When you move to Portugal, whether — and by when — you must exchange your foreign driving licence depends on where it was issued. The rules below, from the IMT and the Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir (DL n.º 138/2012), set out the deadlines that start when you become resident, the no-exam route for UK and other OECD/convention licences, and how the exchange is now filed online.
This dataset — live status
| Rule | What applies | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Driving before residence — validity of a foreign licence | Before establishing residence in Portugal, a visitor may drive on a valid foreign driving licence for up to 185 days, counted from the day after entry.VerifiedApplies to those who have not yet fixed residence. Once residence is established, the exchange clock (driving-exchange-clock) applies. | DL n.º 138/2012 — Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir |
| Residents — EU/EEA optional, third-country mandatory | An EU/EEA licence may be kept and driven on until its expiry (registration with the IMT is the only step). A non-EU/EEA (third-country) licence must be exchanged for a Portuguese one to keep driving legally once the holder is resident.VerifiedThe United Kingdom is a third country since Brexit — so a UK licence follows the third-country exchange rule, not the EU/EEA one. | DL n.º 138/2012 — Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir |
| Third-country licence — the exchange clock once resident | From establishing residence: within 90 days you may still drive while lodging the exchange request; from 90 days to 2 years you may still exchange but may no longer drive on the foreign licence; after 2 years the direct exchange closes and a practical driving exam is required.VerifiedThe clock starts when residence is fixed, not on entry, and is nationality-neutral: it runs off "fixação da residência em Portugal" (RHLC Art. 14.º n.º 1 c)), so a Portuguese citizen moving to Portugal is on the same 2-year window as any other resident. Lodging the exchange within the first 90 days is what preserves the right to keep driving in the meantime. | DL n.º 138/2012 — Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir |
| Exchange requires proven Portuguese residence — nationality does not waive it | The exchange of a foreign licence for a Portuguese one requires the holder to be resident in Portugal: RHLC Art. 14.º n.º 2 b) makes a proof of residence (or student status) in national territory a mandatory document of the exchange file. This applies regardless of nationality — a Portuguese citizen must equally show proof of residence, and a non-resident (citizen or not) cannot exchange. Portuguese citizenship provides the right to reside and a NIF from birth, but not a waiver of the residence requirement.VerifiedComplements driving-exchange-obligation (which establishes that residence is the trigger) with the statutory documentary requirement. The residence proof, the identity document and — for third-country licences — the issuing-authority validity declaration together instruct the exchange file (Art. 14.º n.º 2). | RHLC (DL n.º 138/2012), Art. 14.º n.º 2 b) |
| Third-country licences — issuing-authority validity declaration is mandatory | For a non-EU/EEA (third-country) licence, the exchange file must always include a declaration attesting the licence’s validity, issued by the licence’s own issuing service OR by the country’s embassy (RHLC Art. 14.º n.º 2 c)). This is a standing requirement for every third-country exchange, not a step triggered only by suspicion. Art. 14.º n.º 3 allows it to be replaced by a verified electronic declaration of equal value, or by official electronic consultation of the issuer’s data where officially validated. Only definitive (non-provisional) licences of a model approved by the issuing country may be exchanged (Art. 14.º n.º 2).VerifiedDistinct from Art. 128.º n.º 7 b) of the Código da Estrada, which allows a practical exam ONLY where authenticity is in doubt: the n.º 2 c) validity declaration is the routine authentication every third-country file carries, while the n.º 7 b) exam is the exceptional consequence if authenticity cannot be established. Plan the issuing-authority or embassy declaration into the timeline for any third-country licence (e.g. a Cambodian one). | RHLC (DL n.º 138/2012), Art. 14.º n.º 2 c) e n.º 3 |
| OECD / convention-signatory licences — direct exchange, no exam | Licences issued by OECD member states that are signatories of the road-traffic conventions (Geneva 1949 / Vienna 1968) — the United Kingdom included — are exchanged without a driving exam, provided the request is made within the recognition window (before the 2-year cut-off).VerifiedConfirmed for the UK against the IMT OECD/CPLP and Brexit guidance. Licences from countries outside this recognition may require a driving exam regardless of timing. | DL n.º 138/2012 — Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir |
