TVDE in Portugal: what the new July 2026 law changes

For years, TVDE stood for far more than its four letters suggested: “Individual and Paid Passenger Transport in Unmarked Vehicles via an Electronic Platform”.

That long-form label was replaced when the new TVDE law was approved in July 2026. The acronym remains in use, but its meaning changes in key ways to: “Paid Passenger Transport in Vehicles with Electronic Availability”. The word “individual” is removed, “unmarked” vehicles are no longer referenced, and the definition becomes simpler and better aligned with today’s reality.

What changed

The update is set out in Bill No. 396/XVII/1.ª, which amends Law No. 45/2018, of 10 August, the legislation that regulates TVDE activity in Portugal.

Removal of “unmarked vehicles”

One of the most significant adjustments is dropping the term “unmarked” from the legal definition of TVDE. According to the bill, the concept was useful when the service first arrived in Portugal and there was a need to distinguish it from taxis, but it no longer matches current practice. As the proposal notes: “At international level, equivalent regimes are not based on the idea of ‘unmarked’ vehicles”.

The text reinforces this reasoning by pointing out that TVDE vehicles are already required to display identifying decals. It also argues that clearer, more visible identification improves safety and makes oversight easier: “The very logic of safety and enforcement encourages more visible identification”, the document states.

Removal of “individual transport”

The expression “individual transport” has also been removed. The previous wording could clash with services where the same vehicle is booked by two or more passengers to share part or all of the journey. This option already exists in Portugal and in other countries, yet it did not fit precisely within the legal definition currently in force.

Why the acronym TVDE stays the same

Even with the new meaning, lawmakers chose to keep the acronym TVDE unchanged. The intention is to avoid having to replace plates, identification decals and forms, as well as to prevent knock-on changes to ordinances, municipal regulations and existing references in other legal instruments.

In the view of the proposal’s authors, changing the acronym would be unnecessary, because the aim is to modernise the legal framework for the activity rather than rename a designation by which it is already widely known.

Parliamentary vote and next steps

The final text was approved with votes in favour from PSD, Chega, CDS-PP and JPP. PS, Iniciativa Liberal, Livre, PCP and Bloco de Esquerda voted against. PAN was the only party to abstain.

The legislative process is not yet complete. After the final wording is settled and sent to the President of the Republic, the law must be promulgated and published in the Diário da República for the new designation to enter into force.