Exchanging Your Foreign Driver's Licence in Portugal

The 185-day clock starts when you become resident

Under Portuguese law you may drive on your foreign licence for up to 185 days from the date you become a legal resident (the date on your residence permit / CRUE, not the date you arrived as a tourist). After that, your foreign licence is no longer valid for driving in Portugal — you must either have requested an exchange or hold a Portuguese carta de condução. Insurance companies routinely refuse claims involving expats driving past day 185 without an active exchange request, which makes this one of the most expensive paperwork mistakes new arrivals make.

Which countries can swap without a test

Portugal has full reciprocity with EU/EEA states, plus a list of non-EU countries whose licences IMT accepts directly. If your country is on the list, you swap on paperwork alone — no driving test, no theory test. If it isn't, you must pass the full Portuguese driving exam (theory in Portuguese plus a practical) to get any licence at all.

• Full direct exchange: all EU/EEA, UK, Switzerland, Brazil, Andorra, USA (most states), Canada (most provinces), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, UAE, Singapore, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé, Guinea-Bissau, Timor-Leste, Macau
• Partial / state-by-state: USA and Canada — IMT checks the specific state or province against its bilateral list. New York, California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Washington, Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec all currently exchange directly; some smaller states do not
• Full test required: India, China (mainland), Russia, most of Africa outside the Lusophone list, most of the Middle East outside the UAE

Documents you'll need

The exchange is filed online via the Conta IMT portal (imtonline.pt) or in person at any IMT counter. Have everything scanned and ready before you start the application — half-finished requests time out and force you to upload again.

• Original foreign driving licence (front and back)
• Certified translation if not in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish — sworn translator only
• Apostilled / legalised copy of the licence for non-EU countries (varies — UK, US, Canada, Australia and Brazil currently waived under bilateral practice)
• Authentic Driving Record / Driver History from your issuing authority, dated within the last 90 days (DVLA share code for UK, MVR for US states, ICBC/SAAQ for Canadian provinces)
• NIF
• Citizen card or residence permit (and CRUE for EU citizens)
• Proof of address less than 3 months old
• Recent passport-format photo (uploaded; the system will resize it)
• Atestado médico — Portuguese medical certificate (Modelo 13) from any GP or licensed clinic, €25–€60
• Fee: €30, paid by Multibanco reference at the end of the online flow

The medical certificate (Modelo 13)

Every applicant — even a healthy 25-year-old — needs a Portuguese-issued medical certificate to exchange a licence. Any family GP, IMT-approved clinic, or chain like Lusíadas, CUF, or HPA can issue it; walk-in appointments are usually available within a few days. The doctor checks vision, hearing, blood pressure and asks about chronic conditions and medication. For category B (regular car) the certificate is valid for 6 months from issue, so don't get it months before you actually file. Drivers over 50 receive a shorter validity and may be asked for an eye test report.

Timeline and what arrives in the post

From submission to physical card in your letterbox, expect 6–14 weeks in 2026. Your foreign original is mailed back to its issuing authority and is no longer legally yours to use — IMT will give you a temporary driving authorisation (Guia de Substituição) valid for 90 days and renewable, which you can use anywhere in Portugal but not abroad. The new carta de condução is sent by registered mail to your morada fiscal; if you'll have moved, update your address in Portal das Finanças before applying.

If you miss the 185-day deadline

Two scenarios. If your foreign licence is from a country with a direct-exchange agreement, you can usually still file — IMT processes late exchanges, but you legally cannot drive between day 186 and the day your Portuguese card arrives, and your insurer is entitled to deny claims for any incident in that gap. If your country requires the full Portuguese test, missing the window means you must complete a Portuguese driving school programme (escola de condução, ~€700–€1,200), pass a theory exam offered in Portuguese, English or French, and pass a practical test in Portuguese roads — typically a 3–6 month process.

Renewals once you hold a Portuguese licence

Portuguese cartas are renewed at age 50, 60, 65, then every 2 years from 70. Each renewal needs a fresh Modelo 13 medical (more thorough from age 60). Renewals cost €30 and can be done online or at any IMT counter — the new card arrives by post within 3–4 weeks. Renew up to 6 months before expiry; an expired Portuguese licence is treated like driving without one (€500–€2,500 fine, vehicle immobilised).