Driving before residence — validity of a foreign licence
Verified
FACT ID · driving-nonresident-185
Canonical value
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.●Verified ·
Unit
days
Issuing authority
Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT) — Troca de Título de Condução Estrangeiro
Legal instrument
DL n.º 138/2012 — Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir
Last verified
Review cadence
quarterly
Notes
Applies to those who have not yet fixed residence. Once residence is established, the exchange clock (driving-exchange-clock) applies.
Change history
Initial captureBefore 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.
No further changes recorded yet — unchanged since it was first captured.
