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Exchange a Foreign Driving Licence for a Portuguese Carta de Condução at IMT
Document Checklist
Original foreign driving licence
Carta de condução estrangeira, válida e definitiva (original)
Where to get: Already held; original card from the issuing country
Required: Must be valid (not expired) and definitive (not provisional). IMT retains the original at the biometric appointment and does not return it.
If the foreign licence expires mid-process, the exchange path collapses and the holder must instead sit the full Portuguese theory and practical exams (€30 each).
Identification document or Cartão de Cidadão
Documento de identificação (original) ou CC
Where to get: Already held
Required: Cartão de Cidadão for Portuguese nationals; passport plus residence card (título de residência) for foreigners
Proof of residence in Portugal
Comprovativo de residência em território nacional
Where to get: Junta de freguesia for the residence certificate, or AIMA for the título de residência
Required: Junta de freguesia residence certificate, or AIMA-issued residence card showing the address
Portuguese citizenship alone does not qualify for exchange — resident status in Portugal is the eligibility key, including for dual nationals.
Tax identification number
NIF – Número de Identificação Fiscal
Where to get: Autoridade Tributária (Finanças) or via gov.pt
Required: Needed to register the IMT Services Portal account and to pay the fee via Multibanco reference
Electronic medical certificate
Atestado médico eletrónico (obrigatório para todas as categorias)
Where to get: An IMT-approved doctor (most family-medicine clinics qualify)
Required: Mandatory for all categories. The doctor submits the certificate electronically to IMT's medical platform — the applicant never physically handles the document.
Cost is paid directly to the doctor and is not part of the €30 IMT fee.
Psychological evaluation certificate (Group 2 only)
Certificado de avaliação psicológica para condutores do Grupo 2
Where to get: An IMT-approved psychologist
Required: Required only for Group 2 categories (C, D, E — heavy goods, passenger, articulated trailers). Group 1 (A, B and sub-categories) does not require it.
Authenticity certificate from the issuing licensing authority (non-EU exchanges only)
Certificado de autenticidade do título de condução
Where to get: The foreign authority that issued the licence
Required: Required for OECD/CPLP and convention-signatory exchanges. The Madeira FAQ also calls this a Declaração comprovativa. Without it, non-EU exchanges stall at IMT review.
For non-EU licences from Hague Convention countries, the licence (or this certificate) typically also needs an apostille from the issuing country's competent authority. Non-Hague countries use consularisation at the Portuguese consulate. The apostille requirement is not stated on IMT canonical pages — diaspora reports for US-issued licences confirm it in practice; confirm the specific authentication path with the Portuguese consulate in your issuing country before relocating. Non-Portuguese, non-English, non-French, non-Spanish documents also need a certified translation.
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