P04E - Driving Licence

Documents you need to carry when driving

• Identification Document: Passport or Residência Card.  
• Fiscal Card (number)
• Driving Licence or Permit.  
• Vehicle Registration document
• Roadworthiness Inspection Certificate, (if applicable) 
• Insurance Certificate 
• Proof of payment of car tax (not obligatory)

One of the most important documents you need to carry whenever you drive a vehicle is your driving licence (Carta de Condução) or driving permit (Licença de Condução). The driving permit (Licença de Condução) is for  certain agricultural vehicles. The driving licence (Carta de Condução) covers all other classes of vehicles. 

Included in this Information Bulletin:

• Registration of an EU+UK licence

• Expiry of EU/UK driving licences

• Exchanging driving licences EU Countries

• Exchanging driving licences NON-EU Countries

• Driving licences issued by CPLP and OECD countries (Residents below 60 years)

• Portuguese driving licences

• Renewal of Portuguese driving licences

• International driving licences

Registration of an EU+UK licence
If you are an EU or UK driving licence holder, you are required to, when you first become a Resident in Portugal, register your driving licence with the Portuguese authorities IMT within 60 days of becoming Resident. The 60 day period begins from the issue date of the Residency. The procedure to register yourself as a driver in Portugal is simple and can be done by visiting an IMT office. The registration is valid until the expiry of your EU/UK driving licence. 

IMT office in person: 
Please bring following copies and the original documents:

• Photocopy of your Driving Licence (both sides of the card) 

• Photocopy of proof of Residency (Residência Certificate or Card) 

• Photocopy of Passport 

• Photocopy of your Portuguese Fiscal Card/A4 document 

The IMT will give you a stamped document, which you should keep together with your driving licence and carry whenever driving. 

The driving licences without a validity date and therefore valid ‘forever’ CAN be registered but the registration will only be valid for two years, after which the licence must be exchanged to a Portuguese licence.

You can book an appointment at an IMT office through the SIGA Marcar Atendimento platform. It is available in the English language. 

Select the entity “IMT”, theme: “Foreign driving licence exchange”, subtheme: “European Union Citizen Residence Registration”, Select a District, Locality and Attendance Place (IMT branch), choose date and time, fill in personal data for the appointment (name, choose ID, ID number, email, mobile telephone). You will get a confirmation of the appointment by email or mobile phone. 

For people living in the Faro and Lisbon districts, it is possible that those are not available on the list of districts. Either you can choose another district, or we have been told by the IMT call centre that people can choose a different theme: “Drivers”, subtheme: “Issue of International Driving Licence” because that process takes approximately the same time as the process to register a licence. Naturally we cannot promise that this will be accepted on the appointment day, it is not standard procedure, but we have heard of Members that were successful. You can however also show up to an IMT office without an appointment, simply take a number and wait your turn, however be prepared for some waiting time. We suggest to go early in the morning, the IMT offices open at 09h00.  

Expiry of EU/UK  driving licences 

If your EU/UK driving licence expires and you are still a Resident in Portugal, you will have to renew it here, by exchanging your driving licence for a European one issued in Portugal. To do that you must follow the steps mentioned below on “Exchanging driving licences EU Countries” or for UK driving licence holders “Exchanging driving licences NON-EU Countries”.  

Driving licences from some EU countries such as Belgium and Germany have no validity date, they were issued to last forever, there is however an EU directive 2006/126/CE which states that all driving licences must have a validity date. It is therefore mandatory that Residents in Portugal who are holders of an EU driving licence without a validity date to get it exchanged for a Portuguese one. New Residents must do it within 2 years of the date of their Residency certificate issue. This means: The driving licences without a validity date and therefore valid ‘forever’ CAN be registered but the registration will only be valid for two years.

Exchanging driving licences EU Countries

For EU issued driving licences there is no immediate need for exchange, as an EU driving licence is valid in Portugal. However, it must be registered with IMT, as mentioned above, within 60 days after the holder becoming a Resident and then renewed in Portugal at the expiry date, if the holder is still a Resident. For the exchange, the first step is to get the medical certificate (see below) as you must have that before submitting the application for exchange.

To exchange your EU driving licence for a Portuguese one, you will need: 

• The old driving licence

• Your fiscal number

• Residência Card or Certificate 

• Passport 

• Electronic Medical Certificate (done by a private doctor or your family doctor at the local health centre. Make sure you mention, when booking the consultation, that the medical certificate is for an exchange of an EU driving licence to a Portuguese and ask what you must bring for the consultation. The medical certificates are sent automatically online by the doctor to IMT) For this certificate you need to present your Cartão de Utente (Portuguese state health card/number SNS)

• For certain categories a psychological exam is also needed, please see below on the renewal ages display

• Official translation of the driving licence’s contents when the contents are not in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish (when requested).

