Madeira Useful Info

Useful Information

Before planning your trip, find out about how to get to the Madeira Islands, the papers you need, customs formalities and health precautions.

Getting there by air

You can fly to Madeira and Porto Santo and there are daily flights between Lisbon and Funchal taking an hour and 25 minutes. Flights between the islands take around 15 minutes. There are two airports, Madeira International Airport and Porto Santo Airport.

Getting there by sea

Funchal and Porto Santo are frequent calling places for cruise ships. Their ports are gateways to the islands and departure points for other destinations. The trip between the islands takes about 2h30 hours by ferry, which can also carry cars.

Overland travel

Getting around the islands is very easy, thanks to the modern road network built in recent years. Practically all places of interest are easily accessible by road.

Papers

If you are visiting the islands from a European Union country belonging to the Schengen Agreement there are no restrictions on entry. Visitors from countries that don’t take part on this agreement, it is required to have an identification document, which, under Portuguese law, means a valid passport and, in some cases, a visa.

Customs formalities

Goods leaving the island are not subject to any limitations. However, if the customs officers feel that the quantity is excessive, you may be asked to prove that the articles are for your personal use.

Vaccinations and health care

You do not need any vaccinations before travelling to the archipelago. Emergency treatment at state hospitals is free of charge for European Union citizens and there are good private health care services for visitors from other countries. There are 67 health centres in Madeira and one in Porto Santo. Funchal has two public hospitals.

Pharmacies

Pharmacies are open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each pharmacy has a sign on the door giving the names of the duty pharmacies open outside these hours.

Information technology

Information and communication technologies are highly developed in the region. The international dialling code for Madeira is +351.

Phones

There are public phones in the main streets of the larger towns. Some take only phone cards, which you can buy in cafés, tobacconist and post offices. To call abroad, dial 00 followed by the country code.

Time

In Madeira summer time is GMT. The clocks go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and back an hour on the last Sunday in October, as in the rest of the European Union.

Water and electricity

The electric current in Madeira is 220V. Water is abundant in Madeira and is all drinkable and of excellent quality. In Porto Santo the water is desalinated and is also quite safe to drink.

Banks and shops

The banks are open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exchange bureaus are open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Saturdays, when they open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. At other times you can exchange money at hotels.

Police

If you need help from the police, dial 112. There is a Lost and Found Department at 28 Rua da Infância, Funchal, phone (+351) 291 208200.

Safety

The islands in this archipelago are among the safest places in the world for a holiday. Provided that you take the usual precautions dictated by common sense anywhere in the world you are not likely to have any problems here. Most hotels have safes or other places for keeping valuables

Fire brigade

In case of fire call Bombeiros Municipais do Funchal on (+351) 291 200 930 or Bombeiros Voluntários Madeirenses on (+351) 291 229 115.