November 2, 2026, Portugal
Morning, and welcome to the first issue of Daily Portugal. It's Monday, 2 November. Lisbon 26° · Porto 23° · Faro 24°, dry and sunny across the mainland. Let's get into it.
📰 THE MAIN STORY
A public sector strike today could close schools and slow down health services
Public sector workers across the country are on strike today, from midnight to midnight. The strike was called by STTS, a union for public service workers, together with the union federation FESINAP, and the union expects 80% to 90% of workers to take part, reported by Executive Digest.
What it means for you:
Children at a public school or kindergarten: check before you leave home. Some schools may not open or may close early, and there are no minimum services for education.
Hospital or health centre appointment: call ahead. Round-the-clock units keep night-shift staffing, and chemotherapy, immunotherapy, dialysis and blood donation are protected.
Social Security or registry and notary offices: consider moving your visit to another day.
Watch out for: some services run by charities, such as the Misericórdias, may also be affected if their workers are covered by the strike notice.
The unions want a tax-free meal allowance of €10.20 a day, changes to SIADAP, the public sector's performance-review system, more education assistants and limits on shifts of 14 to 17 hours. It's the first of several protests planned for November, with a wider public sector strike called for 20 November, as unions press MPs before the final budget vote on 24 November.
In short: if you rely on a public school or a public health service today, check before you go.
⚡ IN BRIEF
Parcels from outside the EU, including the UK, now cost €2 more
Since yesterday, every purchase from outside the EU, from Shein and Temu to shops in the UK or the US, pays a new EU handling fee of €2 plus VAT per type of item, whatever its value, according to CTT, the Portuguese postal service.
It comes on top of the €3 plus VAT customs duty that has applied to purchases worth up to €150 since 1 July. Senders must also include product details on customs declarations, and CTT says parcels without them may be sent back.
Diesel goes up and petrol comes down this week
From today, diesel is expected to rise by about 2.5 cents a litre, to an average of around €2.215, while petrol should fall by about 2.5 cents, to around €2.008.
The estimates come from ACP, the Portuguese automobile club, based on average prices published by the government's energy directorate. Each petrol station sets its own prices, so what you pay at the pump will vary.
New rules for Portuguese nationality move a step closer
The Council of Ministers has approved the decree-law that puts the new Nationality Law into practice. It requires seven years of legal residence for citizens of the EU and of the PALOP, the Portuguese-speaking African countries, and ten years for everyone else.
Children born in Portugal to foreign parents qualify if one parent has five years of legal residence. Applicants will face tests on Portuguese language, culture, history and institutions, financial requirements and a declaration of commitment to democracy, reported by The Portugal News.
📍 WORTH THE TRIP
Espigueiros do Soajo (Arcos de Valdevez, Minho)
On a granite outcrop at the edge of Soajo, 24 stone granaries stand side by side on stilts, each topped with a small cross. These are espigueiros, built to keep the village's corn dry and away from rodents, which the stone discs at their base were designed to stop. The oldest dates from 1782. Soajo sits in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, about 1h15 by car from Braga and 1h45 from Porto.
Wander the granite lanes to the Largo do Eiró, where the parish church and an unusual stone pillory with a carved face stand together. Ten minutes away, the Porta do Mezio has a viewpoint swing and the Anta do Mezio, a prehistoric tomb. The catch: winters here are cold, foggy and often wet, so bring layers and check the forecast.
Before you go: you'll need a car, and the espigueiros are on the Estrada dos Espigueiros at the Eido do Penedo. Spring and early autumn are quieter than August.
Local tip: drive 20 minutes to Lindoso, where about 60 espigueiros make the largest group in the area.
Find it here: Google Maps
WORD OF THE DAY
Greve (noun)
Say it: GREHV (the final "e" is almost silent)
Meaning: a strike
“Hoje há greve, por isso a escola do meu filho está fechada.”
There's a strike today, so my son's school is closed.
You'll see it on notices at schools, stations and hospitals. To go on strike is fazer greve, and a strike notice is a pré-aviso de greve.
📅 Coming Up
North
José González, tonight, 9pm, Coliseu Porto Ageas, Porto. The Swedish singer-songwriter brings his quiet, acoustic folk to Porto as part of Misty Fest. From €30. Tickets
Canções de Granito, Friday 6 November, 9pm, Coliseu Porto Ageas, Porto. Pedro Abrunhosa, GNR, Três Tristes Tigres and pianist Pedro Burmester each reinterpret songs they link to Porto, marking 25 years since the city was European Capital of Culture in 2001. From €10. Tickets
Centre
Duran Duran, Tuesday 3 November, 9pm, MEO Arena, Lisbon. The British band behind "Hungry Like the Wolf" plays the arena in Parque das Nações. From €70. Tickets
Harmonia(s), Saturday 7 November, 5:30pm, Convento São Francisco, Coimbra. The Orquestra Clássica do Centro and pianist Danilo Mascetti, conducted by Sergio Alapont, play a solidarity concert in the convent's old church, with all box-office proceeds going to a local charity. Details
South
Feira de São Martinho, from Friday 6 November, Portimão. The town's free autumn fair, now in its 363rd edition, with ten days of food stalls, market stands and funfair rides. Details
Save the date
Festa do Castanheiro, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, Marvão. The 42nd edition of the hilltop village's chestnut festival, with chestnut dishes in local restaurants from 14 to 29 November. Details
Até amanhã,
Gabriel - DailyPortugal