TVDE means the individual paid transport of passengers in unmarked vehicles from an electronic platform (in Portuguese, Transporte Individual e Remunerado de Passageiros em Veículos Descaracterizados a partir de Plataforma Eletrónica). It is the Portuguese legal category for the cars that work with apps such as Uber and Bolt. With the revision of the law approved on 17 July 2026, the acronym comes to mean the paid transport of passengers in vehicles made available electronically (Transporte Remunerado de Passageiros em Veículos de Disponibilização Eletrónica), dropping the reference to unmarked vehicles.
Why the cars carry a TVDE badge
The badge (dístico) is an identifying element issued by the IMT, with anti-fraud security features such as holograms or equivalent technology. It shows that the vehicle is licensed to work on the TVDE platforms. Under the new law it becomes tamper-proof and permanently tied to the car, which makes fraud harder. If you get into a car with no visible badge, it is a sign that something is not right.
Is riding in a TVDE safe?
The legal framework gives the passenger several guarantees: the driver must be certified by the IMT, hold a driving licence for more than three years and have a checked criminal record, and always works registered with a licensed operator. The vehicle has compulsory insurance for the activity and a valid inspection, and the trip is recorded in the app, with the driver and the number plate identified. Under the new law, video recording of the interior also becomes possible, always optional and only with the express consent of both the driver and the passenger.
TVDE or taxi: which to choose
Unlike a taxi, a TVDE cannot be hailed in the street or at taxi ranks: the trip is always requested through an app. It does not use a taximeter, because the price is set by the platform and shown before the trip begins, which gives predictability but also means that at peak times it can end up costing more than a taxi. The taxi, in turn, has regulated fares, can use ranks and bus lanes and can be hailed in the street. See how pricing works in fares and prices.
Booking a TVDE at the airport and in the cities
At Lisbon and Porto airports, TVDE cars have their own pick-up zones indicated in the app, separate from the taxi queues. In Lisbon, a municipal protocol with Uber and Bolt created zones where trips cannot start or end, such as the central axis of the avenues, so you have to walk to a nearby point. These rules are municipal and are not part of the national law; we explain the difference inautonomous regions and local rules.
What changes under the new law
The acronym itself changes, but there is more: tougher training for drivers, with an exam and a compulsory command of Portuguese, vehicles up to 10 years old, the end of the cap on dynamic pricing and fines of up to 44 thousand euros for companies. The regime still in force is summarised in law 45/2018, and the changes inthe new law.