Can a Tesla drive itself in Portugal?
Not yet: Tesla's FSD has no approval for personal use in Portugal, and no date is set; 6 EU member states have already recognised it. But the country's first autonomous-driving law is in force (licensed public-road tests since 9 Jul 2026), and this page re-checks the official journal and Parliament every day.
1 · What we check every day
Every night, an automated check re-reads two official records and adds anything on autonomous driving: the Diário da República's daily editions (Series I and II) and the full list of legislative initiatives in the Assembleia da República (XVII legislature). Between 10 July and 17 September a feed format change blinded the check; the two diplomas it missed are marked below.
- 3diplomas published on autonomous driving so farDecreto-Lei n.º 113/2026 · Diário da República
- 1parliamentary initiatives on autonomous driving in the XVII legislatureParliament open data
- 9 Oct 2026the watch's last pass over both feedsrefreshed daily, early morning (Lisbon)
2 · Chronology
Every entry below is sourced: the official record (Diário da República, RDW) or, where marked, the specialist press. Dates link to the source. Latest curated entry: 7 Sep 2026.
3 · Where the law stands today
- Nopersonal or commercial use of autonomous driving (Tesla FSD included)no Portuguese or EU-wide approval exists
- Yeslicensed public-road tests, since 9 Jul 2026Decreto-Lei n.º 113/2026 · licences via IMT + ANSR + GNR/PSP + Infraestruturas de Portugal
- 6member states have recognised FSD Supervised nationally, the latest Slovenia (7 Sep 2026)Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Belgium, Slovenia · press-sourced · Portugal is not among them
- In progressthe EU-wide approval Tesla needsCommission implementing act after a TCMV member-state vote · press expects it on 6 Oct 2026, not officially confirmed
4 · Portugal's first autonomous-driving law
Until 2026, Portuguese road law always required a legally qualified human driver in control, which in practice barred autonomous vehicles from public roads even for research. Decreto-Lei n.º 113/2026, published on 8 June 2026 and in force since 9 Jul 2026, doesn't legalise self-driving for consumers: it creates a licensing regime for TESTING automated driving systems (three levels: conditional, high and full automation) on public roads. The licence comes from a joint decision of IMT, ANSR, the territorially competent police force (GNR or PSP) and Infraestruturas de Portugal, and the conditions are notably stricter than for ordinary driving:
- 6 yrsminimum time the test driver/operator must have held a licence (and a clean record: no road crimes in the last 5 years)
- 0.2 g/lblood-alcohol limit for the test driver, stricter than the ordinary 0.5 g/l
- −20 km/hspeed limits are cut by 20 km/h during tests, unless the licence expressly waives it
- 3 hmaximum consecutive driving/supervision, with at least 1 h of rest between periods
- 4×the mandatory insurance capital is four times the ordinary motor-liability minimum
- 24 haccidents must be reported to IMT within a day, with data recorders (black boxes) mandatory
- €5,000the licence fee, plus a €40,000 guarantee for companies (€3,000 for individuals), set by Portaria n.º 317/2026/1 and in force since 29 Aug 2026
- 45 daysfor IMT to recognise a foreign test licence (same €5,000 fee; a municipality's opinion is binding on its roads)
- remotepermanent human supervision is mandatory, but the law allows it to be remote
5 · And Tesla FSD, specifically?
FSD Supervised is a driver-assistance system: the RDW itself stresses the driver stays responsible at all times. The Dutch approval (10 Apr 2026) was the first in the EU; by 7 Sep 2026, 6 member states had recognised it (Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Belgium, Slovenia, per the specialist press) and Sweden had asked the EU committee to reject it over speeding. Portugal is not on the list: no approval, no date. For FSD to work here, either the EU-wide process concludes (a Commission implementing act after a TCMV vote, which the press expects on 6 Oct 2026) or Portugal grants a national recognition of its own. Whichever reaches the official record shows up here.
Meanwhile, Tesla already sells FSD in Portugal as a subscription: €99/month, or €49/month for Enhanced Autopilot owners (the €7,500 one-time purchase ended in May 2026). What the subscription delivers here today is, in practice, the advanced Autopilot bundle; the full urban behaviour depends on regulatory recognition and, according to the specialist press, will require Hardware 4; the Dutch approval itself was granted under the UNECE rules for driver-assistance systems (DCAS, R171). Unofficial trackers project broader European recognition between late 2026 and early 2027. None of that is official record yet, which is exactly why this page watches the record, not the rumours.
The figures
- Noconsumer autonomous driving approved in Portugal (Tesla FSD included)no PT or EU-wide approval · checked daily
- 9 Jul 2026public-road TESTS became licensable (Decreto-Lei n.º 113/2026)Diário da República, in force 30 days after 8 Jun publication
- €5,000the test-licence fee, plus a €40,000 guarantee for companiesPortaria n.º 317/2026/1 · in force since 29 Aug 2026
- 6EU member states have recognised FSD Supervised, from the Netherlands (10 Apr 2026) to Slovenia (7 Sep 2026)press-sourced · Portugal not among them · EU-wide validity still pending
- 4×the ordinary motor-insurance minimum, required to test an AV hereDecreto-Lei n.º 113/2026, art. 11
- 0.2 g/lblood-alcohol limit for test drivers (ordinary limit: 0.5)Decreto-Lei n.º 113/2026
- €99/mothe FSD subscription already sold in Portugal (delivering advanced Autopilot for now)specialist press · May 2026
- 1autonomous-driving bills in the XVII legislature so farParliament open data · through 9 Oct 2026
Every figure here comes from official open data.