General Daily Briefing: Monday, 5 October 2026
Good morning, and a happy Republic Day. Here is your Monday briefing for 5 October 2026: the day's essential Portugal stories for residents, immigrants and anyone keeping an eye on the country, with two new practical guides at the top.
- Brazil votes: Brazilians in Portugal backed Lula with 52.5 percent, but Flávio Bolsonaro leads nationally and the runoff is on 25 October.
- Crime: GNR reports involving young people rose 11.6 percent in the first half, while violent cases nearly halved.
- Retirement: Portugal ranks fourth in International Living's 2026 index, held back mainly by housing costs.
- Housing: Belgian developer Thomas & Piron has 432 million euros of projects under way, led by 700 flats in Sacavém.
- Climate: replanting and better managing forests can now earn credits in Portugal's voluntary carbon market.
- Culture: Lisbon's MAAT turns ten today with free entry and a 2027 programme that includes Christian Marclay.
Replacing a Lost or Stolen Residence Card in Portugal
What to do if your AIMA residence card is lost, stolen or damaged: the police report, booking the replacement with AIMA, the fee, and what happens to the old card.
Sponsoring a Visitor to Portugal (Termo de Responsabilidade)
How to sign a termo de responsabilidade for a friend or relative coming to visit: who can sign, which form to use, and what you are promising to pay.
Also Published Since Yesterday's Briefing
- The Porto Brief, Week of 4 October 2026: Portugal Face Norway at the Dragão Without Ronaldo, No VCI Toll for Now, and the North's Courts Run Short of Prosecutors
- An Air Force Sergeant Faces Portugal's First Trial for Pirating Newspapers on Telegram, and Expresso's Owner Wants 631,500 Euros
- Jerrycans on the Beach and Cocaine in a Loulé Home: Five GNR Operations in Four Days Trace the Algarve's Drug-Boat Supply Line
- The Pisão Dam Is Given Until 2030 and Keeps Its 222 Million Euros, With the Works Halted by the Courts Since May
- Parliament Throws Open São Bento on Monday for Republic Day, the First 5 October With Seguro as President
- Portugal Has 41,500 Fewer People in Work Than in May, but the Jobless Rate Stays at 5.7 Percent
- The State Expects to Save 46 Million Euros by Pooling Its 2027 Energy Purchases, Almost Twice the 2026 Estimate
- Alcohol Dependence Nearly Quadrupled in a Decade, and Portugal's Addiction Chief Puts Treatment at One Patient in Five
- Portugal's Wild Iberian Lynx Population Reaches a Record 394 as the Peninsula Count Hits 2,663
- Portugal Tops the EU for House Price Growth Again, With a 16.5 Percent Annual Rise Against 4.7 Percent Across the Union
- The 20-Euro Green Rail Pass Doubled Regional Train Journeys in 2025 and Left Them 77 Percent Full, While Only 37 Percent of Long-Distance Trains Arrived on Time
- Portuguese Shops Sold Less Food in August Than a Year Earlier, the First Fall Since 2023, as Homeware Sales Rose 10 Percent
Lula Wins Among Brazilians in Portugal
In Sunday's first round, Lula took 52.5 percent of the valid vote in Portugal against 38.6 percent for Flávio Bolsonaro, winning in Lisbon and Porto while Bolsonaro won in Faro. Nationally, Bolsonaro leads with 47.4 percent to Lula's 44.7, so Brazil votes again on 25 October. Brazil's consul in Lisbon put abstention in the capital at 70 percent, and several dozen people could not vote because their registration was out of date.
More Youth Crime Reports, Fewer Violent Ones
The GNR logged 797 reports involving young people aged up to 16 in the first half of 2026, up from 714. Violent and serious cases fell from 25 to 14, but cases of private lives being exposed online rose from five to 13, which the force links to cyberbullying. Most incidents happen on weekdays between 13:00 and 18:00, around school leaving times.
Fourth Place for Retirees
International Living's 2026 Annual Global Retirement Index puts Portugal fourth of 24 countries, behind Greece, Panama and Costa Rica. It ranks second for both healthcare and climate. The main reservation is housing: the magazine's Porto correspondent quotes one-bedroom flats outside the city at about 1,200 euros a month, and steers readers towards smaller towns.
A New Neighbourhood for Sacavém
Thomas & Piron's Portugal director says the Belgian group has 432 million euros of housing projects under way. The biggest, Clarissas in Sacavém, is planned as about 700 flats in 37 buildings, with sales from mid-2027 and completion in 2035. In Greater Porto, Gaia Hills has 210 flats under construction and the 31 flats of Docks Matosinhos have all been sold.
Forests Join the Carbon Market
The Environment Ministry has approved two new methodologies, for reforestation and improved forest management, in Portugal's Voluntary Carbon Market, which until now accepted only new afforestation. Each tonne of CO2 kept out of the atmosphere earns a credit that can be sold. The market is still small: two registered projects and 977 credits on sale.
The MAAT at Ten
Lisbon's Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Belém opened ten years ago today and has free entry to all its exhibitions for the holiday. It has had more than three million visitors since 2016. New shows include Joana Vasconcelos's tribute to Valentino, and 2027 brings Christian Marclay and an exhibition on what powers artificial intelligence.
