Portugal’s new TVDE rules take effect on 1 September
A revised law changes the rules for ride-hailing platforms, operators, drivers and vehicles. Passengers gain clearer safeguards, but several technical measures still need regulations and transition work.
Archived after its publication day. Search retains this original briefing for background and accountability.
Archived 31 August 2026Anyone using or working through a TVDE platform should know which protections apply from September and which visible changes may take longer to appear.
- Law 59/2026 was published on 25 August and enters into force on 1 September 2026.
- Platforms must provide clearer trip, price, complaint and emergency information to users.
- Optional in-car video can only be activated for a specific trip with the express agreement of both passenger and driver, and audio recording is prohibited.
- Some measures depend on implementing rules and transition periods, so not every change will be visible on day one.
What changes for passengers
The revised regime strengthens the information that a TVDE app must provide before and after a journey. It covers the price calculation, complaint handling, alternative dispute resolution, emergency support and the ability to manage or cancel a subscription where one exists.
The law also confirms equal access to the service and sets narrow grounds on which a journey may be refused. A platform must block an operator, driver or vehicle when it knows, or should know, that legal requirements are not being met.
Video recording is optional, not automatic
A platform may offer video recording inside a vehicle for safety, but the feature must be off by default. It can only be activated for an individual trip after clear advance notice and express acceptance by both the passenger and the driver.
Sound cannot be recorded. The images must be encrypted and may only be accessed by a judicial authority, criminal-police body or competent administrative authority when legally necessary to investigate a relevant incident.
What will take time
The law introduces secure vehicle stickers with a digital identifier, Portuguese-language checks in driver training, technology requirements and new reporting duties. Some of these details still require regulations, and the law gives platforms and operators transition periods to comply.
For a passenger, the practical approach is simple: use a licensed platform, check that the vehicle and registration match the booking, review the price before confirming, and use the app’s complaint or emergency channel when needed.
What you can do now.
- 01
Check the vehicle and registration against the trip shown in the app.
- 02
Read any video-recording notice before accepting the journey.
- 03
Keep the trip receipt if a price, safety or service problem needs to be reported.
- 04
Drivers and operators should review the transition duties that apply to their role.
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