How to Start a TVDE (Uber/Bolt) Company in Portugal: Licence, Car and Drivers

Last updated: 7 October 2026 · By Link in Portugal

Updated 7 October 2026: this guide now reflects Lei 59/2026, which changed the TVDE law from 1 September 2026.

To carry passengers through Uber, Bolt or similar apps in Portugal, two licences are needed: the company must be a licensed TVDE operator, and each driver must hold a TVDE driver certificate. Many drivers work for someone else’s operator. This guide is for those who want their own.

1. Create a company

Only companies (legal entities) can be TVDE operators, not individuals on recibos verdes. Most people open a Unipessoal Lda. The company’s object must include passenger transport. There is no minimum capital specific to TVDE.

2. Get the operator licence from IMT

• Apply online through IMT’s form, with the company registration certificate, the criminal records of all managers and proof that the company’s tax and Social Security situation is in order
• Fee: €200
• Valid for up to 5 years, renewable for further periods of the same length as long as the company still meets the requirements. Under Lei 59/2026, the renewal request must be made 6 months before the licence expires. Licences issued under the old rules stay valid until their expiry date, and their renewal follows the new law. (When we checked on 7 October 2026, IMT’s licensing page still described the old 10-year licence, so check with IMT if in doubt.)
• If IMT does not decide within 30 working days after the fee is paid, the request is considered approved
• Managers’ criminal records must be sent to IMT every year

3. The car

• Light passenger car with Portuguese plates, up to 9 seats including the driver
• Less than 10 years since first registration (up to 12 years for fully electric cars) under Lei 59/2026
• The car must be registered with IMT for TVDE. The registration is valid for 5 years and can never last longer than the operator licence
• Civil liability insurance that covers the passengers carried and their losses, at least at the legal minimum, plus any other insurance required by law
• The TVDE sticker (dístico) on the front and rear windows. Lei 59/2026 creates a new non-removable sticker issued by IMT, visible from outside, with anti-fraud features and a QR code that confirms the car is authorised for TVDE, its plate, the operator’s licence number and that it has valid TVDE insurance. Its model, issue rules and fee will be set by a government regulation (portaria), so check with IMT which sticker your car needs
• Annual inspection

4. The drivers

• Category B driving licence for more than 3 years, with Group 2 endorsement
• Initial TVDE training course of at least 50 hours with a final exam (30 questions, at least 27 correct)
• Functional Portuguese: Lei 59/2026 adds a check of functional Portuguese to the training course, and the initial course is only passed if this check is passed too. The content, criteria and procedure of the check will be set by a government regulation (portaria), so check with IMT or your training school how it applies when you enrol
• TVDE driver certificate (CMTVDE) from IMT, valid 5 years and renewable for further 5-year periods. Renewal needs you to still meet the criminal record (good character) requirement and to complete an 8-hour refresher course, and under Lei 59/2026 the renewal request must be made 6 months before the certificate expires
• Lived abroad recently? If you lived outside Portugal for 6 months or more in the 5 years before your application or renewal, IMT also checks a criminal record (or equivalent document) from each country where you lived. If IMT cannot get it itself, it will ask you for it, legalised or apostilled and with a certified translation when needed, and give you a deadline
• A written contract with the operator

5. Taxes and accounting

• A company needs a Contabilista Certificado and organised accounting
• VAT on passenger transport is at the reduced rate (6% on the mainland)
• Drivers must be declared, either as employees or with their own recibos verdes, depending on the arrangement (see the monthly cost of an employed driver with our employer cost tool)
• Keep platform statements (Uber and Bolt weekly reports) for your accountant

Official sources

• Diário da República – Lei n.º 59/2026, de 25 de agosto (amends Lei 45/2018, the TVDE law)
• IMT – Licenciamento de operadores de TVDE
• IMT – Certificação de motoristas TVDE
• ECO – Parlamento aprova revisão da lei dos TVDE (17 Jul 2026)
• DECO PROteste – Nova lei dos TVDE: o que muda (Sept 2026)

This guide is general information, checked against official sources on 7 October 2026. Rules and portals in Portugal change often, so confirm the current rules with the official source before you act. It is not legal advice.

Correction (7 October 2026): An earlier version of this guide (28 September 2026) did not yet reflect Lei 59/2026, the revised TVDE law in force since 1 September 2026. Among other points, it said the IMT operator licence lasts 10 years; under Lei 59/2026 it lasts up to 5 years and is renewable. On 7 October 2026 we updated the licence, car, insurance, sticker and driver-certificate sections to the official text of Lei 59/2026.