The new law, from parliament to the official gazette
Parliament has approved the largest ever revision of the TVDE regime. Here we explain where law 45/2018 came from, why it was revised, what changes in essence and the steps still needed before it takes effect.
Where law 45/2018 comes from
Law 45/2018, of 10 August, known as the Uber law, came into force on 1 November 2018 and was the first legal framework for the transport of passengers through electronic platforms such as Uber and Bolt. For almost eight years, that regime governed the activity with a set of rules now considered insufficient by various political quarters and by the sector itself. The revision approved on 17 July 2026 is described as the largest ever change to this regime.
The designation changes right from the outset. The acronym TVDE no longer means the individual and paid transport of passengers in unmarked vehicles booked through an electronic platform, and now designates the paid transport of passengers in vehicles made available electronically. The reference to unmarked vehicles disappears. The law also clarifies two figures that were previously confused: the TVDE operator, responsible for the vehicles and the drivers, and the electronic platform manager, the company that owns the app.
Why revise it now
The revision grew out of two bills, bill 396/XVII/1, from the PSD, and bill 466/XVII/1, from the CDS-PP. After dozens of hearings in parliament, the Committee on Infrastructure, Mobility and Housing approved the text at committee stage on 8 July 2026. The stated aim of the sponsors was to close gaps in the 2018 regime, strengthen enforcement, give more guarantees to drivers and passengers and bring the TVDE rules closer to those for taxis.
What changes, in summary
The changes cover almost every dimension of the activity: who drives, which vehicles may operate, how the platforms work, how prices are set and how the sector is policed. The table below brings together the changes with the greatest impact on daily life.
the essentials in eight lines
topic
2018 law
new law
designation
individual transport in unmarked vehicles
paid transport in vehicles made available electronically
language
no Portuguese requirement
functional command of Portuguese now mandatory
taxis on platforms
not provided for
taxis may register and operate as TVDE
vehicle age
7 years
10 years, 12 if electric
video recording
not regulated
optional, with dual consent and no sound
dynamic pricing
cap of 100% above the 72-hour average
no legal cap, with mandatory prior information
platform fee
25% on a variable base
25% on the trip value excluding VAT
fines on companies
up to 15,000 euros
up to 44,000 euros
The timeline, step by step
Between the law in force and the new law there is an institutional path that has not yet ended. Approval in the final global vote is a decisive stage, but it is not the end: the text goes to final drafting, then to promulgation by the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, and only takes effect after publication in the official gazette (Diário da República). Part of the rules will still depend on a government order (portaria).
flowchart TD
A[law 45/2018 in force since November 2018] --> B[bills from the PSD and the CDS-PP]
B --> C[committee approval on 8 July 2026]
C --> D[final global vote on 17 July 2026]
D --> E[final drafting]
E --> F[promulgation by the President of the Republic]
F --> G[publication in the official gazette]
G --> H[regulation by government order]
from the 2018 law to regulation by government order
How each party voted
The revision was approved with votes in favour from the PSD, the CDS-PP, Chega and the JPP. Voting against were the PS, the IL, Livre, the PCP and the BE. The PAN abstained. Approval thus came from a majority on the right, with the left and the IL opposing the final text.
In favour: PSD, CDS-PP, Chega and JPP.
Against: PS, IL, Livre, PCP and BE.
Abstention: PAN.
Political and sector reactions
The debate was heated and the positions were clearly drawn. Gonçalo Lage, of the PSD, spoke of years of total deregulation and anarchy and argued that a new era had begun, with more credibility, trust and higher earnings for drivers. On the opposite side, Luís Moreira Testa, of the PS, accused the PSD of deregulating and unbalancing the sector and maintained that only the Uber and Bolt platforms were in favour.
On the left, Paula Santos, of the PCP, warned that the changes take job insecurity to the extreme. Jorge Miguel Teixeira, of the IL, considered that the intended modernisation does not happen with this law and denounced unfair competition between taxis and TVDE, in what he called genuine regulatory chaos. Francisco Gomes, of Chega, stressed that the law makes Portuguese a requirement in the provision of the service. Within the sector, the convergence between taxis and TVDE drew strong opposition, with taxi associations complaining of unfair competition and the APTAD describing the equivalence as irresponsible.
Next steps
Before the law takes effect, the final drafting must be completed, presidential promulgation obtained and the text published in the official gazette. Only then do the new rules come into force, and even so several points, such as the badge specifications or how to apply the Portuguese requirement to already licensed drivers, remain dependent on a government order.
The law is not yet in force
The revision was approved in the final global vote on 17 July 2026, but it does not yet take effect. Until it is promulgated and published in the official gazette (Diário da República), law 45/2018 continues to apply. None of the new obligations is enforceable before then, and regulation by government order may change deadlines and details of application.
