Exchange a Foreign Driving Licence for a Portuguese Carta de Condução at IMT
Since 21 January 2026, IMT accepts foreign-licence exchange requests only through the IMT Services Portal.
EU/EEA holders may keep driving on the original licence until expiry; non-EU holders follow a reciprocity-based exchange that depends on the issuing country.
Estimated time
IMT publishes a 60-day average issuance window after the online submission and biometric appointment; a guia provisória paper authority covers driving in Portugal during the wait
Cost
€30 base exchange fee at IMT (10% online discount applies; the process is online-only since 21 January 2026); add €30 per exam if a theory or practical exam is required (always for non-convention countries; for other Vienna 1968 / Geneva 1949 signatories after 2 years of residency); medical certificate paid separately to an IMT-approved doctor
What You Need
Tap to check off items as you gather them
Additional Items
- EU/EEA holders only — register your address with IMT within 60 days of fixing residence in Portugal; this is free and is not an exchange
- Non-EU applicants — request the certificado de autenticidade from your foreign licensing authority before relocating, and apostille or consularise the licence in the issuing country if it is not in Portuguese, English, French, or Spanish
- Certified translation if the foreign licence is not in Portuguese, English, French, or Spanish
- An active address you can prove (junta de freguesia certificate or AIMA card)
- Verify with your motor insurer that your policy continues to cover you while driving on the guia provisória interim authority
Step-by-Step
- 1
Confirm your country bucket and gather the prerequisites
- Identify which country bucket applies to you: EU/EEA (including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein); OECD non-EU/EEA or CPLP; other Vienna 1968 or Geneva 1949 convention signatory; non-convention country
- Hold a NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) — required to register the IMT Services Portal account and to pay the fee
- Hold a residence permit (título de residência) issued by AIMA, or an EU registration certificate, plus an active address you can prove
- Note the under-60 age threshold and the 15-year issuance window for the OECD/CPLP without-exam exchange route
💡 Tip: EU/EEA holders may stop here — exchange is optional. The only mandatory step is registering your address with IMT within 60 days of fixing residence. Continue with the steps below only if you choose to exchange voluntarily or your EU/EEA licence is approaching expiry.
⚠️ Watch out: Without NIF and a proven address, the IMT Services Portal account cannot be created and the online submission cannot complete.
- 2
Book the electronic medical certificate appointment
Atestado médico eletrónico
- Find an IMT-approved doctor — most family-medicine clinics in Portugal qualify
- Attend the appointment; the doctor performs the assessment and submits the atestado médico eletrónico directly to IMT's medical platform
- Pay the doctor's fee at the clinic — this is separate from the €30 IMT fee
- Group 2 categories (C, D, E) only: also obtain a certificado de avaliação psicológica from an IMT-approved psychologist
💡 Tip: You never physically handle the medical certificate — it is submitted electronically by the doctor to IMT. Keep the appointment date noted in case IMT asks you to confirm submission.
- 3
Obtain translation, apostille, and authenticity certificate (non-EU exchanges only)
Non-EU applicants — OECD/CPLP, convention-signatory, or non-convention countries
- If your licence is not in Portuguese, English, French, or Spanish, obtain a certified translation
- For non-EU licences from Hague Convention countries, apostille the original at the issuing country's competent authority before relocating
- For non-Hague countries, consularise the licence at the Portuguese consulate in the issuing country
- Request the certificado de autenticidade do título de condução (or declaração comprovativa) from the foreign licensing authority — this is a separate document confirming the licence is genuine and currently valid
💡 Tip: Plan apostille and the authenticity certificate before relocating to Portugal — obtaining them after arrival requires international courier roundtrips and adds weeks to the process.
⚠️ Watch out: Without the certificado de autenticidade, non-EU exchanges stall at IMT review and the applicant is asked to supply it before progression.
