Can I drive on my UK licence?

Portugal is one of the easier countries for British drivers. Under a UK–Portugal agreement, registered residents can drive on their UK licence until it expires, and exchanging it for a Portuguese one needs no driving test.

Visitors and residents

As a visitor you can drive on a UK photocard licence. You must carry ID when driving, and the police can ask for it. Once you are a registered resident, GOV.UK says a bilateral agreement lets you drive on a UK or Gibraltar licence until it expires. IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes) lists the UK among OECD countries whose licences residents can keep using if:

• the licence is valid and not suspended or withdrawn
• no more than 15 years have passed since it was issued or last renewed
• you are under 60
• you meet Portugal’s minimum age for the category

If you don’t meet these conditions (for example at 60 or over), exchange the licence. Ask IMT if you are near 60 or your licence is old Licences from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man must be exchanged once you are resident.

Exchanging your UK licence

1. Get a medical certificate (atestado médico) from your doctor, who uploads it to the electronic platform; it goes to IMT automatically
2. Get a check code from the DVLA (England, Scotland, Wales) or the DVA (Northern Ireland)
3. Apply on IMT’s “A Minha Carta de Condução” portal with ID, proof of address (your residence document, or a tax address certificate from the Portal das Finanças) and your licence
4. You get a temporary permit (guia) to drive while you wait. If it expires first, email IMT at aminhacarta@imt-ip.pt to renew it
5. When approved, go to your chosen IMT office to give biometrics and hand in your UK licence

The fee is €30, with 10% off online. No test is needed for any category you exchange. You can also exchange a lost or stolen licence with a police report, or one that expired up to 2 years ago. For licences from other convention countries, IMT sets a 90-day window after your residence permit is issued, with a test after 2 years. Your NIF and residence card make this easier: see How much tax will I pay in Portugal?

Points and fines

Every licence starts with 12 points. Light offences cost no points; a serious offence usually costs 2, a very serious one 4 and a road crime 6. At 4 or 5 points you must take a paid road safety course; at 3 or fewer, a new theory test. Lose all 12 and you lose your licence for 2 years. Three years without serious offences earns 3 points back. Speeding causes most lost points, then phone use while driving.

• Speed limits: 50 km/h in towns, 90 to 100 km/h outside towns, 120 km/h on motorways
• Drink-driving: the limit is 0.5 g/l of blood, below England’s, and 0.2 g/l in your probationary period and for professional drivers (Código da Estrada, art. 81)
• Seat belts in all seats; fines are €120 to €600
• Police can fine foreign-plated drivers on the spot and often carry card machines
• Radar detectors are banned, with fines up to €2,500
• More in What rules catch Brits out in Portugal?

Tolls

Some motorways have toll booths, where you can pay by card or cash. Others are electronic-only, with gantries and no booths. On those you need a payment method: a Via Verde tag (€37.50 to buy, or by subscription) works on all motorways and in car parks, or you can pay at a post office (CTT) or Payshop within 15 working days, with admin fees. If you think you used a toll road without paying, check the official Toll Payment Portal. Since 1 January 2025 tolls have been abolished on the former SCUT roads: the A4 Transmontana and Marão tunnel, A13 and A13-1, A22 Algarve (Via do Infante), A23, A24, A25 and parts of the A28.

Owning a car

• Carry the registration document (documento único automóvel), insurance, road tax proof and inspection certificate. Driving uninsured is an offence that also costs points
• IUC (imposto único de circulação, road tax) is paid each year by whoever is registered as the owner. From 2027 it is due by the end of April, in up to three instalments for larger bills; until then it is due in the month the car was first registered
• Inspection (IPO, like the MOT): cars first at 4 years, then every 2 years until 8 years old, then every year
• Buying second-hand: make sure the change of owner is registered, because IUC follows the registered owner

Bringing your UK car

Visitors can keep a foreign car in Portugal for up to 183 days in a 12-month period. If you move, you have 12 months from arrival to ask customs for an exemption from vehicle tax (ISV). To qualify you must have lived in the UK for at least 6 months, and owned the car there for 6 months. Without the exemption, ISV can be high. From the UK you need a customs agent, then a Portuguese registration from IMT. Details are in How do I ship my things to Portugal? Not sure you need a car? See Can I live in Portugal without a car?