04Guides
What a fashion or editorial shoot in Lisbon costs is made of: crew, talent, locations and permit fees, usage, post-production and VAT.
Checked 24 September 2026
There is no single price for a photo shoot in Lisbon: a half-day portrait in a garden and a campaign across three locations with a cast of six are different productions. What we can do is show what the cost is made of, so a budget can be built line by line, and give the published figures for the part that is public: what places charge.
Fees below are the authorities' published figures on the date above and change; confirm them before you book. Our own quotes are made for each project.
What a budget is made of
Creative and production. Concept, moodboard, planning, scheduling and running the day. The more locations, people and looks, the more production.
Photographer and camera team. The photographer, assistants and, if needed, a digital technician; film adds a videographer and sound.
Hair, make-up and styling. Usually priced by the day or half day, plus the pieces themselves.
Talent. Models or real people: their day, fittings, travel, and above all where and for how long the images will be used.
Locations. Hire of private places, and the permits and fees for public ones (below).
Equipment. Lighting, grip, generators and a vehicle when the location needs them.
Logistics. Transport between locations, catering, a place to change, insurance.
Post-production. Selection, retouching and grading, priced by the number of final images.
Usage. Editorial, web, social, print, outdoor, and for how long and in which countries. Usage often moves a budget more than the shoot day itself.
What public places charge
Lisbon. Every commercial shoot in public space needs the city's approval. A small crew (up to 10 people, camera, tripod and reflector, no reserved space) can use the simplified prior notice at €199.90. A full licence costs €459.75 per request, plus €65.20 a day for up to 10 m² of public space, and €200.10 for a noise licence when needed.
Cascais. Public space and gardens from €56.80 an hour or €562.20 a day (2023 fee table). Beaches: €94.90 to assess the request, then €199.80 a day (up to five hours) per beach, before the maritime authority's own fees.
Sintra's palaces and parks. Parques de Sintra charges by the hour and location. For commercial work that runs from €750 an hour in the forest areas to €3,000 an hour at Pena and the National Palaces. Quinta da Regaleira starts at €3,500 for two hours.
The riverfront. The Port of Lisbon charges €52.15 to assess a request and €482.58 a day for up to five hours, plus VAT.
Around Lisbon. Almada (Costa da Caparica) lists €129.46 an hour; Mafra (Ericeira's beaches) €101.20 plus €223.50 a day; protected areas managed by the ICNF €86.40 a day plus VAT when state property is used.
Private interiors need no city licence unless the production also parks on the street, which is one reason studios, apartments and private estates can cost less than they seem.
The full rules, notice periods and contacts are in our permit guide.
Taxes and insurance
VAT. Services in mainland Portugal carry the standard VAT rate of 23%. Check whether a quote is with or without it.
Insurance. Lisbon asks for liability insurance from an insurer authorised in Portugal for any licensed shoot; heritage sites and the ICNF ask for it too.
Where budgets go wrong
Usage decided late. Agree where and for how long images will be used before casting, not after.
Too many locations in one day. Every move costs an hour of light. Two well-chosen places usually beat four.
Permits left to the last week. Parques de Sintra and the national monuments need at least 15 days; the ICNF 30 to 45 working days.
No weather day. In autumn and winter plan one. Lisbon lets a rained-off licence move at no charge if the space was not occupied; see light and seasons.
Getting a quote
Tell us the idea, the dates or season, where you would like to shoot, how many looks or set-ups, who you need in front of the camera, and where the images will be used. The more of that we know, the closer the first quote is to the final one. Use the project form or write to hello@lumenloom.studio.
Sources
Guides