Latest news and stories about consumer rights in legal in Portugal for expats and residents.
Stellantis is recalling 357 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles in Portugal due to an electrical fault in the power steering pump that poses a fire risk. This local action is part of a global recall affecting approximately 1.3 million vehicles.
The National Communications Authority (Anacom) has issued a warning regarding a surge in fraudulent phone calls where callers falsely identify themselves as agency enforcement agents. The regulator has received over 180 complaints since May 25th regarding these deceptive contacts.
ANACOM is Portugal's national regulator for communications (Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações). It supervises telecoms, internet, radio and postal services, handles consumer complaints and can fine providers; after Storm Kristin it warned fixed-network problems in affected regions may persist until mid‑June. Those with ongoing phone or internet outages should first report them to their provider and can escalate unresolved complaints to ANACOM.
The Competition Authority (Autoridade da Concorrência or AdC) has imposed fines totaling 13.35 million euros on Meo, NOS, Vodafone, and the consultancy firm Accenture. The penalties relate to an anti-competitive agreement involving subscription television services and advertising in television recordings. While Meo has reportedly reached an agreement to avoid further legal action, other companies have indicated they will challenge the decision.
The Competition Authority (Autoridade da Concorrência), commonly called AdC, is Portugal's independent regulator that enforces competition law and advises policymakers. It is pushing for measures like an independent switching entity and IBAN portability to make it easier and cheaper for customers to change banks, which the AdC says would boost competition and lower fees.
The Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal or BdP) is moving all digital banking complaints to the Electronic Complaints Book (Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico). This change aims to accelerate processing times, with the regulator now requiring financial institutions to respond within 15 days.
The government has approved a legislative proposal requiring telecommunications operators to block fraudulent messages and spoofed phone numbers. The new rules also mandate the identification of all prepaid mobile card users to improve security and prevent online scams.
European airports are reporting wait times of up to 3.5 hours at border controls, with passengers facing missed flights and significant travel disruptions. Consumer protection group Deco is demanding a compensation mechanism for affected travelers, while the European Commission suggests that member states should increase police presence to manage the implementation of the new Entry/Exit System (EES).
Update: Journalist misses flight amid ongoing airport border chaos
CNN chief correspondent Clarissa Ward reported missing her flight at Lisbon Airport on May 26 after spending two hours in line for biometric data collection. The incident highlights the ongoing operational challenges and passenger frustration caused by the new European Union border control system.
The Entry-Exit System (Sistema de Entrada e Saída) is an EU border-register that records biometric data (fingerprints and a facial image) and travel details for short-stay non‑EU travellers, replacing passport stamping and creating a searchable entry/exit record. According to recent reporting, the new rules now require over a third of non‑EU nationals entering Schengen to provide this extra data at the border; the aim is to improve security and migration tracking, but travellers should be prepared to submit biometrics at kiosks or border control and ensure their travel documents are valid. For expats and visitors this usually means slightly longer checks on arrival/departure and more robust digital records of your travel history.
The Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal or BdP) has issued a new circular requiring banks to respond to all customer complaints within 15 business days. This update standardizes the response timeline, which previously varied depending on whether the complaint was filed through the bank's own book or directly with the regulator.
Banco de Portugal is Portugal's central bank, founded in 1846. It is a member of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the Eurosystem, working alongside the European Central Bank (ECB) to implement monetary policy in the euro area.
Its main functions include supervising banks and financial institutions, ensuring financial stability, managing Portugal's gold and foreign currency reserves, and producing economic research and statistics. It also operates the payment systems infrastructure and issues banknotes.
Banco de Portugal is led by a Governor — currently Mário Centeno (since 2020) — who also sits on the ECB's Governing Council. For residents, the central bank matters because it regulates the banks they use, sets macroprudential rules (such as mortgage lending limits), and provides a complaints mechanism for banking disputes.
Financial institutions returned 8.91 million euros to customers in 2025 following interventions by the Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal or BdP). The regulator also noted an increase in consumer complaints, particularly regarding digital fraud and difficulties in closing bank accounts.
Mário José Gomes de Freitas Centeno (born 1966) is Portugal's central bank governor and one of the country's most internationally recognized economic figures. As Finance Minister under António Costa's first PS government, he became known as "Cristiano Ronaldo of European finance" for turning Portugal's deficit into a surplus while reversing austerity.
He was elected president of the Eurogroup (the informal body of euro area finance ministers) in 2018 — the first Portuguese to hold the role. Since becoming Governor of Banco de Portugal in 2020, he sits on the ECB's Governing Council and oversees Portuguese banking supervision and financial stability.
The Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público) has issued a warning regarding a phishing campaign targeting TAP Air Portugal customers. Fraudsters are sending emails claiming victims are entitled to flight delay compensation, directing them to a fake website to steal banking credentials. Authorities advise the public to remain vigilant against these social engineering tactics.
The Ministério Público (Public Prosecution Service) is Portugal's independent state prosecution body, responsible for leading criminal investigations, bringing charges, and representing the public interest in court.
The MP operates autonomously from the government and the police, though it directs criminal investigations carried out by the Polícia Judiciária, PSP, and GNR. It is led by the Procurador-Geral da República (Attorney General), who is appointed by the President on the government's proposal.
The MP gets involved in high-profile cases including corruption, financial crime, and incidents of potential institutional negligence. It also defends the legality of government actions and protects citizens' fundamental rights through the courts.
A new decree-law now reinforces the right to be forgotten for individuals who have overcome cancer or other serious illnesses. Under the updated rules, applicants are no longer required to disclose past serious health conditions when taking out insurance associated with housing or consumer credit. The measure aims to prevent discrimination in the financial sector for those in remission.
The right to be forgotten (direito ao esquecimento) is a legal protection that prevents banks and insurance companies from using a person's past medical history, such as cancer or HIV, to deny credit or insurance. In Portugal, this right typically applies ten years after the end of treatment for adults, or five years if the illness occurred before age 21. Residents seeking life insurance or mortgages after recovering from serious illness should be aware of these protections.
A recent conclusion from the Advocate General of the European Union regarding case C-70/25 suggests that banks may no longer use 'gross negligence' as a blanket defense to deny reimbursement for digital fraud. The opinion argues that financial institutions should be required to reimburse unauthorized transactions immediately, shifting the burden of proof onto the banks if they wish to pursue claims of customer negligence.
Complaints regarding real estate mediation (mediação imobiliária) reached a historic high in 2025, driven by issues with property reservations and customer service. Many disputes involve the promissory purchase and sale agreement (Contrato de Promessa de Compra e Venda or CPCV). Those seeking housing should be aware of their rights when dealing with agents and ensure all reservation payments are properly documented.