- 4
Submit the exchange request on the IMT Services Portal
Troca de Carta Estrangeira
- Visit servicos.imt-ip.pt and create an account using your NIF, or authenticate if already registered
- Select the workflow Troca de Carta Estrangeira
- Complete the online form and upload scans of the foreign licence, identification document, residence proof, and — for non-EU exchanges — the certificado de autenticidade plus translation
- Submit the request
💡 Tip: Since 21 January 2026, this is the only entry point — in-person counter submission was discontinued. The portal is in Portuguese; have a translator at hand if you do not read Portuguese comfortably.
- 5
Pay the €30 fee
- Wait for the IMT email with the Multibanco reference and amount
- Pay via online banking, an ATM, or MB Way using the reference
- Keep the payment confirmation in case IMT requests proof
💡 Tip: The headline IMT fee is €30, but because the process is online-only the 10% online discount applies to every applicant — the effective fee is €27,00.
- 6
Attend the biometric appointment and collect the licence
- Wait for IMT to email an appointment date for biometric data collection at a local IMT office
- Attend the appointment with the original foreign licence and identification — IMT collects your signature and photograph and retains the original foreign licence
- Receive the guia provisória — a paper authority that lets you drive in Portugal during the wait
- Wait for the Portuguese card to be produced (IMT publishes a 60-day average) and either collect it at the IMT office or receive it by registered post at your address
💡 Tip: If the wait stretches beyond the initial guia provisória validity, visit the local IMT office and request an extension at the counter — the procedure is routine and immediate.
⚠️ Watch out: If the guia provisória expires and you cannot reach an IMT office in time, you may not drive until the extension is issued. Plan the extension visit well before the expiry date.
Local Tips from the Community
- EU/EEA holders almost never need to exchange — confirm the expiry date on your current licence before starting any process
- Most family-medicine clinics in Portugal can issue the atestado médico eletrónico — ask at your local clinic before searching for a specialist
- Plan the apostille and certified translation in your country of origin before relocating; doing it from Portugal afterwards adds weeks of international postage
- The IMT Services Portal interface is in Portuguese — keep a translator at hand if you do not read Portuguese comfortably
- If the guia provisória is approaching expiry and the Portuguese card has not arrived, walk into the local IMT office well before the expiry date — the extension is routine but you must request it in person
What Could Go Wrong
Submit the request online: Foreign licence has expired before submission
Recovery: An expired foreign licence collapses the exchange path. IMT requires the original to be valid and definitive at submission. The holder must instead sit the full Portuguese theory and practical exams (€30 each, per category) to obtain a Portuguese licence.
Submit the request online: IMT review pauses the request because the certificado de autenticidade is missing (non-EU exchanges)
Recovery: Request the certificate from the foreign licensing authority that issued the licence. Non-EU exchanges stall at IMT review until this document is supplied. Plan for international postage time.
Wait for the Portuguese card: Wait stretches beyond 60 days and the guia provisória is approaching expiry
Recovery: Visit the local IMT office and request an extension of the guia provisória at the counter. The procedure is routine and immediate.
Submit the request online (convention-signatory holders outside the OECD/CPLP exempt set): Two-year clock has elapsed since fixing residence in Portugal
Recovery: Convention-signatory non-OECD/CPLP holders past 2 years of residency lose the exam-exempt route and must sit a practical driving exam (€30 per category) to obtain a Portuguese licence.
