Rent a Car at Santa Maria Azores Airport (SMA)

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Best Car Rental Companies at Santa Maria Airport

Compare low cost car rental deals for Santa Maria Airport among top-rated companies in Portugal who guarantee the best rates for a modern vehicle fleet with zero compromise on quality.

Sixt
Guerin
Europcar
Hertz Car Rental
Drivalia
klass Wagen
Avis car Rental
Green Motion
Enterprise
Budget
Alamo
Bravacar
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Popular Car Rental Categories for Santa Maria Airport

Ranging from fuel-efficient economy/compact cars, SUVs, and 7 seater vans for group travel, convertibles for an open-air driving experience, and luxury car rentals ideal for adding a touch of class, we offer the widest selection of vehicles at Santa Maria Airport.

Fiat Panda
Mini
Fiat Panda or Similar
From EUR 2 /day
Citroën C3
Economy
Citroën C3 or Similar
From EUR 5 /day
Renault Clio
Compact
Renault Clio or Similar
From EUR 8 /day
Peugeot Partner
Van/Minivan
Peugeot Partner or Similar
From EUR 15 /day
BMW 5 Series
Luxury/Premium
BMW 5 Series or Similar
From EUR 45 /day
Volkswagen T-Roc
SUV
Volkswagen T-Roc or Similar
From EUR 10 /day

*The prices above are subject to change without prior notice. Since costs vary by vehicle class, dates, supplier, and season, we recommend checking real-time rates to get the most accurate price.

Cheap Car Rental Santa Maria Airport

Santa Maria Airport is often chosen as a starting point by travelers, who wish to cover the whole of the Azores Archipelago in a single trip. Travel with ease across this scenic destination of Portugal, at your own pace, with a car rental. Hiring a car at Santa Maria Airport allows you to easily have a stress-free trip with all of your luggage and precious belongings. As this airport serves as a convenient pick-up and drop-off point, it is one of the most popular rental locations in the city. With their car rental desks located inside the airport premises, the rental companies enable travelers to start their trip soon after landing.

Book the cheapest car rentals at Santa Maria Azores Airport with us. We have made reserving a car rental an easy process and it can be done with a few clicks from the comfort of your home. Refine your rental search by using multiple filters, such as price, car categories, suppliers, and even fuel options, to find the most suitable car rental. We negotiate with our associated car rental companies to offer our customers the best car rental deals at Santa Maria Airport. If you still have any rental-related queries you can contact our 24×7 booking support and get the required assistance.

Santa Maria Airport Car Rental

About Santa Maria Airport

The first ever airport built on the Azores archipelago, Santa Maria Airport is an international airport located 5 km (3.1 mi) west-northwest of Vila do Porto municipality. Situated on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores the airport handles regular regional and mainland Portugal flights.

Consisting of three runways and a single modernised terminal building, SMA features wheelchair-accessible facilities, and provides basic amenities for travelers including free WiFi, cafes and restaurants, lost and found, currency exchange, lounge, short/long term parking, duty free stores, etc. Served by popular airlines like SATA Air Açores, SmartWings, and Azores Airlines, operating flights to popular destinations including Lisbon, Ponta Delgada, and occasionally Prague.

Address: Aeroporto Santa Maria, Vila Porto (Açores) 9580 527 Portugal

IATA Code: SMA

ICAO Code: LPAZ

Car Hire Santa Maria Airport: Requirements

Documentation

At time of pick-up, the following physical documentation issued in the main driver’s name must be presented at the rental desk: Valid Passport/or ID card (For domestic rentals ID card may be mandatory), Valid Driving License, Valid Credit Card with PIN CODE in the same name as the driver license, Rental Confirmation Voucher. If your domestic driving license is issued in non-Latin characters (e.g. Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, etc.), you will need to present an International Driving Permit in addition to your domestic driving license.

Car Rental Age

The lower age limit for car hire at Santa Maria Azores Airport is 21 years (with a few companies permitting renters as young as 18 to rent a car) and the maximum is 80. Young and senior drivers incur an additional charge, which will be automatically applied to all online searches. The amount for the young driver surcharge differs based on your chosen car rental company, vehicle type, and rental duration, hence it is worth researching multiple companies at once to select the most suitable option. Usually included in the final rental prices, this fee will also be specified in the supplier-specific Rental Terms section.

Payments & Deposit

When collecting the vehicle, a valid credit card in the main driver’s name is required as a guarantee. It is recommended to present a credit card with a chip, PIN code and embossed numbers, and it must be validfor at least 3 months after the drop-off date of the hired car. The Supplier will generally pre-authorise the security deposit amount of your rental vehicle on the credit card of primary driver. The deposit is an amount held on your credit card for security purposes and will be released in full unless there are unexpected charges resulting from, for example, traffic fines or returning the car with missing fuel.

Rental Car Pick-Up & Return at Azores Santa Maria Airport (SMA)

There are several car hire companies with a presence at Santa Maria Azores Airport, including Europcar, addCar, GREEN ISLAND Rent a Car, Avis Aluguer de Carros, Autatlantis, and Ilha Verde. After deplaning at SMA and clearing the baggage claim area/security area, you will find the car rental desks at Santa Maria Airport conveniently located in the Arrivals Hall of the Terminal. Once you have received your rental agreement and vehicle keys, your supplier representative will guide you to the terminal parking lot located a short distance away, where you can pick up the hired vehicle.

There are a few car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Santa Maria Airport to transport passengers to their off-airport branches. Sol Brava Rent-a-Car, Rent a Car Ilha Sol Lda, and Sunbeach are among the off site companies servicing SMA Airport.

