General Daily Briefing — Thursday, 02 July 2026
The Testamento Vital (Living Will) and RENTEV in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the Diretiva Antecipada de Vontade, the Health-Care Proxy, Lei 25/2012, the Five-Year Validity and How Foreign Residents Register One
A testamento vital lets any adult set out in advance the medical care they would accept or refuse if they could no longer speak for themselves — and name a proxy. A practical guide to the DAV, the free RENTEV registry, Lei 25/2012 and how f…
Understanding Your Portuguese Employment Contract and Payslip in 2026 — A Practical Guide to Contract Types, the 14 Monthly Payments, the Subsídio de Refeição, TSU and IRS Withholding, Probation and What You're Owed When You Leave
Portuguese jobs pay across 14 instalments, not 12, and the payslip hides a lot: 11% Social Security, IRS withheld monthly, a tax-friendly meal allowance, and probation of up to 240 days. A practical guide to contracts, pay and what you're o…
Here is your Portugal briefing for Thursday, 02 July 2026 — the day's six stories at a glance:
- Portugal plans more than €6 billion of new motorway concessions for 2029-2031 — its first road PPP in 18 years — while opening talks with Brisa over the A8 and A15.
- The IGCP has scrapped the €5,000 cap on online purchases of Certificados de Aforro, letting savers subscribe up to €250,000 in a single transaction as the July rate hits 2.356%.
- Mota-Engil is increasingly confident a Texas court will dismiss the defamation suit brought by short-seller Muddy Waters, potentially on jurisdictional grounds.
- Unemployment fell to 5.5% in May, the lowest since December 2001, while the employed population reached a record high — a robust jobs market even as growth stalls.
- Free travel across the Porto metropolitan area for Cartão Porto holders is set to begin on 1 July — or whenever the Court of Auditors signs off, with a January 2027 backstop.
- The venomous Chilean recluse spider has been recorded in Porto — a first for Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula — though researchers say the shy species poses a low risk.
After an 18-Year Gap, Portugal Plans €6 Billion of New Road Concessions From 2029 as Brisa's A8 and A15 Deals Wind Down
The Secretary of State for Infrastructure has outlined more than €6 billion of new road public-private partnerships to be tendered between 2029 and 2031 — the first such approval in 18 years — spanning 33 priority routes and around 500 kilometres. Each lot, with a €200 million minimum, would bundle new construction with the upkeep of existing national roads. The government has separately begun talks with Brisa over the future of the A8 and A15, though the crucial question of tolls remains undecided.
The IGCP Removes the €5,000 Online Ceiling on Certificados de Aforro, Clearing the Way for Single Purchases up to €250,000
Portugal's debt agency has removed a long-standing irritation for savers: the €5,000 ceiling on online purchases of Savings Certificates. By switching AforroNet to the DUC payment mechanism, investors can now subscribe any amount in one transaction, up to the €250,000 global limit. The change lands as the product reaches record scale, with balances above €42 billion and a July base rate of 2.356%, its highest since April 2025.
Mota-Engil Signals Confidence a US Court Will Dismiss Muddy Waters' Defamation Suit on Jurisdiction
Portugal's largest construction group says it is confident a Texas court will throw out the defamation lawsuit filed by the American short-seller Muddy Waters against the company and its chief executive, Carlos Mota Santos. According to ECO reporting, the latest procedural turn points to the case being neutralised on the technical ground that the court lacks jurisdiction. A clean dismissal would lift one of the most visible clouds over a PSI-listed stock that has swung sharply during the fund's campaign.
Unemployment in Portugal Retreats to 5.5% in May, the Lowest Since 2001, as the Workforce Hits a Record High
The jobless rate slipped to 5.5% in May, its lowest reading since December 2001, according to provisional INE figures, while the number of people in work climbed to a record high for the series. Adult unemployment fell to 4.5%, though youth unemployment remains near 20% and women continue to trail men. The resilience of employment sits awkwardly against flat first-quarter GDP, pointing to Portugal's long-running productivity challenge.
Porto Readies Free Metropolitan-Area Public Transport for Residents, With a July 1 Start Riding on the Court of Auditors
Under a contract with Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto, free public transport for Porto residents holding the Cartão Porto is scheduled to take effect on 1 July — or on the date the Court of Auditors grants its visa, whichever is later, with a firm 1 January 2027 fallback. The scheme replaces the current 22 free annual trips with unlimited travel across the metropolitan network. The city has budgeted up to €10.25 million for 2026, rising to €18.7 million in 2027.
A Venomous Chilean Recluse Spider Turns Up in Porto, a First for the Iberian Peninsula
The Chilean recluse (Loxosceles laeta), whose bite can cause necrotic skin lesions, has been documented in Porto — the first record for Portugal and the entire Iberian Peninsula. Two male specimens were found, in September 2025 and January 2026. Specialists stress the spider is shy and unlikely to bite, and that the probability of an encounter is low, while cautioning residents to shake out clothing stored in dark spaces and seek care for any worsening bite.
