Driving in Portugal on a non-EU or UK licence (and exchanging it)

What it is

Whether you must exchange your licence for a Portuguese one depends on where it was issued. Exchanges are handled by the IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes). EU and EEA licences stay valid.

Which group is your licence in?

• OECD and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries, for example the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil, Angola or Cape Verde: as a resident you can usually keep driving on it, under conditions (for example being under 60, with a licence issued or renewed in the last 15 years). Exchanging is optional, and there's no test.
• Countries with a bilateral agreement with Portugal: you can drive on it, but must exchange it within two years of becoming resident.
• All other countries: your licence isn't valid for driving in Portugal. You exchange it with a driving test.

Check your country on gov.pt before you start: the list and conditions change.

Before you start

You'll need:

• Your foreign licence, valid.
• Your ID and residence document.
• Your NIF.
• A medical certificate (atestado médico), sent electronically by the doctor, if your age or licence category needs one.
• A certified translation if your licence isn't in a language the IMT accepts.

Steps

1. Check which group your licence is in on gov.pt.
2. If you want or need to exchange it, apply online on the IMT portal or at an IMT office.
3. Do the driving test, if your country requires it.
4. Hand in your foreign licence when asked and receive your Portuguese licence.

Cost

An IMT fee, shown when you apply, plus the medical certificate and any translation or test fees.

Common pitfalls

• Assuming your licence never needs exchanging. The OECD and CPLP rule has conditions, such as age.
• Missing the two-year limit for agreement countries.
• Driving on a licence from a country with no agreement. It isn't valid in Portugal.

When to ask a helper

Ask someone from your country who drives in Portugal: they'll know whether they had to exchange their licence and how long the IMT took.