Costs
| Item | Amount | Payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign-licence exchange fee at IMT | €30 | Multibanco reference, online banking, ATM, or MB Way after IMT emails payment instructions | Per IMT: "30 € (tem 10% de desconto ao ser efetuado online)". Since the process is online-only as of 21 January 2026, the 10% online discount applies to every applicant in practice — effective fee €27,00. The headline figure quoted on gov.pt and IMT pages remains €30. |
| Practical driving exam (per category, when required) | €30 | Paid to IMT alongside the exchange request | Required for convention-signatory holders (outside the OECD/CPLP exempt set) who request the exchange more than 2 years after fixing residence in Portugal, and always required for non-convention country holders. Per IMT: "é cobrado um valor adicional de 30 € por prova". |
| Multimedia theory exam (non-convention country holders only) | €30 | Paid to IMT alongside the exchange request | Non-convention country holders must pass both a multimedia theory exam and a practical driving exam, each at €30, in addition to the €30 exchange fee. |
| Atestado médico eletrónico (electronic medical certificate) | €0 | Paid directly to the IMT-approved doctor at the appointment | Mandatory for all categories. Cost is set by the doctor and is not published on IMT or gov.pt; expect a private-practice fee in line with a standard medical consultation. |
| Address registration with IMT (EU/EEA only) | €0 | No payment required | EU/EEA holders must register their address with IMT within 60 days of fixing residence in Portugal. This is a free administrative step, not an exchange. |
- Payment:
- Multibanco reference, online banking, ATM, or MB Way after IMT emails payment instructions
- Notes:
- Per IMT: "30 € (tem 10% de desconto ao ser efetuado online)". Since the process is online-only as of 21 January 2026, the 10% online discount applies to every applicant in practice — effective fee €27,00. The headline figure quoted on gov.pt and IMT pages remains €30.
- Payment:
- Paid to IMT alongside the exchange request
- Notes:
- Required for convention-signatory holders (outside the OECD/CPLP exempt set) who request the exchange more than 2 years after fixing residence in Portugal, and always required for non-convention country holders. Per IMT: "é cobrado um valor adicional de 30 € por prova".
- Payment:
- Paid to IMT alongside the exchange request
- Notes:
- Non-convention country holders must pass both a multimedia theory exam and a practical driving exam, each at €30, in addition to the €30 exchange fee.
- Payment:
- Paid directly to the IMT-approved doctor at the appointment
- Notes:
- Mandatory for all categories. Cost is set by the doctor and is not published on IMT or gov.pt; expect a private-practice fee in line with a standard medical consultation.
- Payment:
- No payment required
- Notes:
- EU/EEA holders must register their address with IMT within 60 days of fixing residence in Portugal. This is a free administrative step, not an exchange.
FAQ
Documents
I hold an EU or EEA driving licence — do I have to exchange it?
No. Per IMT: "Pode conduzir em Portugal com a carta de condução comunitária até ao fim da validade." You may drive in Portugal on the original licence until its printed expiry date. The only mandatory action is to register your address with IMT within 60 days of fixing residence in Portugal — this registration is free and is not an exchange. When the EU/EEA licence approaches its expiry, the same online IMT exchange process applies, with no exam required.
Which countries qualify for exchange without exam?
IMT publishes the OECD non-EU/EEA list as: "Austrália, Canada, Chile, República da Coreia, Estados Unidos da América, Islândia, Israel, Japão, Nova Zelândia, Reino Unido, Suíça e Turquia." The CPLP convention signatories are "Brasil e Cabo Verde", and the CPLP bilateral agreement covers "Angola, Cabo Verde, Moçambique e São Tomé e Príncipe." Holders from these countries may exchange without an exam, provided they are under 60 and the licence was issued or last renewed within the past 15 years. Vienna 1968 and Geneva 1949 convention signatories outside this list may also exchange without exam if requested within 2 years of fixing residence in Portugal.
Where is the full list of Vienna 1968 and Geneva 1949 convention signatories?
IMT publishes the canonical reciprocity list as a downloadable PDF: Os países das convenções, at imt-ip.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Os-paises-das-convencoes.pdf. The IMT publication is the authoritative source — consult it directly to confirm whether your issuing country is a Vienna 1968 or Geneva 1949 signatory. Do not rely on third-party reconstructions of the list.
General
What if my licence is from a country that is not in any of these lists?
IMT states for non-convention country licences: "Não são válidos para conduzir em Portugal" — the foreign licence is not a valid driving authority in Portugal at all. To obtain a Portuguese licence, the holder must "obter aprovação numa prova teórica multimédia e numa prova prática de condução, para cada categoria" (pass both a multimedia theory exam and a practical driving exam, per category). Each exam costs €30 in addition to the €30 exchange fee.
How long does the exchange actually take?
