Whether you need to exchange a foreign driving licence in Portugal depends heavily on where the licence was issued, whether you are resident in Portugal, its validity and your age. Do not rely on the simple internet rule that “all foreign licences must be exchanged”: Portugal has several different regimes.

Start here: which type of licence do you have?

  • EU/EEA licence: normally remains valid in Portugal until its stated expiry date, but residents have a Portuguese registration obligation.
  • Qualifying OECD/CPLP licence: Portugal has a special regime that can allow you to keep driving on the foreign licence even after becoming resident, if all conditions are met.
  • Licence from a country with a bilateral/reciprocity arrangement or covered by the international road-traffic conventions: different exchange deadlines apply after residence.
  • Licence from a country outside the recognised convention/arrangement system: it is not valid for driving in Portugal and exchange requires examinations.

Because country status can change, use the current IMT foreign-licence guidance rather than assuming that a rule you found for another nationality applies to you.

EU and EEA driving licences

A valid licence issued by an EU/EEA country is recognised in Portugal and may normally be used until the validity date printed on it. Exchange is therefore generally optional while it remains valid.

There is, however, an easily missed administrative rule: after establishing residence in Portugal, an EU/EEA licence holder must register the residence/licence with IMT within 60 days. IMT currently says this registration is free. This is not the same thing as exchanging the licence.

If an EU/EEA licence is lifetime/indefinite or does not state an expiry date, IMT says it must be exchanged/revalidated under the Portuguese system within two years after establishing residence.

For registration, IMT currently lists identification, evidence/communication of Portuguese residence where applicable, and the valid driving licence. See the EU/EEA page at IMT.

Portugal’s special OECD/CPLP regime

This is one of the most useful—and most misunderstood—Portuguese exceptions. Certain licences from qualifying OECD and CPLP countries can continue to be used in Portugal even after the holder becomes resident, without first exchanging them for a Portuguese licence.

IMT currently requires all of the relevant conditions to be satisfied, including that the issuing state is covered by the applicable convention/bilateral framework, the foreign licence is valid, no more than 15 years have passed since issue or last renewal, and the driver is under 60. The driver must also meet the Portuguese minimum age for the category and the licence must not be suspended, seized, expired or revoked.

IMT lists covered non-EU OECD countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, South Korea, the United States, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Turkey, alongside the applicable CPLP countries. Check the live IMT list, because eligibility is legal-status specific rather than simply “OECD = yes”.

Important: this special permission is for driving in Portugal. IMT explicitly says it does not turn your foreign licence into an EU licence for use elsewhere. Exchanging for a Portuguese licence can therefore be useful if Portugal is now your long-term base and you regularly drive across Europe.

See IMT — OECD/CPLP licences.

Other recognised non-EU licences: watch the 90-day deadline

If your licence is covered by a bilateral/reciprocity arrangement or the relevant international road-traffic conventions but you do not fall under the special OECD/CPLP resident-driving regime, the residence deadlines matter.

  • Before becoming resident: IMT says a qualifying visitor can drive for up to 185 days after entering Portugal, provided they have not established residence.
  • First 90 days after residence: you may continue driving, but must lodge the exchange request with IMT.
  • After 90 days and up to two years: you can still request exchange, but you may no longer drive in Portugal on that foreign licence.
  • After two years: exchange is still possible in the relevant regime, but IMT says a practical driving test must be passed.

Do not confuse the 185-day visitor rule with permission to continue driving for 185 days after becoming resident. IMT’s resident timetable is different.

Check the current country list and procedure on IMT’s convention/bilateral-country page.

Countries not covered by the conventions

IMT states that licences issued by countries outside the applicable conventions are not valid for driving in Portugal. A Portuguese exchange can still be requested, but the holder must satisfy the documentation requirements and pass a multimedia theory test and practical driving test for each category being exchanged.

See IMT — countries not party to the conventions.

How to exchange the licence

IMT’s current process starts with the foreign-licence exchange service / A Minha Carta de Condução. The exact documents depend on the licence regime, but commonly include:

  • identification;
  • proof/communication of Portuguese residence;
  • a Portal das Finanças certificate of fiscal domicile where the residence document does not show the address;
  • passport where the residence document does not contain the required photo/signature;
  • the foreign driving licence;
  • an electronic medical certificate, transmitted electronically by the doctor to IMT;
  • a psychological assessment where required for relevant C/D/E categories;
  • for many non-EU exchanges, an authenticity statement/certificate from the issuing authority or diplomatic/consular authority showing issue date, validity, categories and how they were obtained;
  • an authenticated translation where required if the licence information is not in Portuguese, French, English or Spanish.

After the online submission, IMT may instruct you to attend a service desk to surrender the physical foreign licence and have biometric data collected. Follow the instructions for your particular case rather than appearing at a desk with a generic checklist.

Medical certificate: do not upload the paper yourself

For an exchange requiring a Portuguese medical assessment, the doctor issues the certificate through Portugal’s electronic medical-certificate system. IMT says the certificate is then transmitted electronically and does not need to be uploaded as a normal scan.

How much does exchange cost?

IMT currently lists the normal exchange fee as €30, with a 10% discount for an online request. Where examinations are required, additional examination fees apply. Treat these as current administrative prices rather than permanent figures and check IMT immediately before applying.

Should you exchange even when you do not have to?

Sometimes yes. An exchange may make practical sense if Portugal is permanently home, your foreign licence is approaching an age/validity threshold, you want to add Portuguese categories, or you want an EU-format Portuguese licence for driving elsewhere in the EU. But if you have a valid EU/EEA licence—or a qualifying OECD/CPLP licence meeting the special Portuguese conditions—there may be no immediate legal need to exchange solely because you became resident.

What happens to your old licence?

An exchange is an exchange, not a way to accumulate two interchangeable national licences. Expect to surrender the foreign physical licence when IMT requests it. If you change your mind while the process is still pending, gov.pt notes that you can ask for the original foreign licence back before the exchange is completed.

International Driving Permit: not a substitute for residence rules

An International Driving Permit/International Driving Licence is not a magic extension of an expired or unusable national licence. IMT states that Portugal’s international driving permit is valid only together with the underlying national licence. If you are resident, follow the actual recognition/exchange rules for your foreign licence rather than trying to solve the problem by obtaining an IDP.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming every non-EU licence has the same deadline.
  • Missing the 60-day IMT registration rule for an EU/EEA licence after moving to Portugal.
  • Thinking the OECD/CPLP Portuguese exception automatically works throughout the EU.
  • Assuming the 185-day visitor rule means 185 days after becoming resident.
  • Waiting beyond 90 days under a convention/bilateral exchange route and continuing to drive even though exchange can still be requested.
  • Ignoring the 15-year/under-60 conditions of the OECD/CPLP resident-driving regime.
  • Obtaining a translation but forgetting the separate authenticity certificate where one is required.
  • Assuming an International Driving Permit replaces the original licence.

Related BorderlessAdvice guides

  • #98 Driving in Portugal — Portuguese road rules, roundabouts, parking and driving culture.
  • #100 Buying and registering a car — next in the sequence.
  • #101 Importing a car into Portugal.
  • #102 IPO inspection, IUC and car insurance.
  • #103 Portuguese toll roads and Via Verde.

Official links

Last verified: 2 October 2026. Foreign-licence recognition depends on the issuing country, residence, age, licence dates and categories. Check your exact case against the current IMT country/regime page before driving or applying.