Whether booked with an on-airport or off-airport provider, you can find the exact addresses of all available suppliers in the list provided below:

CompanyAddressPickup
AvisAeroporto Santa Maria Vila Porto (Azores) 9580 527 PortugalTerminal
CarAllianceSanta Maria Airport, Vila do Porto, Açores, 9580, PortugalAirport
EuropcarAeroporto De Santa Maria, Vila do Porto, 9580-908, PortugalTerminal

Santa Maria Airport Car Rental Return

Dropping off your car hire at Santa Maria Airport is quite simple. As you reach the airport, follow the ‘car rental’ signage leading you to the designated rental parking lot. Once there park the car in the allocated area of the supplier and complete the return formalities. If planning to return the car outside of business hours check the Rental Conditions to confirm the availability or inquire about the same with your supplier at the time of pick-up. For more details about the exact return address, after-hours vehicle return, and operating hours you can refer to the Rental Confirmation Voucher.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I pay for tolls in Santa Maria, Vila Porto Açores?

There are no toll roads or highways in Vila do Porto (or anywhere on Santa Maria island), Azores, which require you to pay a fee if you use them. All major motorways and expressways around the island are free for use by both visitors and residents. While driving on the roads in the island, you won’t incur any toll payments or additional charges related to road use.

How do I book a self drive luxury car rental at Vila do Porto Santa Maria Airport?

Yes, on our booking platform, users can find an extensive selection of luxury car rentals for Santa Maria Airport, Azores. Find luxury/exotic car rental deals from popular companies like Avis, Europcar, addCar etc on our platform. Simply conduct a search query and compare prices for luxury car rental deals from these major brands in one place and select the most suitable option for your travel plans. Alternatively, you can also contact our customer support team to book an offline luxury car rental for Santa Maria, Vila Porto Açores.

Can I book a car rental at Santa Maria Azores Airport with no deposit?

During pick-up, all major car rental companies secure the deposit in the form of a credit card block on the main driver’s credit card. Held for the rental duration, the deposit amount serves as financial security to cover any unexpected charges resulting from traffic fines, unpaid tolls, and other similar expenses. In case of no such penalties, the security deposit is refunded in full when you return the rented car to the supplier’s station. We recommend carefully reading the supplier’s Rental Terms section for more information regarding payment and charges.

Do rental companies offer deals for long term car rental at Santa Maria Azores Airport (SMA)?

Yes, all major car rental companies servicing Santa Maria Airport permit hiring vehicles on a long-term/monthly basis. While filling in your trip details in the booking widget on our website, select your pick-up location and rental dates and press ‘search car’ to view long term car rental deals for Santa Maria Azores Airport (SMA). Major brands including Avis, Europcar, Budget, addCar, among others, offer deals for long term car rentals on our platform, which can be booked for flexible durations like several weeks, multiple months, and more based on availability. If unable to find what you are looking for contact our customer support team to book an offline long term car hire.

Can I pick-up/rentun rental car at Santa Maria Azores Airport outside normal hours of operation?

Yes, a few car rental companies serving Santa Maria Azores Airport allow vehicle collection and return outside office hours upon request. However, an out of hours fee (paid locally at the desk) will be applicable for the provision of this service. In most cases, it is mandatory to provide the flight number and mobile phone number at the time of booking for out of hours pick-up at the airport.

Do I need to provide flight number in advance for the car hire pickup at Santa Maria Azores Airport?

Providing the flight number at the time of reservation would help the rental company track the flight in case of any delay and schedule the pick-up accordingly. In such cases, where you do not know your flight number when making a reservation, you can notify the supplier at least 72 hours before the pick-up date as well.

How much does it cost to rent a car at Santa Maria Azores Airport (SMA)?

The final rental price depends on various factors for instance, the rental duration, rental company, the car class, and the additional equipment. Simply conduct a search by filling in the details of your pick-up and drop-off locations, as well as your rental dates, in the booking widget on our website to view the updated prices for Santa Maria Airport car hire deals. Alternatively, you can also contact our customer support team via chat, email, or phone to obtain a cost estimate for your ideal car hire deal for Vila do Porto Santa Maria Airport, Açores.

Can I book a 7 seater car rental at Santa Maria Airport, Vila do Porto?

Yes, users can book their ideal Santa Maria Azores Airport car hire with seating capacity for 7 passengers through our versatile website. We offer low cost 7 seater SUV and van rental deals for SMA Airport available for popular models like Dacia Jogger, Volkswagen Caddy, Mercedes GLB, Peugeot 5008, Skoda Kodiaq, Mercedes EQB, Mercedes-Benz Vito, and more with automatic and manual transmissions. Conduct a search query by filling in the pick-up location and rental dates in the booking form and select ‘6-7 seats’ filter from the displayed results to browse and choose from cutomized results.

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Cathy O’Hara
Editorial Contributor

Meet the Experts Behind the Research

Cathy O’Hara – Portugal Travel & Car Rental Specialist

Cathy is a Portugal-based travel specialist with over 10 years of experience in travel and car rental content. She has spent more than 8 years living and exploring Portugal, covering over 20 destinations, including Lisbon, Porto, Madeira, and the Algarve. Through her hands-on experience, she has analysed 150+ car rental listings and pricing trends, helping travelers find the best options using real data and practical insights.

How this content is created
  • Based on real booking and pricing data
  • Reviewed by travel experts
  • Updated regularly for accuracy

Last Reviewed: April 2026