Exchanging a Foreign Driver’s License in Portugal: IMT Rules
Whether you can keep driving on your old license after moving to Lisbon depends on where it was issued. The IMT rules by country group, deadlines, fees and the online request.
The need to exchange a foreign driver’s license in Portugal depends on where it was issued. EU and EEA licenses stay valid until they expire. Licenses from OECD and Portuguese-speaking countries, including the US, UK and Brazil, can be used by residents under conditions. Most others must be exchanged at IMT within 90 days of getting a residence permit.
IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes) handles exchanges through its online portal “A Minha Carta de Condução”. The fee is €30 as of November 2026, with a 10% discount online. The rules below come from IMT’s exchange pages, checked in November 2026.
Which rules apply to my license?
IMT sorts foreign licenses into four groups:
| Where the license was issued (as of November 2026) | Can a resident drive on it? | Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| EU or EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) | Yes, until the expiry date on the license | Optional; register your residence with IMT within 60 days |
| OECD and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries listed by IMT, such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil and Angola | Yes, if the conditions below are met | Optional, without exams |
| Other countries in the 1949 or 1968 road traffic conventions, or with a bilateral agreement | Up to 90 days after your residence permit is issued | Required; after 2 years a practical test is needed |
| Countries outside the conventions | No | Possible only after passing theory and practical tests |
Visitors who have not settled in Portugal can drive on a license from a convention or agreement country for up to 185 days from the day after they arrive.
Can I keep driving on a US, UK or Brazilian license?
Yes, under conditions. Since Decree-Law 46/2022 took effect on 1 August 2022, IMT accepts licenses from the OECD and CPLP countries on its list even after the holder becomes resident, if all of these apply:
- the license is valid and not suspended or canceled in Portugal or the issuing country;
- no more than 15 years have passed since it was issued or last renewed;
- you are under 60;
- you meet the Portuguese minimum age for the vehicle category.
IMT lists Brazil, Cabo Verde, Angola, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe among the CPLP countries, and Australia, Canada, Chile, South Korea, the United States, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Turkey among the OECD ones. This permission is valid only in Portugal. To add categories, register a professional endorsement (for example for ride-hailing) or drive after turning 60, you must exchange. In February 2026 Portugal also approved an agreement with Brazil on mutual recognition of licenses (Decree 4/2026); ask IMT how it applies to you.
What are the deadlines for other licenses?
For licenses from other convention or bilateral-agreement countries, IMT counts from the date your residence permit was issued:
- Up to 90 days: you may keep driving on your foreign license, but you must file the exchange request.
- From 90 days to 2 years: you can still request the exchange, but you can no longer drive on the foreign license.
- After 2 years: to exchange, you must pass a practical driving test.
Licenses from countries outside the conventions are not valid for driving in Portugal at all. You can still apply to exchange them, but you must pass a multimedia theory test and a practical test for each category, at €30 per test.
How do I request the exchange?
The request is online. According to IMT’s exchange page:
- Get a medical assessment from a doctor, who issues the certificate on the electronic medical certificate platform. It reaches IMT automatically.
- Log in to the “A Minha Carta de Condução” portal and fill in the exchange form.
- Attach your ID, proof of residence registration with the city council if you have no Citizen Card, a tax address certificate from the Portal das Finanças if your residence document has no address, and your passport if your residence document lacks a photo and signature.
- For licenses outside the EU, attach a certificate of authenticity from the issuing authority or its consulate, showing which categories were obtained by exam.
- For truck or bus categories (C, D, E), add a psychological assessment certificate.
- Wait for IMT to call you to a service desk to hand in the foreign license and give your photo and signature.
You can collect the new license at an IMT desk or have it sent to an address you choose.
What should EU citizens do?
Drive on your license until it expires, and register your residence with IMT at a service desk within 60 days of settling in Portugal. The registration is free; bring ID, your license and the residence registration from the city council if you have no Portuguese Citizen Card. Our guide to the EU citizen registration certificate in Lisbon covers that certificate. Exchanging for a Portuguese license is optional and follows the same online process.
Bottom line
Look up your license group before you sign a car lease or buy insurance, and if you need an exchange, request the medical certificate in your first weeks: the 90-day window runs from the date on your residence permit, which may be earlier than the day you collect the card.
FAQ
Will I have to take a driving test?
Not for EU, EEA, OECD or CPLP licenses on IMT’s list. Other convention-country licenses need a practical test only if you request the exchange more than two years after your residence permit was issued; licenses from non-convention countries always need tests.
What if my residence permit is still pending?
The exchange is for residents, and IMT says it completes an exchange only with proof of residence in Portugal. See our guide to residence permit renewals for the receipt AIMA issues.
Does a Portuguese license help with parking?
Resident parking in Lisbon depends on your address and the car, not on your license. See our guide to EMEL resident parking.
