Spain and Portugal went to war several times, not just once. The main periods were the Spanish–Portuguese Wars from 1580 to 1762 , with major conflicts including the Spanish–Portuguese War of 1580–1589 , the Portuguese Restoration War from 1640 to 1668 , and the Spanish invasion of Portugal in 1762.

Quick Scoop

  • 1580 : Spain moved to claim the Portuguese throne after a succession crisis, starting the first major conflict.
  • 1640–1668 : Portugal rebelled and fought to regain full independence in the Portuguese Restoration War.
  • 1762 : Spain invaded Portugal again during the Seven Years’ War, but the campaign failed.

Simple answer

If you mean the first time they “went to war,” the best short answer is 1580. If you mean the most important independence war between them, that was 1640 to 1668.

Timeline table

[12][16] [16][12] [17][12]
Conflict When What happened
Spanish–Portuguese War 1580–1589 Spain claimed the Portuguese throne after a succession crisis.
Portuguese Restoration War 1640–1668 Portugal fought to restore independence from Spanish rule.
Spanish invasion of Portugal 1762–1763 Spain invaded Portugal during the Seven Years’ War and was repelled.

Bottom line

So, Spain and Portugal’s war history spans multiple conflicts over nearly two centuries , but the first major one began in 1580.