🇵🇹 Portugal news, in English, every morning. Free. Subscribe

The Portugal Brief

Home
Politics
Economy
Guides
About

Sign in Subscribe

Spain

The cable-stayed Guadiana International Bridge, which links the Algarve with Andalusia, seen across salt marsh under a clear blue sky

Riding a Motorbike Into Spain? Gloves, Closed Shoes and a Reflective Vest Became Compulsory on 1 October

Spain's revised traffic regulations took effect on Thursday. They also let motorcyclists use the hard shoulder in jams, change how drivers overtake cyclists, and set a minimum age of 15 for e-scooters.

The Portugal Brief 02 Oct 2026

The old iron international bridge over the river Minho between Valença and Tui, lit up at dusk

Alto Minho's Ten Mayors Want 300 Million Euros for Roads, Including a New Bridge Across the River to Galicia

Half of the road traffic between Portugal and Spain crosses in the Alto Minho, their spokesman says. Their one-page list starts with a Valença, Monção and Melgaço bypass and an extension of the A28.

The Portugal Brief 29 Sep 2026

The old town of Portalegre from above, with the twin-towered cathedral and castle keeps rising over red roofs and the Alentejo plain behind

A Malaysian Drone Maker Signs Up for Portalegre, the First Contract in a New Defence Cluster on the Spanish Border

The Industrial Portugal Gateway cluster, promoted by the Luso Defense Group with NERPOR, puts the investment at 10 to 20 million euros and allows two years to first production. An Iberian defence fair follows in September 2027.

The Portugal Brief 26 Sep 2026

A herd of tan and cream cattle grazing behind a wire fence in a wide Alentejo pasture under a cloudy sky

A Cattle Virus Never Before Seen in Iberia Has Reached Seven Spanish Farms, and Portugal's Veterinary Authority Asks for Suspected Cases to Be Reported

The DGAV's note on the Shamonda virus, a midge-borne relative of Schmallenberg, describes fever, diarrhoea and a 10 to 20 percent drop in milk in adult cattle, and abortions or malformations when pregnant cows are infected.

The Portugal Brief 25 Sep 2026

A woman and a child at a wall-mounted Multibanco cash machine set in a stone facade on a Lisbon street, the child standing on the ledge to reach the screen.

A Portuguese Fintech Is Putting Spain's Bizum on Local Tills, With 31.5 Million Spanish Users on the Other Side

Eupago says Portuguese merchants can now be paid through Spain's default mobile payment scheme, and is targeting 5,000 shops and 180 million euros a year within three years. You still cannot get a Bizum account if you bank in Portugal.

The Portugal Brief 15 Sep 2026

Portuguese Navy fuzileiros aboard a Marinha rigid-hulled inflatable boat during a boarding drill at sea

Portugal's Marine Corps Gets 75 Galician-Built Tactical Vehicles, and the €133 Million Comes From EU Defence Loans

The Defence Ministry confirms a €133 million order for 75 Urovesa VAMTACs for the Navy's fuzileiros, financed by the EU's SAFE instrument, with a Portugal to Spain memorandum signed in Porto and deliveries running from 2027 to 2029.

The Portugal Brief 27 Aug 2026

Terracotta rooftops of the Alfama district in Lisbon seen from a miradouro, with a church tower in the middle distance and the wide blue Tagus estuary beyond

A Decade After Moving to Portugal Under the Non-Habitual Resident Regime, Spanish Taxpayers Are Asking About Going Home

The RNH ran ten years per beneficiary, and the first cohort's clock has run out. Spanish lawyers report rising enquiries about the Ley Beckham, which taxes qualifying arrivals at a flat 24% on employment income up to €600,000 for six tax years.

The Portugal Brief 24 Aug 2026

Subscribe to The Portugal Brief

Portugal news in English. Choose from four free newsletters: the daily brief every morning, plus weekly local briefs for Lisbon, Porto, and Braga. No paywall.

Choose your newsletters The daily brief (every morning) The Braga Brief (Fridays) The Lisboa Brief (Saturdays) The Porto Brief (Sundays)

Check your inbox for a sign-in link. Welcome aboard.

Sign up
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Partner with Us
Editorial Standards

The Portugal Brief © 2026. Powered by Ghost

Operated by Thrifty Explorations LLC.

[email protected]