When you move to another European country, you can of course just drive with your current driving license for a while. With a foreign driving license from outside the European Union, this is of course not the case. As a Dutch citizen, you can simply use your driving license from the Netherlands in Portugal. However, be careful that after your move you will have to exchange your Dutch driving license for a Portuguese driving license at some point. There is no universal European driving license. It is also the case in Portugal that you must register your driving license when you are going to use it in Portugal.
Are you going emigrate to Portugal or do you want more information about keeping your driver's license. What all the rules are and how you can do this can be read in this article. We have tried to explain everything as clearly as possible for you.
Registering your driving license in Portugal
When you officially move to Portugal, you are required to register your Dutch driver's license at the Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT) at your new Portuguese address within 60 days. This means that you do not have to exchange it for a Portuguese driver's license yet.
Staying in Portugal for more than 60 days?
As you may have read earlier, you are required to report to the IMT for a stay of more than 60 days. Again, your Dutch driver's license is still valid, but registering your driver's license is mandatory.
Please pay close attention to this, because if you do not do this you will be breaking Portuguese law. In this case you risk a hefty fine.
Are you under 18 years old, but do you already have your driver's license?
Are you 17 years old and do you already have your driver's license? Then it is good to know that you are not authorized to drive in Portugal. According to Portuguese law, you must be at least 18 years old when you drive a vehicle. In this case, you must wait until you are 18.
How to register your driver's license
Since the corona pandemic, you can also register a foreign driving license online. This means that you no longer have to drive to the IMT office. When you have registered a Dutch driving license with the IMT, you will receive a certificate. This is proof that a Dutch driving license is registered at a Portuguese address. You must always have this document with you, because you must be able to show it as proof when the authorities ask for your driving license. Your driving license remains valid until the date stated on it. It sometimes happens that a driving license does not have an expiration date and in that case it is valid for a maximum of 2 years in Portugal.
IMT
On the website of the IMT you can see which documents you need for registration. This is form Model 13, driving license plus a copy, a valid ID and proof of residence in Portugal.
Online registration IMT
As mentioned earlier, due to the corona pandemic, you can now also apply for your driver's license online on the special IMT website, called IMT online to register.
IMT online
When you are on the page of the IMT-online you will see 2 different links. In the case of registering your driving license you need the top link, because this link is specifically for registering driving licenses. Here you will see a form the form 'Pedido de troca de títulos de condução'. After you have filled in this form you need to upload the necessary documents. This must be in PDF format.
For this you will need the following documents:
- Valid passport or ID card: scan the front and back
- Proof of registration from the municipality where you live in Portugal. This is the 'câmara municipal' or 'junta de freguesia'. It can also be another document that states your new Portuguese address. For example, a letter from the Portuguese tax authorities.
- Your driver's license: scan the front and back
Because it is a registration and not an exchange, some documents are not required. These are for example a certificate of authenticity of your driving license from the Netherlands and of the medical examinations that you must undergo in Portugal when you want to exchange your driving license.
After you have completed the forms and added the requested documents, you can email them to trocat.estrangeiras@imt-ip.pt But this is also all indicated on their website. Registering your driver's license is completely free!
When will my driving license be registered in Portugal?
It is a long wait and can sometimes take months. You will then receive a form at home with proof of registration.
Would you rather visit the IMT office?
The measures surrounding COVID19 naturally differ from day to day, but for up-to-date information it is best to check the IMT website.
What documents do you need?
When you register your driver's license at the IM office, you must bring the aforementioned form 'model 13' printed out and filled in. You will also need the same documents as for an online registration, but you do not have to scan them now, but do bring copies of them.
Deviating rules
It can also sometimes happen that certain municipalities ask for special documents to be issued. This can be, for example, a copy of your NIF number or any residence papers.
Exchange driving license
At some point your Dutch driver's license will no longer be valid and you will need to exchange it for a Portuguese driver's license. Actually, you don't have to wait until your driver's license expires and you can do this earlier. However, it is true that at the beginning of your emigration you are so busy with other things that you do not have time to do things that are not yet necessary.
Medical examination
You can exchange your driving license at an IMT office, but it can also be done online. However, when you exchange a Dutch driving license for a Portuguese driving license, you must undergo a medical examination. You can have this done by your family doctor in Portugal. Your doctor must then fill in a medical statement online and send it to the IMT. You do not have to do anything else yourself. Except show up for your medical examination of course!
Driving license C/D or E
If your driving licence also includes categories C/D or E, you must also submit a psychological examination certificate.
When you have sent everything you will receive an email so that you can pay for the procedure. This is €30.
Renewing a Portuguese driving license
At some point you will of course also have to renew your Portuguese driving licence, because it is not valid for life in Portugal either. It often happens abroad that different rules apply, but not in this case. You can start the procedure for renewing your driving licence 6 months before the expiry date. You can renew your driving licence yourself via the IMT, but you can also outsource it to a driving school. Of course you have to pay for this. A big advantage is that you do not have to do anything yourself. Sometimes driving schools even do the medical examination for you.
Renewing your driver's license is called "realidaçāo carta de conduçao". For this you need the following documents:
- NIF (Portuguese Tax Number) LINK NEW DOC
- Passport/ID card
- proof of registration (residency document)
- your medical examination
NB!
In the Netherlands, your driver's license is of course a valid form of identification, but unfortunately this is not the case in Portugal. In Portugal, you cannot use your driver's license as a valid form of identification. Therefore, always make sure that you have a passport or identity card with you in case you need one.
Finally..
As you have read, you will need to arrange a few things when you want to register your driver's license. Exchanging your driver's license also requires a lot of patience. That is why it is best to make a kind of checklist for yourself before you emigrate so that you know how to arrange everything with regard to your driver's license.
For other matters such as your health insurance, taxes or international moving companies, you can also consult the other articles on our website.
