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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.

The short answer

TVDE cars must have third-party liability insurance covering the passengers carried and their losses, for an amount not below the legally required minimum. That is what article 12, paragraph 9, says in the wording of Law no. 59/2026. Compared with 2018, two things have disappeared: the mention of personal accident insurance and the reference to the minimum required for hire transport in passenger cars. The law does not explain why.

The two wordings side by side

The original version, in article 12, paragraph 6, of Law no. 45/2018:

"Without prejudice to other insurance required by law, vehicles carrying out TVDE must have third-party liability and personal accident insurance, covering the passengers carried and their losses, for an amount not below the legal minimum required for the activity of hire transport in light passenger vehicles."

The current version, in article 12, paragraph 9, of the revised regime:

"Without prejudice to other insurance required by law, vehicles carrying out TVDE must have third-party liability insurance, covering the passengers carried and their losses, for an amount not below the legally required minimum."

Insurance: 2018 compared with 2026

topic	2018 law	new law
type of insurance required	third-party liability and personal accident	third-party liability
passengers	included, with their losses	included, with their losses
minimum amount	the minimum required for hire transport in passenger cars	the legally required minimum, with no further detail
other insurance	without prejudice to others required by law	same
verification	the platform certified the requirements	the platform checks the IMT data; the sticker QR code shows whether there is valid insurance

What changed, precisely

There are two deletions. Nothing was added.

1. "And personal accident" was dropped. In 2018, the insurance required was "third-party liability and personal accident" insurance. Now it is only "third-party liability" insurance. Article 12 itself no longer requires personal accident cover.

2. The reference to hire of passenger cars was dropped. In 2018, the minimum amount was the one "legally required for the activity of hire transport in light passenger vehicles", that is, it referred to the level applicable to that type of transport. Now it is just "the legally required minimum", without saying for which activity. The most direct reading is that the general legal minimum for compulsory motor insurance now applies, but the law does not say so expressly.

What stayed the same: the proviso "without prejudice to other insurance required by law", the requirement that the insurance covers the passengers carried and their losses, and the fact that the obligation falls on the vehicles, that is, on each car doing TVDE.

Was it intentional?

We do not know, and the law does not help. The change is not a republication error: the new wording of paragraph 9 appears in article 2 of Law no. 59/2026 itself, which rewrites article 12. But the law has no note explaining the two deletions. It may have been a deliberate simplification, or a side effect of the rewrite. Without the preparatory work in view, any claim about the legislator’s intention would be speculation.

What can be said with certainty is the effect: on its wording, article 12 requires less than it did. That does not mean passengers are left unprotected, because third-party liability must still cover them.

A lower legal requirement is no reason to cut your policy

Third-party liability insurance usually covers damage caused to third parties, including passengers. Damage suffered by the driver is normally excluded. A self-employed driver who drops personal accident cover may be left unprotected in an accident. Check what your policy covers before changing it. And remember the proviso "other insurance required by law": anyone with employees is still subject to the general rules, such as workplace accident insurance.

How the platform validates the insurance

This is the genuinely new part. Article 20, paragraph 5, only allows the platform to accept vehicles that meet the legal requirements, and paragraph 6, subparagraph b), requires it to check, through the IMT data sharing platform, the compliance of vehicles "namely as regards their registration, number plate, age, mandatory periodic inspection and valid insurance for the TVDE activity". Article 20-A, paragraph 3, expressly includes insurance in the shared data.

Insurance also becomes visible to passengers. The QR code on the newsticker confirms, among four items, the "existence of valid insurance for the TVDE activity" (article 12, paragraph 14, subparagraph d)).

The law does not say how information on each car’s insurance reaches the IMT: whether it comes from the insurers, the operator or another source. The data to be sent, the formats and the frequency are left to an implementing regulation (article 20-A, paragraph 7), which has not yet been published.

"Valid for the TVDE activity": the detail that matters

Paragraph 9 of article 12 only mentions third-party liability. But article 20 and paragraph 14 of article 12 refer to insurance "valid for the TVDE activity". That is the condition that will be checked. Motor insurance taken out for private use may exclude paid passenger transport, in which case it is not valid for the activity, however well insured the car is. It is the first thing to confirm with the insurer.

Driver with their own car and insurance taken out for private use

it depends

It depends on what the policy says. If the policy covers use in TVDE, it complies. If it excludes paid passenger transport, the car has no valid insurance for the activity and should not work, at the risk of a fine and of being blocked on the platform. Ask the insurer for written confirmation.

Operator wanting to remove personal accident cover from the fleet policies

it depends

Article 12 no longer requires personal accident cover, but the law preserves other insurance required by law and the contract with the drivers may provide for cover. Before changing anything, check with a broker or lawyer whether any other rule or contractual commitment still requires that cover.

Fines and liability

Using a vehicle in breach of paragraph 9 of article 12 is an administrative offence under article 25, paragraph 2, subparagraph n). The fine ranges from 250 to 4,500 euros for individuals and from 5,000 to 44,000 euros for companies, and negligence is punishable. Liability may fall on the driver and the operator (article 25-B, paragraphs 1 and 2). A platform that fails to block an uninsured vehicle, when it knows or should know, commits an offence of its own (article 25, paragraph 2, subparagraph s)). And even in the permitted loan-for-use by the owner-driver, the law points out that insurance obligations remain (article 12, paragraph 20).

Frequently asked questions

What insurance is mandatory to do TVDE in 2026?

Article 12, paragraph 9, requires third-party liability insurance covering the passengers carried and their losses, for an amount not below the legally required minimum, without prejudice to other insurance required by law.

Is personal accident insurance no longer mandatory?

The requirement no longer appears in article 12. The 2018 wording called for "third-party liability and personal accident" insurance; the new one only calls for "third-party liability" insurance. The law does not explain the change. Other laws may still require specific insurance in certain situations, and personal protection for the driver remains a sensible decision.

Does my car’s normal insurance cover TVDE?

Do not assume it does. The law refers to "valid insurance for the TVDE activity", and that is what the platform checks and what the sticker’s QR code confirms. Ask the insurer for written confirmation that the policy covers use of the vehicle for paid passenger transport in TVDE.

How much does TVDE insurance cost?

The law does not set prices, and amounts depend on the insurer, the vehicle, your history and the cover chosen. We do not publish reference figures because we have no reliable and comparable source. Ask several insurers for quotes, stating expressly that the car is used for TVDE.

What happens if the car works without valid insurance?

It is an administrative offence under article 25, paragraph 2, subparagraph n), with a fine of 250 to 4,500 euros for individuals and 5,000 to 44,000 euros for companies, chargeable to the driver and the operator. The platform must also block the vehicle when it knows or should know of the lack of insurance.