IMT publishes a 60-day average issuance window: "A carta portuguesa é entregue no prazo médio de 60 dias." Real-world waits documented by expat sources can stretch meaningfully longer — extensions of the guia provisória at the local IMT counter are routine. IMT does not publish a live tracker or 90th-percentile figure for this service, so the 60-day average is the only official benchmark; treat anything beyond it as variance, not the norm. The lead time between online submission and the in-person biometric appointment is also not officially published.
Can I exchange if I already hold Portuguese citizenship?
Citizenship alone does not qualify. gov.pt makes the eligibility distinction explicit: a Portuguese national who also holds another nationality and a foreign licence may exchange only if they have established residence in Portugal. The eligibility key is resident status, not citizenship. The same applies to dual nationals living abroad — without Portuguese residency, the exchange path is not open.
After This Process
- → Keep the guia provisória with you at all times until the Portuguese card arrives
- → Verify with your motor insurer that your policy continues to cover driving on the guia provisória
- → When the Portuguese card arrives, store the renewal cycle in your calendar — Group 1 holders under 60 typically follow a different cadence than Group 2 or over-60 holders, set by the doctor at the medical certificate stage
- → If you have not yet registered with the AIMA-issued residence permit (non-EU) or your EU registration certificate, that remains a separate prerequisite
Sources
- IMT — foreign-licence exchange hub (imt-ip.pt ↗)
- IMT — EU/EEA exchange (imt-ip.pt ↗)
- IMT — OECD and CPLP exchange (imt-ip.pt ↗)
- IMT — convention-signatory countries (imt-ip.pt ↗)
- IMT — non-convention countries (imt-ip.pt ↗)
- gov.pt — exchange a foreign driving licence (English) (www2.gov.pt ↗)
- IMT Services Portal — sign in (servicos.imt-ip.pt ↗)
- IMT — Os países das convenções (PDF) (imt-ip.pt ↗)
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More in Portugal
13 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-10
T1 official portal · T2 embassy/consulate · T3 news · T4 community — higher tier wins on conflict. methodology →
- T1Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT) — Portugal 2026-05-10
Hub page for foreign-licence exchange. Six categorisation links: EU/EEA, OECD/CPLP, convention signatories, non-convention, prior Portuguese-licence holders, and Ukraine temporary protection. The hub routes the applicant to the relevant sub-page based on the issuing country bucket.
imt-ip.pt - T1IMT Portugal — EU/EEA exchange page 2026-05-10
EU/EEA mutual recognition: "Pode conduzir em Portugal com a carta de condução comunitária até ao fim da validade." Address registration with IMT is free and required within 60 days of fixing residence in Portugal. Exchange is optional. Fee 30 € with 10% online discount. Same online process applies when the EU/EEA licence approaches expiry, with no exam required.
imt-ip.pt - T1IMT Portugal — OECD and CPLP exchange page 2026-05-10
OECD non-EU/EEA list: "Austrália, Canada, Chile, República da Coreia, Estados Unidos da América, Islândia, Israel, Japão, Nova Zelândia, Reino Unido, Suíça e Turquia." CPLP convention signatories: "Brasil e Cabo Verde." CPLP bilateral agreement: "Angola, Cabo Verde, Moçambique e São Tomé e Príncipe." Eligibility criteria: under 60 years old, no more than 15 years since issuance or last renewal of the foreign licence, valid licence not seized/suspended/expired/revoked, meets minimum age for the requested category. Exempt from exam for all categories: "dispensados da submissão a provas de exame para todas as categorias".
imt-ip.pt - T1IMT Portugal — convention-signatory countries page 2026-05-10
Convention-country exchange windows: 185 days for non-resident tourists; up to 90 days post-residency the holder may continue to drive on the foreign licence while preparing the exchange; from 90 days to 2 years post-residency the foreign licence is no longer a valid driving authority but the exchange may still be requested without exam; after 2 years, a practical driving exam is required. The full list of Vienna 1968 and Geneva 1949 signatories is published as the PDF Os-paises-das-convencoes.pdf.
