RelyOn Relocation® News

Parliament has approved a bill making helmets mandatory for e-scooters, e-bikes and similar light electric vehicles.

Separately, Lisbon’s city council is reviewing a proposal to end scooter rental services in the city, citing a rise in injuries and scooters left parked on pavements.

If the proposal passes, rental operators would need to remove their scooters from the streets by the end of the year.

In practice this means two things: if you ride your own scooter or e-bike, plan for a helmet, and if you rely on rentals in Lisbon, it is worth considering alternative ways to get around.

We will follow the process and share an update once the rules take effect.

The government has submitted the 2027 state budget proposal to parliament – it has not yet been approved and may still change during the debate.

The proposals include lower income tax rates in the first brackets, a higher annual tax deduction for rent, and a reduced rate for landlords who let homes at moderate prices.

The draft also sets out a significant funding increase for the immigration authority – close to 39% – which could gradually affect processing times for applications.

For residents and future immigrants, this is mainly a reason to plan the tax year calmly and keep documentation in order; the specific rules will become clear once the budget is passed.

We are following the parliamentary discussion and will share an update when the measures are officially confirmed.

According to the national water regulator, drinking water on the mainland reached a safety level of 98.84 percent in 2025 — the eleventh consecutive year at around 99 percent.

Of 278 municipalities, 225 scored above 99 percent, and 42 reached a full 100 percent.

For residents, this means something simple: tap water can be used for drinking without relying on bottled water.

The few deviations recorded are usually administrative or linked to small local treatment systems, and they do not pose a health risk.

The one practical note is to avoid drinking from public street fountains, as these sit outside the main network and are disinfected less regularly.

According to figures from the immigration authority and the national statistics institute, about 1.6 million foreign nationals were living in Portugal at the end of 2025 — roughly one in seven residents.

The number grew by only 38,000 over the year, a clear slowdown compared with previous years, mainly reflecting the closure of the simplified “expression of interest” legalisation route.

Brazilians remain the largest group at around 31%, and citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries together account for almost half of all foreign residents, with most living in Greater Lisbon, Setúbal, Porto and Faro.

In practice, this means residency now runs through formal visa and permit procedures only, so documents and timelines need to be prepared well in advance.

If you are planning a move or renewing your status, we can help you choose the right route and prepare ahead of the deadlines.

According to the property portal Imovirtual, the average number of rental listings rose over the past year from about 34,000 to 39,000, while the average asking price fell from €1,465 to €1,371 per month.

Supply increased in Lisbon and Porto, with the sharpest growth in Coimbra, Faro and Viana do Castelo, while Leiria and Guarda saw fewer listings.

Asking prices eased slightly in most cities — around 8% in Lisbon, to €1,485 — stayed broadly flat in Porto, and rose in Faro.

The portal itself notes that a decrease of this scale does not make housing meaningfully more affordable for most families.

In practice, this means a little more choice and breathing room when searching, though it is still wise to prepare your budget and rental documents in advance, particularly in Lisbon.

Portugal’s immigration authority has temporarily suspended the service used to submit complaints and formal enquiries. While it is down, applicants have fewer ways to report delays in their residence or renewal processes. Workload at the authority remains high, so responses to enquiries already submitted may also take longer than usual. No date has been announced for the service returning to normal.

If you were planning to submit an enquiry, keep your case documents and submission receipts together and watch the authority’s official channels for updates — we will confirm here once the service is running again.