The price for the exchange is €30.00.

IMT will provide a receipt authorising you to drive in Portugal (temporary driving permit), valid until your new licence is issued. The new licence will be sent to you by post. 

Online exchange procedure:
You will need to scan the following documents - format pdf

• Driving Licence (both sides)

• Passport

• Residency Certificate/Card  

Fill in the submission form Modelo 37 online.

This form is a general form for exchange of driving licence – all countries, the Certificate of Authenticity is NOT needed for driving licences issued by another EU member State.

After submitting the application, the website issues a process number or you receive it by email (take note of that and carry it while driving) and you must then wait for communication from the IMT with an indication to go to the IMT office in order to have your photo taken, give in your original EU licence and receive the temporary driving permit.

It can take months to get that communication (by email) but if you do not receive anything from IMT, you can try to send an e-mail to imtonline@imt-ip.pt or call their help line 210 488 488 (press 1 and then 3).

Exchanging driving licences NON-EU Countries
The application for exchange of a driving licence from non-EU countries for a Portuguese one must be done within 90 days of the driver becoming a Resident in Portugal. This applies to countries with a bilateral agreement with Portugal, such as Brazil, Switzerland, Morocco, The Emirates etc; and countries that joined the international conventions of 1949 or 1968, such as South Africa, Canada, USA, Slovenia, etc. You can find a full list of these countries on the IMT website. 

Please note: Drivers holding a driving licence from one of those countries may drive in Portugal for 185 days, as long as they are NOT Residents.

Failing to apply to exchange your driving licence within the 90 days as referred, will mean the driver can be fined by the traffic police. Failing to exchange the driving licence within 2 years of becoming a Resident means the driver will have to go through and pass a driving test in Portugal in order to obtain a Portuguese driving licence.

Exchange of UK licences:
As mentioned earlier under the “Registration” section, UK licences can be registered until the expiry date, whereafter, if the holder is still a Resident, the licence must be exchanged into a Portuguese licence, following the process here below.

The first step for the exchange is to get the medical certificate (see below) as you must have that before submitting the application for exchange.

To exchange your NON-EU driving licence for a Portuguese one, you will need: 

• The old driving licence

• Your fiscal number

• Residência Permit 

• Passport

• Electronic Medical Certificate (done by a private doctor or your family doctor at the local health centre. Make sure you mention, when booking the consultation, that the medical certificate is for an exchange of NON-EU driving licence to a Portuguese and ask what you must bring for the consultation. The m edical certificates are sent automatically online by the doctor to IMT) For this certificate you need to present your Cartão de Utente (Portuguese state health card/number)

• For certain categories a psychological exam is also needed, please see below on the renewal ages display

• Certificate of Authenticity of the driving license, issued by the issuing entity or consular service, indicating the categories obtained by examination (and what type of test) and the categories obtained by equivalence

• Official translation of the driving licence’s contents when the contents are not in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish (when requested).

The price for the exchange is €30.00

IMT will provide a receipt authorising you to drive in Portugal (temporary driving permit), valid until your new licence is issued. The new licence will be sent to you by post.

Online:
You will need to scan the following documents - format pdf: 

• Driving Licence (both sides)

• Residency Permit 

• Certificate of Authenticity

• Translation of driving licence (if applicable)

Fill in the submission form Modelo 37 online.

After submitting the application, the website issues a process number or you receive it by email (take note of that and carry it while driving) and you must then wait for communication from the IMT with an indication to go to the IMT office in order to have your photo taken, give in your original licence and receive the temporary driving permit.

It can take months to get that communication (by email) but if you do not receive anything from IMT, you can try to send an e-mail to imtonline@imt-ip.pt or call their help line 210 488 488 (press 1 and then 3).

Driving licences issued in countries that are not part of the international conventions or do not have any agreement with Portugal are not recognised in this country. 

If you have a driving licence issued in the Cayman Island, Palestine, Antigua, etc you are not allowed to drive in Portugal and will need to pass a test in Portugal to be issued a Portuguese driving licence, but for this you must be a Resident in Portugal. You can find further information on the IMT website.

Driving licences issued by CPLP and OECD countries (Residents below 60 years)
Driving licences issued by CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries) and OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries are recognised in Portugal under certain conditions (see below). This means that as a Resident in Portugal, with a driving licence issued by one of those countries, you are exempt from exchanging your driving licence to a Portuguese licence when ALL the following conditions are met:

• The driving licences is issued in a CPLP/OECD State that is a signatory to one of the conventions or a bilateral agreement with the Portuguese State

• If no more than 15 years have elapsed since the issue or the last renewal of the licence

• The holder is under the age of 60

• The driving licence is valid 

• The driver is of the minimum age established in Portugal to drive the vehicle(s) of the category(s) listed on their driving licence 

• The driving licence is not seized, suspended, expired or revoked by virtue of an administrative or court decision applied to its holder in Portugal or in the issuing State.

