Portugal’s TVDE law revised: Portuguese language skills and new IMT test required

Portugal’s revised TVDE law, governing app-based private hire passenger transport, was signed into law in August 2026 and requires platform drivers to demonstrate a functional command of Portuguese and pass a new test set by IMT, Portugal’s Institute for Mobility and Transport, according to a GrowIN Portugal report published on 24 August. For the franchising community, this is a development to monitor when assessing mobility-related ventures, without confusing these requirements with rules specific to franchising.

What the report identifies as new

The available information sets out two requirements for platform drivers: proving a functional command of Portuguese and passing a new IMT test. Uber and Bolt are the platforms expressly mentioned in the report, whose headline highlights the requirement to demonstrate Portuguese language skills.

GrowIN Portugal states that the revised law was signed into law in August 2026. However, the excerpt provided does not identify the legislation, the provisions amended or the date on which the new requirements take effect. The date of signing should therefore not be presented as establishing, in itself, when each obligation becomes enforceable.

Nor does the excerpt specify the test format, the criteria for assessing language proficiency or the documents accepted as evidence. The report identifies the announced change, but does not provide enough information to draw up a compliance timetable or a complete procedure for the drivers concerned.

A change to monitor, not a franchising rule

The scope described by the source concerns drivers working through TVDE platforms. The material provided makes no reference to any affected franchise brand, any network that has changed its procedures or any new contractual conditions imposed on franchisees.

Its relevance to the franchising community should therefore be understood as a regulatory development to monitor. Anyone assessing a business opportunity connected with this activity should check whether the identified requirements apply to the specific venture. This does not mean that all mobility businesses are covered.

It is also important to distinguish between the organisations involved and their roles. The references to Uber and Bolt do not provide information about any franchise models operated by these companies. Likewise, the report offers no basis for attributing new training, assessment or recruitment responsibilities to the platforms unless these are expressly described in the source.

The questions that remain unanswered

Before using this report to make an operational decision, several essential questions need to be resolved by consulting the legislation and relevant official guidance. When do the requirements actually take effect? Is there a transition period? How will drivers demonstrate a functional command of Portuguese? Under what conditions will the new test take place?

The excerpt also does not explain whether existing drivers and new applicants will be treated differently. It gives no details of possible exemptions, costs, registration deadlines or consequences of non-compliance. It would be inaccurate to fill these gaps with assumptions based on how other tests or professional regulatory systems usually work.

These omissions also limit any assessment of the economic implications of the change. The research provided contains no estimates of the number of drivers affected, the cost of complying or potential effects on service availability. There is therefore no basis for predicting price rises, driver shortages or expansion opportunities arising from this revision.

How to use this information when assessing a venture

For a prospective franchisee considering a venture directly connected with TVDE, the report can serve as a starting point for a checklist. The first step is to confirm the legal framework governing the proposed activity and distinguish drivers’ obligations from any obligations placed on the business operator.

When speaking to a business promoter or franchise network, it would be prudent to request up-to-date documentation on the applicable requirements rather than accept general assurances of compliance. If training costs or transition timetables are presented, ask for the evidence supporting them. This is a due diligence recommendation, not an additional obligation announced in the report.

Practical takeaway: the available information points to new language and testing requirements for TVDE drivers. Before hiring, investing or changing procedures, check the legislation and official guidance; the news excerpt alone does not explain how or when to comply with each requirement.