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The clock tower on the seafront esplanade at Figueira da Foz, with benches, a wet promenade and the wide sandy beach under a grey sky

Figueira da Foz Gets a Peace Court of Its Own, Where Claims up to 15,000 Euros Cost 70 Euros to Settle

Decreto-Lei n.º 192/2026 creates the Julgado de Paz da Figueira da Foz from today. Where it will sit and when it opens still depend on two ministerial orders, and local mediation is available meanwhile.

The Portugal Brief 23 Sep 2026

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.

The Portugal Brief 23 Sep 2026

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.

The Portugal Brief 22 Sep 2026

The Rua Augusta Arch on Praca do Comercio in Lisbon, its white stone sculptures and central archway framed by the yellow arcaded buildings of the square

AIMA Counts 1,585,854 Foreign Residents at the End of 2025, and One in Six Is Not Holding a Valid Residence Card

The agency's Migration and Asylum Report for 2025 puts Brazil at 31.1 percent of the total for a sixth year and Angola second. Some 261,443 of the people counted as resident are pending cases or expired titles awaiting an appointment.

The Portugal Brief 22 Sep 2026

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.

The Portugal Brief 22 Sep 2026

The granite-strewn upland scrub of the serra de Leomil in central Portugal, low green heath running up to a rocky skyline under heavy cloud

232 Hectares of Viseu Commonland Leave the Forest Regime for Two Solar Plants. The Replacement Land Covers 232.24.

A decree published on Monday releases a stretch of the serra de Leomil that has been under forest protection since 1954. Two commoner assemblies voted unanimously to put other land in its place, and the developer has five years to build.

The Portugal Brief 22 Sep 2026

Portugal Pays Brussels 41,250 Euros a Day for Unprotected Nature Sites, and Monday's Sado Estuary Decree Is Worth 750 of Them

Portugal Pays Brussels 41,250 Euros a Day for Unprotected Nature Sites, and Monday's Sado Estuary Decree Is Worth 750 of Them

Decreto-Lei n.º 189/2026 closes the designation of the Sado Estuary conservation area and takes effect today. It bans most building on rustic land around the bay, puts a 30-working-day ICNF clock on the rest, and carries fines reaching 200,000 euros for an individual.

The Portugal Brief 22 Sep 2026

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