The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Portugal: Maximize Your Online Shopping Experience

Amazon is one of the biggest online shopping platforms in the world, and it is present in 190 countries, where you can find clothes, toys, furniture for your new home, and even streaming services. It is normal to think that a complete market space like Amazon is present everywhere in the world, but this is wrong!  This doesn't mean that you can’t buy stuff from Amazon, because you can, but you have to do it on the Amazon websites from other European countries. In this article, we will help you to take maximum advantage of this online service, and show you some alternatives.

How does Amazon work in Portugal?

As previously mentioned, Amazon does not have a dedicated platform or warehouse in Portugal. However, this does not imply that you will be denied access to the services offered by the online platform. Your approach to using Amazon remains essentially unchanged, with the only distinction being that you will be utilizing the Amazon site of another country.

In the context of Portugal, the most convenient and cost-effective route for your purchases is often through Amazon Spain. This is due to reduced delivery expenses and shorter waiting times. It is also important to highlight that in Amazon Spain, the website is available in Portuguese, and you can access Amazon Prime.

Alternatively, you have the flexibility to opt for any European Amazon site, such as those in the UK or Germany. While this broadens your array of choices, it's important to note that it might also entail higher costs due to distance. In the case of Amazon UK, you may be subject to taxes, since the country is not part of the European Union.

It is similar to what happens to eBay, there is no Portuguese website for it and not many Portuguese sellers either, but it is worth giving it a try if you are looking for something very specific that you couldn’t find on Amazon. But, since this e-commerce is more popular in specific countries like eBay US and eBay UK, both outside the European Union, you might have higher costs.

What to Do When The Items Are Not Delivered to Portugal?

If some items fail to reach Portugal, there are several avenues you can explore to rectify the issue. Firstly, consider seeking out an Amazon seller who offers the same item and is willing to ship it to Portugal. Another viable option is to collaborate with a package forwarding company. As a final recourse, exploring alternative websites, possibly local, can be considered.

Should your interest lie in shipping from the UK, an excellent solution is the service named Forward2me. This service efficiently facilitates the transit of your delivery from the UK to Portugal, ensuring a streamlined process.

Note that if you want to ship to Madeira or Azores, it is also recommended to use a forwarding company, as many companies will not ship to either place.

Can I get an Amazon Echo and a Kindle in Portugal?

Absolutely! If you want to buy an Amazon Echo and you reside in Portugal, your optimal solution is to acquire an international version through Amazon in Germany. It's important to note that this version only offers British English as an available language, as Portuguese has yet to be introduced for this particular product.

Regarding the Kindle, your best option is to purchase through Amazon Spain, but keep in mind that the latest version might not be available and you might have to try a few different ones to figure out which ones can be shipped to Portugal.

Local alternative options:

If you're looking to bypass additional expenses and the wait associated with package forwarding, there are alternative options available, including other websites or local substitutes. Many of the items offered on Amazon can also be purchased from different stores or local distributors.

Listed below are various categories along with their corresponding local alternatives. It's advisable to conduct price comparisons and review payment methods and estimated delivery times before making a purchase.

eBay: If you are looking for international items, eBay can be of help. There is no Portuguese version of eBay yet. However, you can still use it from eBay UK or eBay Spain, as most sellers ship deliveries to Portugal.

OLX: OLX is the most popular e-commerce site in Portugal, its website offers a wide range of second-hand products, here you can basically find whatever you want from kitchen goods and toys to houses and animals. OLX is not actually a shop but it qualifies more like a classifieds website from Portugal, for that reason, if you are looking for a recently released product, you might have some difficulties finding it.

Some other options that you will easily find in Portugal to make your purchase online or in a physical store are:

Electronics: Worten, Fnac, and Radio Popular

Superstores: Continente and Jumbo

Sports and outdoors: Sport Zone, Decathlon, and Sports Direct

DIY and garden: Leroy Merlin, Aki, and Mat Diver

Home and Kitchen: Ikea, Casa, and Conforama

Toys, children, and babies: Toysrus

How does delivery work in Portugal?

Now that you have decided on which shop to do online shopping, you need to know how it is going to be to get your orders delivered, which is a whole different topic.  Only to warn you, it is pretty common that there are issues in the delivery of parcels which is mostly a problem with the courier rather than the online shop you bought your goods on. If you live in a house in downtown or on the first floor you’ll probably be fine. However, if you live on the top floor of an apartment building, especially with no elevator, it is very probable that your parcel won’t be delivered because the delivery people will usually not feel like climbing up to your place and you might pick it up afterward from a  courier warehouse.

To solve these issues people have come up with funny solutions like waiting outside the main entrance of their buildings but you can also choose your goods to be delivered to another address, hopefully a first-floor address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an Amazon Portugal?

No, there is no Amazon Portugal. But you can access the services from any Amazon in the world, being Amazon Spain the most common and indicated one, due to the close distance between countries.

How much does Amazon delivery to Portugal cost?

Any order with a total value over 29 euros, or 19 euros for books, receives free delivery to Portugal from Amazon Spain. Items that total less can be delivered for standard European shipping fees which begin at €3.99.

Can I change the language of the Amazon website to English?

Yes, you can change the language of the Amazon website by clicking on the flag icon on the right of the search box at the top of the screen and selecting the country language you desire.

On the Amazon app, tap the three-line menu and choose Settings, then look for Country & Language.