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Country Commercial Guides for FY 2000: Portugal Report prepared by U.S. Embassy Lisbon, released July 1999 Note*

IX. BUSINESS TRAVEL

BUSINESS CUSTOMS

Portugal is a country in transition culturally as well as economically. Courtesy, in business and other spheres, is simply expected and easily extended. Legal contracts don't have the strength in business associations that personal confidence, built over years of experience, offers. Aggressiveness is not yet keen in marketing because it may be interpreted as socially offensive. Pragmatism, of the American variety, is respected but only when presented as a possible option to be taken, not as an opportunity that must be breathlessly seized.

In terms of everyday business the Portuguese are correct and civil. They respect the time of their appointments and expect the same from others. They are thorough to a fault, often pouring over all the documents relative to a negotiation, and not too ready "to just hit the highlights". This is done partly to be careful (conservative) but also to demonstrate their grasp of the matter - - exhibiting pedantic merit rather than pragmatic merit. Many Portuguese speak two, often three languages, English being the preferred second language. Many have relatives in the U.S. and have visited North America.

No visas are required to visit Portugal for stays of 60 days or less. There are no travel advisories for Portugal nor have there been for many years.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS FOR 1999

January 1	New Year's Day
January 17	Martin Luther King JR's Birthday
February 15	Carnival
February 21	Washington's Birthday
April 2	Good Friday
April 4	Easter Sunday
April 25	Liberty Day
May 9	May Day
May 31	Memorial Day
June 3	Corpus Christi Day
June 10	Portugal Day
June 13	St. Anthony's Day (In Lisbon Only)
July 4	Independence Day
August 15	Assumption Day
September 4	Labor Day
October 5	Proclamation of The Portuguese Republic
October 9	Columbus Day
November 1	All Saint's Day
November 10	Veteran's Day
November 23	Thanksgiving Day
December 1	Restoration of Portuguese Independence
December 8	Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 25	Christmas Day

BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE

Portugal has direct airline connections from Lisbon with all the major cities in the European Union, New York, Boston and Newark in the United States, a number of Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, and with the major cities in Brazil. Porto serves fewer cities directly in the European Union, none in North America, but does serve major cities in Brazil.

English is a widely spoken second language in Portugal and American business travelers can expect to conduct their meetings with business and government contacts in English.

Portugal is a fully "wired" country with regard to communications, making available all the services found anywhere else in Europe: long-distance calls on Stateside credit cards; cellular telephones (can be rented from Telecel at the airport departures area); video-conferencing in state-of-the-art facilities; Internet services; e-mail, etc.

Housing in Portugal is at European standards but so are the rents. Executive location costs in Portugal are now in the same category as any major commercial center in the European Union.

Health care in Portugal is a constitutional right which means that the public health facilities are overburdened and therefore not able to offer the level of service considered normal in the United States. There are a number of private clinics and small private hospitals that are adequate.

Food supplies are plentiful though there are seasonal variations in prices for perishable items. Supermarkets are fully stocked. Prices are very close to those found in the United States and often exceed them for packaged goods.