Is Portugal Safe? Crime, Safety, and Security for Expats in 2026

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Rusting old cars, one with a Portuguese number plate, in a scrapyard near Monte dos Cairos in the southwest of Portugal

Scrapping a Car in Portugal in 2026: A Practical Guide to the Certificate of Destruction, the Free Drop-Off and Its Two Exceptions, and Why the Date Decides Your Road Tax

An old car in Portugal is legal waste, and only a licensed dismantler's certificate of destruction ends your responsibility for it. When the drop-off is free, the papers to bring, the fines for abandoning a car and the IUC dates that change in 2027 and 2028.

A pale yellow flower of the invasive ice plant, Carpobrotus edulis, among its fleshy leaves at Cabo da Roca

Invasive Plants and Animals in Portugal in 2026: A Practical Guide to the National List, the Pampas Grass and Acacias in Your Garden, the Slider Turtle You Already Own and the Environmental Fines

Pampas grass, ice plant, mimosa, nasturtiums, goldfish and slider turtles are all on Portugal's national invasive list. What Decreto-Lei 92/2019 bans, what to do if you already have one, the Madeira-only asterisk, and fines that run into the tens of thousands.

A yellow Kamov Ka-32 firefighting helicopter of the Portuguese fire brigade in flight against a clear blue sky, with red water tanks along its fuselage

Portugal's Firefighting Pilots May Now Fly Twenty Consecutive Days, and the Consent Has to Come From the Pilot

Portaria n.º 434/2026/1 is the first change in 33 years to the 1993 rulebook on flight and rest time for aerial-work pilots. A 20-day run needs the pilot's express agreement and five consecutive days off at the end. It takes effect on Wednesday.