In-depth articles on the TVDE law

TVDE driver training: what the law requires of the course

The initial training course is the first real hurdle for anyone who wants to drive on the platforms. The 2026 revision moved into the law itself rules that used to be left to regulation: duration, modules, minimum attendance and assessment.

The TVDE driver exam: what the law says and how to prepare

Three mistakes is the most the exam tolerates. See who runs it, which subjects it covers, what is still to be regulated and what changes compared with what existed before 2026.

TVDE driver certificate: how to get it, how long it lasts and how to renew it

The TVDE driver certificate, the CMTVDE, is the document the IMT issues to those who meet the requirements to drive on the platforms. The 2026 law changed the renewal and, above all, the role of the taxi certificate.

TVDE driver good standing: which convictions count and when they stop counting

Good standing is the driver certificate requirement that raises the most questions, because it depends on each person’s past. The law is more precise than it seems: it says which crimes count, when they stop counting and, since 2026, what to do about convictions abroad.

Driving hours in TVDE: the 10-hour limit and who controls it

The ten-hours-a-day limit is not new, but the way it is controlled changed considerably in 2026. See what the law says, what it does not say and who is liable when the limit is exceeded.

The contract between a TVDE driver and operator: what the law says about the relationship

Employee or service provider? The TVDE law does not choose on its own, but it provides tools to answer: it requires a written contract and applies the Labour Code’s presumption of an employment contract. And none of this is new in 2026.

Vehicle registration with the IMT: what changes for every TVDE car

Until now, a car entered TVDE by being listed on the platform. Under the new law, it must also be registered with the IMT, with its own number, an expiry date and a direct link to the operator licence. Here is what article 12 requires and the pitfalls in the deadlines.

The new TVDE sticker: non-removable, anti-fraud and with a QR code

The sticker is no longer a removable decal and becomes an identifier issued by the IMT, tied to the car’s registration and verifiable by any passenger. The problem is that the implementing regulation that brings it out is still missing. See what the law has already set and what is yet to be defined.

TVDE insurance: what the law now requires and what changed from 2018

Law no. 59/2026 rewrote the insurance rule for TVDE vehicles and, along the way, removed two things that had been there since 2018. We compare the two wordings word for word and explain how insurance will now be checked.

Video recording in TVDE cars: how optional video recording works

The new law allows images to be recorded inside TVDE cars, but surrounds that possibility with conditions. Here is article 19-A read paragraph by paragraph: who switches the camera on, who sees the images, how long they are kept and what can never be done with them.

Personal data in TVDE: what the law requires of platforms and who sees what

Every TVDE trip generates data about the passenger, the driver, the car and the route. The new law changes a lot here: it makes data protection a licensing condition, creates a data-sharing platform at the IMT and regulates video. Here is only what the law says.

When can a TVDE driver refuse a trip?

The TVDE law closes the list: there are three situations in which a service may be refused, and outside them refusal is an administrative offence. Here is what each rule says, what happens with animals and luggage and where the line on discrimination lies.

Passengers with reduced mobility: what the TVDE law guarantees

The TVDE law has a whole article dedicated to passengers with reduced mobility. It sets maximum waiting times, prohibits different prices and requires wheelchairs, guide dogs and pushchairs to be carried. The 2026 revision did not touch it.

Payment and invoices in TVDE: what you must be shown

How a TVDE trip is paid for, what information the app must show before and during the journey, and what the invoice must contain. It is all in article 15 of the law, which the 2026 revision changed in small but relevant ways.

How to complain about a TVDE trip

The law requires platforms to have a complaints button and an electronic complaints book inside the app, to investigate every complaint and to keep the record for two years. Here is the full route, from the screenshot to the courtroom.

The emergency button in TVDE apps

It is one of the 2026 changes that matters most to those who ride and those who drive: every TVDE app must now offer an emergency service that connects to the authorities and shares the car’s location. What the law says, who it serves and how long platforms have to put it in place.

Can a TVDE car pick up passengers on the street?

The basic rule is simple and dates from 2018: a TVDE car only takes those who requested it in the app. The 2026 revision kept it, raised the ceiling on fines for companies and created a new regime for taxis that also work on the platforms.

Uncapped surge pricing: what the platform now has to show

The new law swapped a numerical limit for a duty of transparency. We explain how the 72-hour cap worked, what article 15 now says, why the price estimate disappeared and what passengers can demand.

The platforms’ 5% contribution, explained from the inside

Article 30 of the TVDE regime requires every platform manager to hand over to the State part of what it charges in commissions. The new law set that part at 5%. See what amount it applies to, how it is paid, where it goes and what the law says, and does not say, about who ends up bearing it.

The IMT data-sharing platform, piece by piece

It is the least visible change in the new law and perhaps the one that most alters day-to-day enforcement. The IMT, Portugal’s transport authority, will provide a platform where TVDE apps are required to validate operators, drivers and vehicles. See what it contains, who has access and what still depends on an implementing regulation.

The platform blocked my account. What does the law say?

The new law does not create an internal tribunal for blocks, but it does not give platforms a completely free hand either. Some blocks are mandatory, there are rules on blocking clauses and there is a new role for the AMT. See what the legal text says and what it does not.

Rating passengers: from prohibited to mandatory for platforms

In 2018 the law expressly prohibited drivers and platforms from rating passengers. The 2026 revision repealed that ban and now requires a trip rating service in both directions. See what changes in practice, what remains protected and what was left unregulated.

TVDE operator licence: the legal procedure, step by step

What the law says about applying to the IMT for an operator licence after the 2026 revision: who can apply, what items to submit, how it is decided, how long it lasts and what you must do to keep it.

TVDE platform manager licence: requirements and deadlines

Platforms such as Uber, Bolt and others need a licence from the IMT. The new law adds requirements, creates the concept of technological capacity, puts an expiry date on the licence and requires platforms already licensed to obtain a new licence within one year.

Complete list of TVDE fines, paragraph by paragraph

The 32 offences in article 25(2), organised by topic, with the rule breached, who is liable for each and which body processes it. A reference to consult, not to read in one go.

Incompatibilities in TVDE: who cannot own whom

The new law separates by statute the three parts of the sector that train, operate and act as intermediaries. A platform cannot have a fleet or operators, an operator cannot have a school, a school cannot be an operator. Here are the rules, one by one.

The missing implementing regulations: what the new law left unregulated

Law no. 59/2026 is in force, but several rules only work once the Government publishes implementing regulations (portarias). This table shows each planned act, the article that calls for it, what it will define and what is on hold until then.