EnglishWho and why should hold a local driver’s license in Portugal?
To drive a car in Portugal, the driver must be at least 18 years old. As a temporary visitor, you may use an international driver’s license that is valid for at least six months. If you use the license after it has expired and without obtaining a Portuguese driver’s license, you are subject to heavy fines. When you drive as a visitor, you should get an international driver’s license, although it is not necessary in all cases.
If you move to Portugal and become a permanent resident, the conditions change. EU licenses are valid, however, If your driver’s license is not EU, but Israeli, you may be eligible for a Portuguese driver’s license. Non-EU licensees are allowed to drive in Portugal using their foreign license for a fixed period. Generally, if your country is part of the International Road Traffic Agreements, as in the case of Israel, you must change your non-EU driver’s license within 185 days of moving to Portugal.
The Israeli driver’s license must be replaced by the Portuguese driver’s license at the Institute of Mobility and Transportation (IMT).
When registering for the site, you must provide the following documents in PDF format:
• Valid and permanent driver’s license
• Civil ID card (or any ID card issued by Portugal’s state, except passport)
• Medical certificate
• A statement proving the authenticity of the license stating the date of issue and the validity of the license
• The categories of vehicles that the driver is allowed to drive, with the certification dates and restrictions in each category
If your driver’s license is not written in Portuguese, Spanish, French or English, you will need to translate your driver’s license into Portuguese and verify it at the Portuguese Embassy or Consulate (or at any other EU country) in the country where the license was issued.
If you drive vehicles in categories C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D or in categories B and BE and drive ambulances or fire trucks, or if you provide patient shuttle services, school transport, drive vehicles to pick up children and rent light vehicles for travelers, you will need to provide a certificate of psychological aptitude certificate (CAP).
The cost of replacing the driver’s license with a Portuguese license is 30 euros. By examining each case, the Institute of Mobility and Transportation may conclude that additional costs are needed. For example, the need for a theoretical examination that cost 30 euros, as happens when a foreign license was issued in a country that did not comply with the international road traffic conventions.
Drive carefully 😊