| Which foreign licences exchange without an exam — country recognition | Direct exchange without a driving exam is available for licences conforming to the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna road-traffic conventions (Art. 125.º n.º 1 c) + Art. 128.º n.º 2 of the Código da Estrada), for EU/EEA licences, and for countries that recognise Portuguese licences reciprocally (Art. 125.º n.º 1 d)); in practice this covers OECD and CPLP states too. A licence from a country party to NEITHER convention is not automatically exam-free, but may still be exchanged under Art. 128.º n.º 6 if the issuing authority certifies it was obtained by an exam of rigour identical to Portuguese law — otherwise a Portuguese exam applies.VerifiedThe statutory basis is the road-traffic conventions and reciprocity (Art. 125.º), which prevail over the IMT’s administrative country list where the two diverge — see driving-convention-exchange-basis. Recognition depends on the issuing country of the licence, not the holder’s nationality. This step is only reached once the holder is resident in Portugal (see driving-exchange-obligation); a non-resident cannot exchange at all, regardless of country. | Código da Estrada, Art. 125.º / 128.º (redação do DL n.º 138/2012) |
| Convention basis — Geneva 1949 OR Vienna 1968 licences exchange without an exam | Art. 125.º n.º 1 c) of the Código da Estrada recognises foreign licences issued in conformity with Annex 9 of the 1949 Geneva Convention OR Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic; Art. 128.º n.º 2 exchanges those licences (al. b) to d)) for a Portuguese one with all requirements met "com exceção da submissão a exame de condução" — i.e. WITHOUT a driving exam. A party to EITHER convention is therefore a direct-exchange case by statute — the 1949 Geneva Convention counts equally with the 1968 Vienna Convention. This is the governing rule; the IMT recognised-country list is administrative and can lag it.VerifiedBecause international conventions received into Portuguese law prevail over administrative practice, a licence from a Geneva-1949 or Vienna-1968 party is exchangeable without exam under Art. 125.º c) even when the IMT country list omits the country. Classification follows the licence issuing country, not the holder’s nationality (a Portuguese citizen holding e.g. a Cambodian licence is still covered). Conditions remain: the licence must conform to the convention model and be authentic (Art. 128.º n.º 7 allows a practical exam only where authenticity is in doubt or the equivalence proof under n.º 6 is unavailable), must be valid, and must not itself have been obtained by exchange from a non-EU state absent a mutual-recognition treaty (Art. 128.º n.º 5). Licences from countries party to NEITHER convention may still be exchanged under Art. 128.º n.º 6 if the issuing authority certifies an exam of identical rigour. | Código da Estrada, Art. 125.º n.º 1 c) e Art. 128.º n.º 2 (redação do DL n.º 138/2012) |
| 1968 Vienna Convention — current contracting parties | The UN Treaty Collection records 91 parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic as at 3 September 2026. The governed party registry used by the Advisor includes Tunisia (accession 5 January 2004), Qatar, UAE, Morocco, the Philippines and the other contracting states listed by the UN depositary.VerifiedThis fact governs treaty participation. The IMT rule in driving-country-recognition governs the Portuguese exchange consequence. Nationality is irrelevant: classification follows the country that issued the licence. Portuguese residence, timing, validity and documents remain separate requirements. | Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968), UN Treaty Collection, Chapter XI.B.19 |
| Qatar driving licences — Vienna Convention recognition | Qatar acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 6 March 2013. Combined with the IMT rule for road-convention signatories, a valid Qatari licence is within the direct-exchange category, subject to the resident exchange window and document verification.VerifiedThis country-specific fact establishes convention participation only. Eligibility still depends on a valid licence, the date Portuguese residence was fixed and IMT document verification. | Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968), UN Treaty Collection; RHLC |
| Tunisia driving licences — Vienna Convention recognition | Tunisia acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 5 January 2004. Combined with the Portuguese recognition rule for road-convention countries, the Tunisian issuing country is within the convention pathway, subject to Portuguese residence, the applicable exchange window and document verification.VerifiedRecognition follows the licence issuing country, not the holder’s passport. A person resident only in Sweden cannot use the Portuguese exchange procedure until Portuguese residence is established. | Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968), UN Treaty Collection; RHLC |
| Exchange is online via the IMT portal (since 21 January 2026) | Since 21 January 2026 the exchange (Troca de Título de Condução Estrangeiro) is submitted online through the "A Minha Carta de Condução" portal. A medical certificate (atestado médico) is required, and the original foreign licence is surrendered to the IMT.VerifiedIMT typically processes a complete application within about 30–60 days. For a third-country licence the file must already carry the issuing-authority (or embassy) validity declaration required by RHLC Art. 14.º n.º 2 c) — see driving-third-country-authentication — so obtaining that declaration is part of the lead time, not an optional extra. | — |
