Posting drivers to Portugal: requirements, wages and penalties 2026
Published and reviewed: 3 July 2026 · Verified against Decreto-Lei No. 43/2023 (Diário da República), BTE No. 9/2026 (CCTV agreement) and Directive (EU) 2020/1057.
In 30 seconds
- The good news: the bulk of Spain↔Portugal traffic is bilateral and EXEMPT from declaring (transit too). You only declare if you do cabotage within Portugal or cross-trade touching Portugal (e.g. France→Portugal).
- Wages: 2026 minimum wage = €920/month × 14 payments; the sector's collective agreement sets the base pay for heavy-vehicle drivers at €1,014.02/month (extension to foreign companies pending).
- Fines (ACT): not declaring is muito grave: €2,040–30,600 for negligence, up to €61,200 for intent.
- The extra risk: very serious infringements can count toward loss of good standing for the haulier.
When must you declare a posting to Portugal?
Almost never, and it's worth stating that plainly: bilateral transport between Spain and Portugal — which is the vast majority of the corridor — and transit are exempt [art. 2 of Decreto-Lei No. 43/2023, which reproduces art. 1 of Directive 2020/1057]. A Spanish haulier only needs to declare in Portugal in two cases:
- Cabotage within Portugal: e.g., after unloading a Spain→Portugal trip, doing a Lisbon→Porto run before returning.
- Cross-trade touching Portugal: loading or unloading in Portugal when the other end is not Spain — e.g. France→Portugal, Portugal→Germany or Portugal→Morocco.
The limited additional activities within a bilateral trip (1 extra loading/unloading on the outbound leg and 1 on the return leg, or 2 on the return leg) also remain exempt if the smart tachograph records the border crossings. The posting in Portugal ends when the driver leaves the country and periods don't accumulate between operations [art. 3/2-3]. The general rules, with a full decision tree, are in the posting declaration (IMI) guide — or check your case in 1 minute.
Golden rule: being exempt from declaring does not mean being exempt from the A1 certificate, which always applies — including in the weekly Spain↔Portugal bilaterals.
Where do you declare?
Exclusively on the European RTPD portal (postingdeclaration.eu), at the latest when the posting starts, per driver, valid for a maximum of 6 months, renewable, with an obligation to update it if the data changes [art. 4 DL 43/2023]. Portugal never had its own national register for drivers (unlike the French SIPSI): there's no additional Portuguese procedure. The Portuguese transposition arrived late (DL 43/2023 has been in force since July 2023), and the Commission took Portugal to the CJEU in October 2025 for incomplete transposition — but the declaration and penalty regime for foreign hauliers is fully operational.
What wage must you pay in Portugal in 2026?
The posted driver (cabotage or cross-trade) is entitled to Portuguese conditions from day one [art. 3/1 DL 43/2023]:
| 2026 reference | Amount |
|---|---|
| National minimum wage (mainland), DL 139/2025 | €920/month × 14 payments = €12,880/year gross |
| Sector agreement (CCTV ANTRAM, BTE 9/2026): heavy-vehicle driver base | €1,014.02/month (+ 5% international allowance and the 48% "clause 61", over 13 payments) |
| Official example from the agreement itself: gross monthly pay of an international driver | ≈ €2,311/month |
Sources: DGERT (2026 minimum wage) and BTE No. 9/2026 (CCTV ANTRAM/FECTRANS).
An important nuance we play straight with: the collective agreement only binds foreign companies if extended by portaria, and the extension of the 2026 CCTV was pending publication at the time of writing (the 2023 agreement's extension was published). In the meantime, the unquestionable floor for the posted driver is the national minimum wage plus the statutory rules of the Código do Trabalho. And as everywhere in the EU, the ajudas de custo (€43/day on international trips) are expense reimbursements and do not count as wages [art. 3.7 of Directive 96/71].
What must the driver carry on board in Portugal?
The same as anywhere in the EU [art. 5/1 DL 43/2023]: the copy of the RTPD declaration, the consignment note (CMR or e-CMR) and the tachograph records with country symbols. The contract, payslips, proof of payment and working-time records are requested afterwards, via IMI, with an 8-week deadline [art. 5/2-3].
Penalties in Portugal (2026)
The DL 43/2023 penalty regime scales by fault (negligence or intent), not by company turnover, with the 2026 unit-of-account value of €102:
| Non-compliance | Classification | 2026 fine (coima) |
|---|---|---|
| Incomplete or incorrect declaration; not updating it | Grave (serious) | Negligence: €612 – 4,080 · Intent: €1,326 – 9,690 |
| Not filing the declaration before starting; falsifying it; the driver unable to produce it on the road; not responding via IMI within 8 weeks; not paying under Portuguese conditions | Muito grave (very serious) | Negligence: €2,040 – 30,600 · Intent: €4,590 – 61,200 |
Arts. 9-10 of DL 43/2023. Absolute maximum: €61,200.
The risk that isn't the fine: DL 43/2023 links very serious infringements to Regulation (EU) 2022/694, so they can count toward loss of good repute for the haulier — that is, the authorization that underpins your business. In Portugal, not declaring isn't just costly: it touches the licence.
Calculate your exposure with the penalty calculator.
Who enforces it and how
The ACT (Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho) is the posting authority: it processes cases, imposes the fines, and channels documentary requests via IMI. On the road, the GNR and the PSP check (declaration on board, CMR, tachograph), and the IMT links infringements to the haulier's good standing. There is no specific clause on Portuguese shipper liability in this area — unlike Spain, Germany or Italy.
MovingCert files and renews your declarations for Portugal, keeps the case file for every posting, and warns you before anything expires — all 5 transport formalities on a single platform: IMI, DeCA, e-CMR, A1 and CAP.
From €11.90/month, no tie-in — or sign up for the year before 5 October and get 2 months free.
Create accountFrequently asked questions
Do you have to declare a bilateral Spain↔Portugal?
No: bilaterals and transit are exempt, and make up the bulk of the corridor. You only declare cabotage within Portugal and cross-trade touching Portugal. The A1 always applies.
What is the Portuguese minimum wage in 2026?
€920/month × 14 payments (mainland). The sector agreement sets the base pay for heavy-vehicle drivers at €1,014.02/month, but its extension to foreign companies was pending: the unquestionable floor is the national minimum.
What is the fine for not declaring in Portugal?
Muito grave: €2,040–30,600 for negligence, up to €61,200 for intent [arts. 9-10 DL 43/2023]. The same classification applies for not being able to produce the declaration on the road or not responding via IMI.
Do infringements affect good standing?
Yes: very serious ones can count toward loss of good repute for the haulier (Reg. 2022/694) — the risk goes beyond the fine.
Does Portugal have its own national register for drivers?
No, it never had one: the only route is the RTPD portal (postingdeclaration.eu), with declarations valid for up to 6 months, renewable.
What documents does the driver carry on board?
Copy of the RTPD declaration, CMR/e-CMR and tachograph. The rest (contract, payslips, proof of payment, time records) is requested afterwards via IMI, with an 8-week deadline.
Other countries
2026 posting requirements in: France · Germany · Italy · Belgium · Netherlands · Spain
Official sources
- Directive (EU) 2020/1057 — EUR-Lex
- Decreto-Lei No. 43/2023 — Diário da República
- DGERT — 2026 minimum wage (DL 139/2025)
- BTE No. 9/2026 — CCTV ANTRAM/FECTRANS (full text)
- IMT — driver posting · ACT
- RTPD portal — postingdeclaration.eu
This content is informational and does not constitute legal advice. Figures verified as of 3 July 2026; the minimum wage is reviewed every January and the sector agreement, annually.