto) takes an active role in enabling the following:

• encouraging the formation of youth and student associations
• stimulating the creation of Municipal Youth Councils (Conselhos Municipais de Juventude)
• encouraging young people to travel throughout Portugal and Europe, for study, work or leisure, support youth entrepreneurship
• fighting against job insecurity in young people.

The website (in Portuguese) has much useful information about schemes and organisations for young people in Portugal.

• Ministry for Youth and Sport
  At: Avenida da Liberdade 194, 1260-051 Lisbon
  Website
• Youth Line (Linha da Juventude) Tel: 707 203 030
  Open Monday to Friday from 09:00-24:00, open weekends and public holidays 09:00-24:00 for Youth Hostel reservations only

Youth Organisations

The Ministry finances the following youth organisations that are open to all young people in Portugal:

• Portuguese Youth Institute (Instituto Português da Juventude - IPJ): organises holiday and work camps, leisure time activities (for more information see Leisure Time below), runs programmes for voluntary work and for creative young people
• Movijovem: responsible for the Youth discount card (Cartão Jovem) and the Youth Hostels (Pousadas e Albergues de Juventude) in Portugal
• The FDTI, Federation for the Promotion of Information Technologies (Fundação para a Divulgação das Tecnologias de Informação): runs IT courses for young people

Youth Employment

The minimum working age is 16 years.

The maximum legal workday is 10 hours, and the maximum working week is 40 hours. A maximum of two hours of paid overtime is allowed per day, up to 200 hours of overtime per year, with a minimum of 12 hours between workdays. 

The Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity (Ministério do Trabalho e Soliedaridade Social) monitors compliance through its regional inspectors.

There is a minimum national wage (salário mínimo nacional) in Portugal for all workers above the age of 18. Sixteen and seventeen-year-olds may be paid less, but must earn at least 75 percent of the minimum wage.

Young people of up to 25 years of age who have been unemployed for a minimum of six consecutive months are entitled to sign up to the government's Interjovem programme aimed at getting young jobseekers into work.

Alcohol

By law no alcohol may be served in public places to people below the age of 16.

Alcoholics Anonymous organises meetings throughout Portugal, and provides information and support on alcohol-related problems.

• General Service Office
  At: Apartado 4331, 1521-997 Lisbon
  Tel: 217 162 969
  Website (in Portuguese)
• For help or support: e-mail
• For information on meetings: e-mail
• Some meetings in cities are bilingual English-Portuguese. Consult the list: Click here

Driving

• The legal minimum age to drive a car or motorbike over 50cc is 18 years
• For a scooter or moped of less than 50cc, the minimum age is 16 years
• Anyone under the age of 18 needs the written authorisation of their guardian to obtain a driving licence
• Drivers and passengers on both mopeds and motorbikes must wear crash helmets
• Like other European countries, a driving licence (or passport for those who do not have a photo licence), vehicle registration papers and insurance documents must be carried at all times
• Portugal allows only 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood and drink-driving is punished by fines or custodial sentences for more serious offences

Learning to Drive

Driving tests are set by the General Authority for Traffic (Direcção-Geral de Viação - DGV) and are taken in Exam Centres (Centros de Exames), either public or private, that are accredited by the Traffic Authority. The candidate must choose the Exam Centre in their district of residence.

To apply for a driving licence, first register with the DGV and a driving school (Escola de Condução). Basic driving practice can begin at 16 years of age if certain criteria are met; a driving school will provide information.

The driving test has two parts, a theoretical exam and a practical test. The practical part must be taken in the same Exam Centre where the candidate has successfully passed the theoretical exam, unless they can prove a permanent change of residential or professional address. 

• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Getting a Portuguese Driving Licence

Insurance

Insurance is mandatory for all motor vehicles and their trailers in Portugal. Anyone who does not comply will face a fine ranging from €500 to €2,500 when driving a motorbike or motor vehicle.

All leading insurers have special insurance products for young drivers.

Drugs

Portugal's Drug and Drug Addiction Institute (Instituto da Droga e da Toxicodependência - IDT) carries out research into drug use and is responsible for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation measures nationally.