| Renewing a Portuguese licence — follows your country of residence | Renewal (revalidação) of a Portuguese driving licence follows the holder’s country of normal residence, not their nationality. A Portuguese citizen who has moved their normal residence abroad generally cannot renew or make changes to the Portuguese licence with the IMT: while resident in another EU/EEA country the licence is managed there, and the holder exchanges the Portuguese licence for that country’s licence and renews it locally. Renewal with the IMT (medical certificate via the "A Minha Carta de Condução" / gov.pt portal, plus a psychological assessment for higher categories or older drivers) is the route when the holder has, or re-establishes, normal residence in Portugal.VerifiedThis is the frequent emigrant case: a Portuguese national abroad with an expired Portuguese licence. The binding factor is residence, not the Portuguese passport. Establish where the person’s normal residence is before assuming an IMT renewal is available; if they are resident abroad, the renewal usually runs through that country. | Directiva 2006/126/CE (residência habitual); RHLC (DL n.º 138/2012); Código da Estrada, Art. 130.º |
| Portuguese licence held by a resident abroad — EU/EEA vs third country | Where the holder resides determines the route. Resident in another EU/EEA country: the Portuguese licence is managed there under EU free-movement rules — it is generally driven until expiry and then renewed by, or exchanged with, that country’s authority, not the IMT. Resident in a third country (outside the EU/EEA — e.g. the United Kingdom since Brexit, the United States, Brazil, the UAE): the licence is handled by that country’s licensing authority, and whether it can be renewed or exchanged there depends on that country’s own rules and its recognition of a Portuguese/EU licence; an already-expired Portuguese licence can block a straight exchange. In either case, renewing with the IMT instead requires establishing or evidencing normal residence in Portugal. The Portuguese consulate in the country of residence handles certain driving-licence matters for citizens abroad and is a useful first check.VerifiedCountry-neutral: the rule is the same for any country of residence — only the EU/EEA vs third-country branch differs. GrowIN handles cleanly only the IMT route, which needs a Portuguese-residence basis; where the holder is settled abroad and staying, part of the answer is genuinely the country-of-residence authority (e.g. DVLA in the UK), so say so rather than promising an IMT renewal the residence rule blocks. | Directiva 2006/126/CE (residência habitual); RHLC (DL n.º 138/2012) |
| Proof of residence in Portugal — accepted documents | The standard official proof of residence is the atestado (certificado) de residência issued by the Junta de Freguesia of the area where the person actually lives (a Junta de Freguesia competence under Lei n.º 75/2013). The junta issues it based on direct knowledge or the testimony of two registered voters, so it certifies that the person genuinely resides there — it is NOT established by property ownership alone. To obtain it, the applicant presents a valid ID and a supporting document of address: a residential lease, a recent utility bill (água/luz/gás/telecomunicações), a rent receipt, an employment contract, or the tax-residence address registered with the Autoridade Tributária. This is the proof accepted across the IMT (driving-licence residência habitual), AIMA, Segurança Social (NISS) and banks.VerifiedUnderpins every "proof of residence required" step — driving-exchange-residence-required, NISS registration and bank account opening. Because the atestado attests actual residence, owning a holiday home in Portugal while normally living abroad does not, by itself, satisfy the residência-habitual requirement for a licence renewal or exchange. | Lei n.º 75/2013 (competência das juntas de freguesia para passar atestados); RHLC (DL n.º 138/2012), Art. 14.º n.º 2 b) |
| Portuguese licence revalidation — medical certificate & expiry rules | For Group 1 categories (AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE), a medical certificate (atestado médico) is required only from age 60: below 60 the revalidation is administrative and no medical certificate is needed. From 60, the atestado médico attesting fitness to drive is issued electronically by a doctor and transmitted automatically to the IMT (valid six months). Group 2 categories (professional — C, C1, D, D1 and their E variants) require a medical, and where applicable psychological, assessment at every revalidation. A licence expired for a longer period — generally more than two years — additionally requires passing a special driving examination (exame especial).VerifiedAnswers the frequent "what medical certificate do I need?" question: for an ordinary category B holder under 60, none — it is administrative. The medical is a Group-1-from-60 / Group-2-always requirement. Pair with proof-of-residence and driving-pt-licence-renewal-residence: the medical rule only matters once the residence basis makes an IMT revalidation available. | RHLC (DL n.º 138/2012); Código da Estrada, Art. 130.º |