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A traditional Lisbon apartment building with an azulejo-tiled facade and small balconies

The IMT and Stamp Duty Exemption for Young Home Buyers (Under 35) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the €330,539 Full-Exemption Threshold, the €660,982 Partial Band, Who Qualifies and How to Claim It

Buyers aged 35 or under pay no IMT or stamp duty on a first home worth up to €330,539 in 2026 — about €13,000 saved on a €300,000 purchase. Our guide covers who qualifies, the partial band to €660,982, how to claim it, the 100% mortgage guarantee, and the catch for non-resident buyers.

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

Diners at an outdoor cafe esplanade at a Lisbon miradouro overlooking the city's rooftops

American Express's $700 Million Purchase of TheFork Reaches Portugal's Competition Regulator

American Express is paying about US$700 million (€600 million) to buy TheFork from Tripadvisor, and Portugal's Competition Authority is now reviewing the deal. TheFork lists roughly 3,900 restaurants in Portugal — 137 of them in the Michelin Guide — making it the country's dominant booking app.

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

Golden-hour panorama of the city of Braga in northern Portugal seen from a hilltop viewpoint

Braga Turns a Derelict Soap Factory Into Portugal's Largest Public Student Residence, 786 Beds From €94 a Month

The Residência Universitária Confiança opens in September inside a rehabilitated soap factory, adding 786 subsidised beds from €94 a month for scholarship students, bills included — even as Portugal's national student-housing plan runs years behind, with barely a quarter of promised beds finished.

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

The EU's New Packaging Rules Reach Portugal This Week, Starting With a Ban on 'Forever Chemicals' in Food Packaging

The EU's New Packaging Rules Reach Portugal This Week, Starting With a Ban on 'Forever Chemicals' in Food Packaging

The EU's sweeping Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation becomes applicable this week, and the first tangible change is a restriction on PFAS 'forever chemicals' in the wrapping that touches your food.

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

After a Swedish Visitor Is Shot in Lisbon's Baixa, the Government Steps Up Downtown Policing

After a Swedish Visitor Is Shot in Lisbon's Baixa, the Government Steps Up Downtown Policing

A daylight shooting on the edge of Lisbon's busiest tourist streets has prompted the government and police to reinforce a downtown security operation that has been running since June.

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

Environmental Regulators Clear the First Porto Section of the Lisbon–Porto High-Speed Line, Unblocking Construction

Environmental Regulators Clear the First Porto Section of the Lisbon–Porto High-Speed Line, Unblocking Construction

The Portuguese Environment Agency has validated the execution project for the first stretch out of Porto, one of the last permitting hurdles before builders can start work on the country's long-delayed high-speed railway.

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

A laptop screen showing a green-and-red candlestick stock chart trending higher, city lights blurred behind it

Markets, Business & Tech Briefing: PSI Up 0.6%, Utilities Lead, Sonae Eyes Malls

📋 In This Edition * Market Wrap: Utilities Lift the PSI to a 0.6% Gain * The Movers: EDP and Galp Lead, Jerónimo Martins Slips * Business & Tech Focus: Sonae Eyes Malls, Mobi.E Hits a Million * Bonds and the Euro * The Day Ahead Market Wrap: Utilities Lift the PSI to a

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

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