Full, ambassador-level, diplomatic relations between Portugal and the Russian Empire date back to 1779.

Trading between the two countries developed slowly, and the Russian consulate in Lisbon finally opened in 1769, headed by João António Borscher, a Portuguese-German banker from Hamburg.

The crew of imperial yacht Tsesarevna in particular was hailed for their action in fighting the 1895 fire at the Portuguese Parliament.

However, during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, Portugal sided with the United Kingdom and refused to allow the Russian Navy access to its ports.

[2] Portugal joined other countries in spring 2022 in declaring a number of Russian diplomats persona non grata.