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Expat Life

Practical guides and stories for expats living in or moving to Portugal.

Lisbon Bans Uber and Bolt Pickups on Major Avenues and Tourist Zones, Creates Taxi-Style Ranks for Ride-Hail Cars

Lisbon Bans Uber and Bolt Pickups on Major Avenues and Tourist Zones, Creates Taxi-Style Ranks for Ride-Hail Cars

Lisbon's city council signed an agreement with Uber and Bolt on Thursday that will ban ride-hail vehicles from picking up or dropping off passengers on some of the capital's busiest streets and tourist areas. The deal introduces a colour-coded zone...

Portugal's Labour Reform Takes Another Turn: Government Drops Extra Holidays, Expands Fixed-Term Contracts

Portugal's Labour Reform Takes Another Turn: Government Drops Extra Holidays, Expands Fixed-Term Contracts

Portugal's marathon labour reform negotiations took yet another turn this week when the government circulated a revised draft of its Trabalho XXI package to employers' confederations and the UGT trade union. The new version, obtained by ECO and...

Students March for Free University Education as Minister Doubles Down on Tuition Fee Increases

Students March for Free University Education as Minister Doubles Down on Tuition Fee Increases

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre defended inflation-linked tuition fee increases on National Student Day, as students marched through Lisbon demanding free higher education and urgent action on housing costs.

The April 15 Deadline: What Non-EU Residents With Expired Permits Need to Know Before the Grace Period Ends

The April 15 Deadline: What Non-EU Residents With Expired Permits Need to Know Before the Grace Period Ends

AIMA has confirmed that residence permits expired on or before 30 June 2025 remain valid until 15 April 2026. With less than three weeks left, here is what you need to do and what happens if you miss it.

Fuel Price Surge Sidelines 1,500 Ride-Hail Cars in Lisbon and Porto as Uber and Bolt Refuse to Raise Fares

Fuel Price Surge Sidelines 1,500 Ride-Hail Cars in Lisbon and Porto as Uber and Bolt Refuse to Raise Fares

Rising fuel costs have forced 1,500 combustion-engine TVDE drivers off the road in March alone. The industry association says the current model is broken and demands government intervention.

Mortgage Payments Have Doubled in Four Years and Two-Thirds of Portuguese Families Can No Longer Afford to Buy a Home

Mortgage Payments Have Doubled in Four Years and Two-Thirds of Portuguese Families Can No Longer Afford to Buy a Home

New Bank of Portugal data reveals that median mortgage payments rose from 350 to 855 euros between 2019 and 2023, with Lisbon now requiring 102 percent of median household income just to service a home loan.