Before you start
Becoming a TVDE driver is not immediate, but the path is predictable. You need to gather documents, complete training, obtain a certificate from the IMT and link up with an operator. None of these steps can be skipped, and the order matters, because some depend on others. The good news is that, once the requirements are met, the process is mostly administrative.
One essential warning runs through the whole guide: most of the rules described here are those in force today. The revision of the law has been approved in parliament, but does not yet take effect. It only applies after being promulgated by the President of the Republic and published in the official gazette (Diário da República), and part of the changes still depend on government orders (portarias). Throughout the steps we indicate what is a current rule and what will apply under the new law.
The six steps
1. Category B driving licence, held for more than 3 years and with a group 2 endorsement
The first requirement is to hold a category B driving licence for more than 3 years and to obtain a valid group 2 endorsement from the IMT. This endorsement certifies fitness for the paid transport of passengers and is tied to a medical assessment appropriate to that responsibility. Without it, you cannot move on to the following steps.
2. Criminal record with the TVDE driver role
You must present a criminal record certificate specifying the role of TVDE driver. This document attests to the good standing required for the activity and is one of the elements the IMT checks before issuing the driver certificate.
3. Road training course for TVDE drivers
Next comes the training, at a certified training centre. Here lies one of the most significant changes of the new law. Under the regime in force, initial training qualifies the candidate for certification. Under the approved revision, initial training must last a minimum of 50 hours, with a theoretical and a practical component, and ends with a final exam of 30 questions, in which at least 27 must be answered correctly to obtain certification. In addition, the course will now include the verification of a functional command of Portuguese appropriate to the activity. This is not a grammar exam, but the ability to communicate functionally in the service.
4. Request the CMTVDE from the IMT
With the training completed and the documents gathered, you request the TVDE driver certificate, the CMTVDE, from the IMT. The request is made online. The certificate is valid for 5 years and is renewable; if it is not renewed within the deadline, it lapses. Under the current regime, renewal requires a continuing training course. It is at this moment of renewal that the new Portuguese requirement may come to apply to those who are already drivers, but that depends on a government order (portaria) still to be published.
5. Register with a TVDE operator
Holding the CMTVDE is not enough to work. The activity is always carried out through a TVDE operator, the entity responsible for the vehicles and the drivers. You never work alone, without an operator. A driver may register with an existing operator or, if they prefer to set up their own structure, handle the licensing as an operator, a different path described in the operator guide.
6. Vehicle registered with the operator and meeting the requirements
Finally, the vehicle you will work with must be registered with the operator and meet the technical requirements. Under the regime in force, the vehicle age limit is 7 years. Under the new law, the maximum age rises to 10 years, or 12 years for electric vehicles, and a tamper-proof identifying badge, issued by the IMT with anti-fraud security features, becomes mandatory. The technical details and fees for this badge will be set by government order (portaria). The vehicle must also have valid insurance and inspection.