• Drug and Drug Addiction Institute
  At: Praça de Alvalade, nº. 7, 5º to 13º, 1700-036 Lisboa
  Tel: 211 119 100
  e-mail
  Website (in Portuguese)
• For an overview of the organisation and some information in English: Click here

The number of users of drugs such as cannabis, heroin, crack and ecstasy has been increasing and there are special care units in Lisbon, Oporto and Setúbal. 

• To find a drug addiction care unit in Portugal: Click here

The Life Project (Projecto Vida) is the national programme to fight drug addiction. It runs the Life Line SOS Drug (Linha Vida) telephone and e-mail support service, which is free of charge and confidential and gives information and advice about addiction problems.

• Tel: 1414
  Open: Monday to Friday 10:00-20:00
  e-mail
  Website (in Portuguese)

Sexual Health

The Youth Institute (IPJ) runs special family planning and youth sexual health centres in its regional branches nationwide. Called Offices for Support on Juvenile Sexual Help (Gabinetes de Apoio à Saúde e Sexualidade Juvenil), they give information, advice and medical support in the areas of youth sexual health and family planning. No appointment is needed, but users should enquire about opening times locally.

• For local contact details see the IPJ website (in Portuguese)

Abortion

In Portugal, the law permits abortion under the following circumstances:

• If the pregnancy might be life-threatening or cause serious physical or mental health problems for the woman, up to 12 weeks of pregnancy
• If the foetus is suffering from a serious illness or birth defect, up to 24 weeks of pregnancy
• If the pregnancy is the result of a sexual crime (a rape for instance), up to 16 weeks of pregnancy
• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Termination of Pregnancy/Abortion in Portugal

Leisure Time

The IPJ supports a number of schemes for teenagers, from holiday camps to voluntary work.

To find out more about any of these schemes, or to register:

• See the IPJ website (in Portuguese)
• Tel: 707 203 030

International Work Camps (Campos de Trabalho Internacionais): An international exchange programme for 18 to 30 year-olds. The camps take place between June and September and last for two weeks each. Participants work on varied projects, ranging from archaeology and the environment to community service and heritage preservation.

Holidays with ICT (Férias com as TIC): An initiative of the FDTI, targeting 8 to 14 year-olds during summer and Christmas school holidays. These are a fun introduction to information and communication technologies.

Holidays with Ecology and Multimedia (Férias com Ecologia e Multimédia): Aimed at 8 to 14 year-olds, the programme covers environmental protection and participants learn how to create a website relating to the environment. The scheme runs from mid-July to mid-September.

Holidays in Movement Holiday Camps (Programas Férias em Movimento): Residential and day camps with varied activities organised throughout the Easter and summer holidays.

• Day Camps: 8 to 14 years, minimum 5 days, maximum 15 days
• Residential Camps: 15 to 18 years, minimum 6 nights, maximum 14 nights

OTL Programme (Programa Ocupação de Tempos Livres): A summer holiday programme aimed at developing useful community projects.  All 12 to 25 year-olds who are resident in Portugal and are enrolled in full time education or training may participate.

Youth Hostels (Pousadas de Juventude)

There is an extensive network of youth hostels throughout Portugal, offering basic accommodation at a very good rate.

To use a hostel, a Hosteller's Card (Cartão do Alberguista) is needed. This can be obtained at the following places:

• Any of the youth hostels
• Movijovem offices
• The Lojas Ponto Já shops in the regional offices of the IPJ

The card gives access to the International Network of Youth Hostels worldwide (5,000 in total).

Discount Cards

Through the Movijovem initiative there are a number of cards available to Portuguese youth, offering discounts on travel, sports, cinema and other services.

Both of the cards below come in two versions: the Classic (Clássica) offers discounts only, while the Banking (Multibanco) one offers discounts plus banking and travel insurance services.

Youth Card<26 (Cartão Jovem<26)

Open to people from the ages of 12 to 25, the card offers discounts, exclusive services and exemption from certain fees in the following areas:

• Mobility: discounts on transport (trains, coaches, flights, car rental) and accommodation (youth hostels)
• Culture and Communication: discounts in theatres, museums, cinemas, bookshops, etc.
• Sport: discounts and specially priced tickets for sporting fixtures (football, basketball and handball games, amongst others)

Id<30

This card is aimed at young people of Portuguese descent who are visiting Portugal. Applicants will have to show that they were born in Portugal or are descendants of Portuguese nationals.

Further Information

• Secretary of State for Youth and Sport
• Ministry of Youth and Sport