Weekly Digest — June 28 to July 05, 2026
The week's most important Portugal stories, curated from our daily coverage. This week in Portugal: the stories that mattered most, from politics and the economy to housing, health, and culture. If you missed anything, start here. Parliament Forces...
The week's most important Portugal stories, curated from our daily coverage.
This week in Portugal: the stories that mattered most, from politics and the economy to housing, health, and culture. If you missed anything, start here.
Parliament Forces Portugal to Pay Its Stalled Graduate Tuition Refund and Stack It With IRS Jovem, Defying the Government's Deficit Warning
Portugal's parliament has moved to rescue a graduate perk that exists on paper but has largely gone unpaid — and, in the process, picked a fight with the government over the cost. On 2 July 2026 the...
Portugal's 6% Construction VAT Takes Effect on July 1, Capping Eligible Homes at €660,982 and Giving Non-Resident Buyers a Recoverable 7.5% Transfer-Tax Rate
From 1 July 2026, builders in Portugal can charge a reduced 6% rate of value-added tax on the construction and renovation of homes destined for the owner's permanent residence or for long-term...
Portugal Recorded 120 Fatal Workplace Accidents in 2024, Down 11.8% as Total Injuries Edged Up
Portugal recorded 120 deaths from workplace accidents in 2024, down 11.8% from 136 the year before, according to the latest figures from the Gabinete de Estratégia e Planeamento (Office for Strategy...
Portugal's New-Lease Rents Jump 9.1% in Early 2026, With Lisbon at €17.42 a Square Metre
The cost of signing a new lease in Portugal climbed again at the start of 2026. The median rent on contracts signed between January and March reached €9.46 per square metre , up 9.1% on the same...
Portugal Spent €31.9 Billion on Health in 2025, and the Bill Grew Faster Than the Economy
Portugal spent €31.9 billion on health in 2025 — and the bill grew faster than the economy that has to pay it. New figures from the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE, the national statistics...
Bank of Portugal Lowers the Maximum Household Debt-Service Ratio to 45% and Trims Banks' Room for Exceptions From August 1
Buying a home or taking out a personal loan in Portugal is about to require tighter arithmetic. The Banco de Portugal (Bank of Portugal) has approved a new Macroprudential Recommendation that lowers...
Portugal Tops the EU for House-Price Growth at 17.8% in the First Quarter, With Only Finland's Market Falling
Portugal recorded the sharpest rise in house prices of any European Union country in the first quarter of 2026, according to figures released by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. Prices for...
Mortgage Repayments to Rise up to €60 in July Even as Euribor Tops Out
Households with variable-rate home loans in Portugal face another increase in their monthly payments in July, even though the Euribor — the benchmark that sets most Portuguese mortgages — appears to...
Portugal's Labour Code Overhaul Collapses in Parliament After Chega Withdraws Support
The government's flagship overhaul of Portugal's labour law has collapsed. After almost eleven months of negotiation, parliament rejected the "Trabalho XXI" ("Work XXI") reform of the Código do...
American Buyers Now Lead Portugal's Luxury Property Market as Cascais Overtakes Lisbon for Ultra-Prime Homes
North American buyers have moved to the front of Portugal's luxury property market, overtaking the British and Brazilians who long dominated the top end. In a market where international purchasers...
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