Etiquette in Portugal

Portugal, located on the Iberian peninsula, is home to over 10.5 million people.

Portuguese is spoken throughout the country, although you may find English spoken in some tourist centers. Some business is conducted in French.

Although there is no official religion in Portugal, approxiamately 97% of citizens are Roman Catholic. Religious freedom is constitutionally guaranteed and there are small numbers of followers of many other religions.

The Portuguese government is a democratic republic.

The currency used in Portugal is the Euro.

General Etiquette

In Portugal, a standard greeting is a warm, firm handshake, although in social occasions men will greet each other with an embrace and women will kiss on both cheeks.

A common gesture for “come here” is to extend one’s arm with the hand down and wave the fingers or hand. It may looks similar to the motion of patting someone on the head.

Conservative dress is a must in Portugal and men will wear jackets, even in the heat. Women will often wear dresses in subdued colors in lieu of a suit.

Our large, non-profit educational group for marketing executives looked for someone knowledgeable on the topic of business etiquette and one name kept rising to the top, Cynthia Lett. Her talk was amazing. Since we were limited by time, she focused on the critical aspects of business interactions. Cynthia is a tremendous resource for any company or organization looking for a protocol course.

Andrew Rose

Director of Marketing and Business Development Naden/Lean, LLC

I hired Cynthia to become an etiquette consultant. She was knowledgeable on every subject and I learned quite a but about the business from her. Many years later she continues to be a resource to me.

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The AML Group, San Francisco, CA

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Irene Zucker

President VerbaCom® Executive Development

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Association Director Association Management Group, McLean, VA

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Marva Goldsmith

President & Chief Image Officer

Cynthia is the consummate etiquette and protocol professional. She founded ISPEP to develop and enhance the standards of our profession because she cares so deeply about what we do and the quality of service clients receive.

Hilka Klinkenberg

Founder/President