This only applies to categories A and B, if you wish to retain any other categories on your licence, you will have to exchange for a Portuguese driving licence. Portugal will only accept categories that have been issued after an exam.

If you do meet all these conditions, as a Resident in Portugal, you do not need to exchange your driving licence to a Portuguese licence and you also do not need to register the licence with the IMT.

However, once one of the conditions is no longer met, for instance if you turn 60 or more than 15 years have elapsed since the issue of the last renewal of the licence, you are required to exchange the licence to a Portuguese licence.

The countries that are covered by this law are:   

• CPLP member states, which are signatories to one of the Traffic Conventions (1949 or 1968 Convention) – Brazil and Cape Verde 

• CPLP member states, which signed a bilateral agreement with Portugal – Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe 

• OECD member states that are not members of the EU or EEA and that are signatories to the transit conventions (1949 or 1968 Convention) – Australia, Canada, Chile, Republic of Korea, United States of America, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, UK, Switzerland and Turkey.   

Portuguese driving licences
To hold a driving permit for motor vehicles with engine capacity under 125cc, you must be at least 16 years old. The minimum age for driving light vehicles andmotorcycles with power up to 35 kW is 18. The minimum age for heavy goods and large passenger vehicles is 21 years. 

To obtain a licence you must first enroll in an authorised driving school. Each school can set its own fees. Theory tests are now on multimedia computers. 

Renewal of Portuguese driving licences
Renewals can be done at an IMT Office or at some driving schools/document agencies that are prepared to do so. It is also possible to renew at the “Espaço Cidadão” offices, you can find them listed on their website (on the left side menu we already chose “Espaço Cidadão” and then you can choose the district you live in underneath). However not all Espaço Cidadão offices have this in place at present, so we recommend that you check first, when booking the appointment, before heading off on a fruitless excursion. We are also aware that sometimes there is a problem at Espaço Cidadão when trying to input the Residência number into the system (in cases where your Residência number has changed for instance). If that is the case at your local office and they are unable to process your application, they will refer you to IMT. Some Espaço Cidadão offices are able to request that change directly to IMT for you, but it takes a few days and you will have to return when the changes have been done.

It is also possible to renew Portuguese driving licences online, you will need to have the personal login to the “Portal das Finanças” as that is the same used to login for the driving licence renewal here Once logged in, you will need to make the registration of your personal details, fill in all the details that are missing, once that is done, you can start the procedure to renew online. HOWEVER, at present it seems when you choose a type of “Residência” for your ID and enter the number, it is not accepted to finish the registration OR it will accept the registration but when trying to renew, it will inform that the ID is not accepted. If this should happen to you, please write an email to IMT imtonline@imt-ip.pt asking them to assist you further. 

The renewal of Portuguese driving licences may be done up to 6 months prior to expiry date and will require: 

• Your old driving licence 

• Your Residence Card, Permit or Certificate 

• Your passport or Identification card 

• Your Portuguese fiscal card or just the number

• Electronic medical certificate (at 60 years of age and thereafter) done by a private doctor or your family doctor at the local health centre. Make sure you mention, when booking the consultation, that the medical certificate is for a driving licence renewal and ask what is needed to bring to the consultation. The medical certificates are sent automatically online by the doctor to IMT.For this certificate you need to present your Cartão de Utente (Portuguese state health card/number)

• For certain categories a psychological exam is also needed, please see below on the renewal ages display

The price for the renewal is €30.00 (€15.00 for people above 70 years of age)

Bring all original documents and a copy of each if you go in person.

IMT or Espaço Cidadão will provide a receipt authorising you to drive in Portugal (temporary driving permit). Your new license will be sent to you by post.

Portuguese driving licences must be renewed at the ages displayed below:

The licence for category CE becomes valid only for a maximum weight of 20 tonnes when the driver turns 67. The licence for categories D1, D1E, D and DE ceases to be valid when the driver turns 67 and cannot be renewed.

Renewal of a Portuguese licence can be requested within 6 months prior to expiry.

• If you do not apply for renewal before the expiry date and drive with an expired driving licence, you are committing a traffic offence;

• If you allow more than 2 years to pass (up to a limit of 5 years) without renewing your licence, you will have to take a special exam, consisting of a practical test;

• If you allow more than 5 years to pass (up to a limit of 10 years) without renewing your licence, you will have to successfully complete a specific training course and take a special exam, consisting of a practical test.

International driving licences 
An International driving licence is available from IMT or the ACP (Automóvel Clube de Portugal) and is valid to drive in the country you are visiting (other than the one you live in).

Please note: The international driving licences can also be used for when you have applied for a Portuguese licence, but you need to drive outside of Portugal before you have received your new licence.