Registering a car in Portugal: 9 steps to follow

Many of you are planning to move to Portugal and would like to keep your car. If you keep your car in Portugal, you’ll need to register it there. You have 12 months from the date of your arrival to do so. The formalities are quite onerous, and the cost is high. The latter includes the cost of formalities and taxes: ISV(Imposto Sobre Veículos) and IUC(Imposto Único de Circulação).

Many articles have already been written on this subject, and although they are very comprehensive and interesting, they are often rather indigestible. In this article, I’ve tried to “simplify” these procedures as much as possible(which isn’t always easy when you’re talking about administrative procedures!).

So I’ve set out, in table form, the various steps involved in registering/legalizing(you’ll hear both terms) your car in Portugal.

Overview of the 9 steps to registering your car in Portugal

1. The detailed steps to register your car in Portugal: the table

Here is THE famous table with all the key steps for registering your car in Portugal: Which papers? Where? When? When? How much? You’ll find plenty of answers.

To read the table, all you have to do is click on it, and as if by magic, it will appear large on your screen. 🙂

Detailed table of steps to register your car in Portugal

Please note: since July 2017 for step 4, which concerns the DAV, you no longer need to go to the Alfandega, the procedures are done online via the “portal das finanças” website.

Useful links

• IMTT form model 9 here
• DRMT office addresses here
• Addresses of customs offices here
• Portal das financas” website here

2. ISV and IUC tax simulators

As you can see from the table, there are two taxes to pay:

• ISV(Imposto Sobre Veículos)
• IUC(Imposto Único de Circulação)

Different criteria are used to calculate these taxes: the vehicle’s country of origin, type of vehicle, year of^1st registration, power in cm3, CO2 emissions, type of fuel.

To find out how much tax you’ll have to pay, click on the simulators below:

• SIV 2019 simulator: to be paid once when you legalize your vehicle,
• IUC 2019 simulator: to be paid annually.

3. ISV? exemption: conditions

Under certain conditions, an exemption from ISV(Imposto Sobre Veículos) is possible (on a single vehicle per person and only once every 10 years). Here are the conditions to be met:

• Have lived for at least 12 months in an EU country other than Portugal,
• Have established habitual residence in Portugal,
• The car must have been purchased in the owner’s country of origin,
• Not have benefited from a tax allowance on the vehicle in question,
• The vehicle must have been owned for at least 6 months prior to arrival in Portugal,
• Apply for exemption within a maximum of 12 months from the date of transfer of residence to Portugal,
• Not resell the vehicle within one year of registering it in Portugal.

If you meet all these conditions, you will need to gather the supporting documents and submit your application to your nearest customs office in order to obtain exemption from ISV.

In conclusion

As you’ve seen, the formalities are onerous and costly. You’ll need to be patient and organized to register your car in Portugal.

If you don’t want to bother with these formalities, there are a few solutions:

• go through a company that offers a vehicle legalization service(approx. €700 incl. VAT, excluding ISV and IUC taxes),
• sell your vehicle in France and buy one in Portugal. Vehicles in Portugal are more expensive, but you won’t have to bother with the legalization process if you choose this option,
• take the risk of not registering your vehicle, but be aware that if you’re stopped by the police, they’ll carry out checks and, in addition to having to pay all the legalization formalities and taxes, you’ll pay a hefty fine.

It’s up to you..

What have you decided? Are you moving with your car to Portugal or not?

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