Portugal ride‑hailing law reforms

In July 2026 Portugal’s Assembly approved a sweeping amendment to the TVDE (electronic passenger‑transport) law, allowing licensed taxis to register on ride‑hailing platforms such as Uber and Bolt. The reform introduced language‑proficiency tests for drivers, extended vehicle‑age limits, optional interior video recording, and removed caps on dynamic pricing, while permitting exterior advertising and new anti‑fraud stickers.

A month later, the national transport authority announced that the new taxi‑fare rules tied to the TVDE regime would be delayed. The authority said the decree implementing the TVDE changes had not yet been published, and the fare‑setting provisions would take effect 30 days after that publication, giving an extra month for consultation with taxi associations and to avoid regulatory overlap.

In early August, the Associação Portuguesa de Transportadores em Automóveis Descaracterizados (APTAD) met with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to request a presidential veto of the TVDE framework. APTAD argues the law creates a serious distortion of competition by granting taxis tax and fiscal advantages not enjoyed by ride‑share operators. The association asked the president either to veto the law and return it to Parliament for revision or to refer it to the Constitutional Court for preventive review, emphasizing that its objection targets the unequal economic conditions rather than taxis or drivers themselves. The request adds a new layer of political scrutiny to the reform’s rollout.