Flagpole heights in Portugal
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
This page is an English translation of the Portuguese original. Where the two versions differ, the Portuguese text is the original.
The height of the pole determines the size of the flag, its visibility from a distance and the wind load on the foundation. No Portuguese law sets the height of a flagpole, but there is current practice and there are references for the proportion between flag and pole. This guide brings that information together.
Usual heights
| Place | Usual pole height |
|---|---|
| Balcony or façade | Pole of 1.2 to 2.5 m |
| House with garden | 5 to 8 m |
| Business, school, public building | 6 to 10 m |
| Large installations | 12 to 15 m |
| Monumental poles | Over 20 m |
Portuguese flag suppliers’ tables cover ground-mounted poles between 3 and 15 metres. The country’s largest flagpole in a public space, at the top of Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon, is 35 metres high, according to RTP.
Height and the flag
The flag and the pole go together. A small flag on a tall pole is barely visible, and a large flag on a short pole can touch obstacles and overload the structure. The GNR Heraldry Regulations (Portaria n.º 1194/2009) give as a reference for their flags for flying a side between one fifth and one seventh of the pole’s height. A Portuguese supplier uses the same proportion:
| Height of the pole | Most common flag size |
|---|---|
| 5 m | 80 × 120 cm |
| 6 m | 100 × 150 cm |
| 8 m | 120 × 180 cm |
| 10 m | 150 × 225 cm |
| 12 m | 200 × 300 cm |
The flag size calculator shows the size for any height between 3 and 15 metres, and the proportions are in the guide to flag sizes.
Height and the building
The ground-mounted pole is commonly taller than the house beside it, so that the flag can be seen above the roof. On a building with several storeys, a pole on the roof or façade can be an alternative to a very tall ground-mounted pole. With several poles, Decreto-Lei n.º 150/87 provides for the national flag always to take the tallest, and many public buildings therefore have poles of the same height or a taller central pole.
Height and half-mast
At half-mast the flag is halfway down the pole. On a short pole with a large flag, the flag at half-mast is close to the ground, walls or trees. A taller pole leaves more room between the flag and obstacles. The procedure is described in the guide to half-mast.
Height and wind
The taller the pole, the greater the moment the wind exerts on the base and the larger the foundation. In the Azores, Madeira, the coastal strip and areas above 600 metres in altitude, the wind action used in design is higher. The manufacturer states the foundation for each height and flag size, as described in the guide to flagpole installation.
Height and permits
The legal regime for urban development and building does not mention flagpoles and sets no height above which a permit is needed. Each municipality’s regulations can classify certain works as of minor urban relevance, exempt from prior control, and works near listed buildings are excluded from that exemption. The subject is covered in the guide to flagpole installation.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is a flagpole for a house in Portugal?
No height is set by law. In Portuguese suppliers’ tables, ground-mounted poles range from 3 to 15 metres, and poles of 5 to 8 metres are common at houses. The height depends on the height of the house, the space on the plot, the view and the municipal rules.
What flag size matches each height?
The flag’s height is commonly between one seventh and one fifth of the pole’s height, the reference the GNR Heraldry Regulations give for their flags. On a 6 metre pole, that corresponds to a flag of 100 × 150 or 120 × 180 centimetres.
Does a tall flagpole need a permit?
The legal regime for urban development and building sets no height above which a flagpole needs a permit. Exemption depends on the municipal regulations, which can classify certain works as of minor urban relevance. The câmara municipal can give an answer in each individual case.
With poles of different heights, where does the national flag go?
Under Decreto-Lei n.º 150/87, when the poles differ in height, the national flag always takes the tallest pole, placed so as to respect the protocol rules of position.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in Portuguese:
- Decreto-Lei n.º 150/87, de 30 de março (uso da Bandeira Nacional) – Presidência da República
- Portaria n.º 1194/2009, de 8 de outubro (Regulamento de Heráldica da GNR) – Diário da República
- Como escolher o tamanho da bandeira para o mastro – Mundo das Bandeiras
- Regime Jurídico da Urbanização e Edificação – Diário da República
- Presidente da Câmara de Lisboa hasteia mega bandeira nacional no Parque Eduardo VII – RTP
Related guides
- Flag sizesFlag sizes in Portugal: the official proportions of 1911, the usual sizes, the relationship with the height of the pole and the rules of the Azores and the GNR.
- Flag size calculatorThe calculator shows the size of flag for the height of the pole, using a Portuguese supplier’s table, the GNR reference and the rule of the Azores.
- Types of flagpolesThe types of flagpoles: ground-mounted poles, façade poles, rooftop poles, poles with a yard, telescopic poles and internal halyards, and where each is used.
- Flagpole installationPutting up a flagpole in Portugal: what the RJUE says, the municipal regulations, listed buildings, condominiums, the foundation and buried cables.
- Buying a flagpoleThe price of a flagpole in Portugal: how height, material, halyard, base, transport and installation affect it, and what consumer law says.