imt-ip.pt - T1IMT Portugal — non-convention countries page 2026-05-10
Non-convention country licences: "Não são válidos para conduzir em Portugal." To obtain a Portuguese licence, the holder must "obter aprovação numa prova teórica multimédia e numa prova prática de condução, para cada categoria". An additional 30 € per exam is charged on top of the 30 € exchange fee: "é cobrado um valor adicional de 30 € por prova".
imt-ip.pt - T1Government of Portugal — gov.pt service entry (English) 2026-05-10
Eligibility: any holder of a foreign-issued driving licence may apply to exchange. Required documents: valid foreign driving licence, identification, proof of residence, NIF, electronic medical certificate (mandatory for all categories), and a psychological assessment for Group 2 categories. Fee: 30 euros. Processing time: 60-day average. EU/EEA holders register address within 60 days. Bilateral / convention countries: 2-year window for exchange without exam. Non-convention country licences require both theory and practical exams. Translation by the consular service required for non-English/French/Spanish/Portuguese documents.
www2.gov.pt - T1Government of Portugal — gov.pt service entry (Portuguese) 2026-05-10
Eligibility: "Qualquer pessoa com carta de condução de um país estrangeiro pode trocá-la por uma carta de condução portuguesa." Processing time: "A carta portuguesa é entregue no prazo médio de 60 dias." Provisional licence: "Durante este período de 60 dias, é atribuída uma guia provisória que permite conduzir até receber a carta portuguesa." Procedure post-21-January-2026: online via the IMT Services Portal exclusively.
www2.gov.pt - T1IMT Madeira — official news announcement 2026-05-10
Online-only switch: "Informamos que, a partir de 21 de janeiro 2026, o serviço de troca de título de condução estrangeiro deixou de ser realizado presencialmente." The service moves to the IMT Services Portal exclusively; biometric collection still happens in person at an IMT office, but only after the online form is submitted and IMT emails the applicant a date to attend.
imt.madeira.gov.pt - T1IMT Portugal — official PDF list of convention-signatory countries 2026-05-10
Canonical reciprocity list of states party to the Geneva 1949 and Vienna 1968 conventions on road traffic. The PDF is the published source of truth for the full convention-signatories list and is the authoritative reference readers should consult directly for any country not enumerated on the IMT category sub-pages.
imt-ip.pt - T1Embaixada de Portugal em Singapura — consular service page 2026-05-10
Two-year deadline: "A troca de carta de condução estrangeira por carta de condução portuguesa pode ser solicitada sem necessidade de realização de exame de condução, no entanto, o pedido deve ser efetuado no prazo de dois anos a contar da data da fixação de residência em Portugal." Documents list including atestado médico eletrónico and certified translation of the foreign licence. Bilateral and convention countries enumerated.
singapura.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt - T1IMT Portugal — driving licence revalidation page 2026-05-10
Cross-reference for the medical-certificate cadence and Portuguese-licence renewal once the exchange is complete. Group 1 drivers under 60 typically produce a one-time atestado médico eletrónico; over-60 or Group 2 holders may face shorter renewal cycles set by the doctor at issuance. Distinct procedural shape from the foreign-exchange process.
imt-ip.pt - T1IMT Portugal — Services Portal sign-in 2026-05-10
Authenticated entry point for online submission. Account creation uses NIF; the workflow Troca de Carta Estrangeira is selected once authenticated. Since 21 January 2026, this is the only entry point for foreign-licence exchange requests.
servicos.imt-ip.pt - T3Anchorless — relocation services for Portugal-bound expats 2026-05-10
Diaspora-source colour on the lived experience: extensions of the guia provisória at the local IMT office are routine and immediate; real-world wait times for the Portuguese card can stretch meaningfully beyond the published 60-day average; apostille is required for US-issued licences (consistent with Hague Convention country handling); IMT booking lead times for the biometric appointment range from weeks to several months depending on office workload. Pre-21-January-2026 hybrid workflow is the dominant frame in expat narratives — substantive post-switch reports were not yet documented at the time of this research.
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