Of all the admin a move to Portugal throws at you, the driving licence is the one with the sharpest deadline and the most expensive mistake. Get it done inside the window and it is a simple swap, no test. Miss the window and you can find yourself sitting a Portuguese theory and practical test, in Portuguese, after a course that costs roughly the price of a flight home and can take the best part of a year. Here is how to stay on the right side of it.

Two clocks start the day you become resident

This is the part people miss. Once you take up residence, two separate deadlines begin:

• 90 days to keep driving. You may drive on your UK or US licence for only 90 days after becoming resident. After that you cannot legally drive until you have exchanged it, even though you still have time left to apply.
• Two years to exchange without a test. You have two years from taking up residence to apply for a straight exchange, with no driving test, for ordinary car categories. Apply inside this window and it is an administrative swap.

Miss the two-year window and the exchange becomes subject to a full Portuguese driving test. That is the trap to avoid.

How the exchange works

The process runs through IMT, the Institute for Mobility and Transport, mostly online:

• Communicate your residence to IMT.
• Get a Portuguese medical certificate. The doctor submits it to IMT electronically, so there is no paper to post.
• Get an authenticity declaration for your licence. UK drivers obtain this from the issuing authority. US drivers need their state DMV driving record, apostilled by that state.
• Register on the IMT online portal, complete the exchange application, upload your documents and pay the fee.
• When IMT instructs you, surrender your original foreign licence and collect your Portuguese one.

Budget a few weeks for issue once approved, and check the current fee on the IMT portal, as published figures vary.

The residency-card problem

The most common thing that stalls an exchange is also the most frustrating: IMT needs a valid Portuguese residence document, and your card may not have arrived yet. Meanwhile both clocks, the 90-day driving limit and the two-year exchange window, keep running. If your card is delayed, start the rest of the process early, and check directly with IMT what they will accept in the meantime.

Other traps worth knowing

• An expired foreign licence usually cannot be exchanged at all. Renew it at home before it lapses if you can.
• A US driving record that is not apostilled will be rejected. The apostille has to come from the issuing state.
• The 90-day driving limit is easy to overshoot while you wait on paperwork. Plan around it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to take a Portuguese driving test?

Not if you apply within two years of becoming resident, for ordinary car categories. Miss that window and a test is required.

Can I drive while I wait for the exchange?

Only for the first 90 days after becoming resident. After that you must wait until the exchange is complete before driving.

What is different for US licence holders?

You need your state DMV driving record, and it must be apostilled by the issuing state before IMT will accept it.

Sources

• IMT, Institute for Mobility and Transport: imt-ip.pt
• Exchange a foreign licence for a Portuguese one: gov.pt
• IMT post-Brexit licence exchange guidance (UK holders): imt-ip.pt
• US driver’s licence exchange information: US Embassy in Portugal, pt.usembassy.gov

General information, current as of June 2026, and not official advice. IMT rules, fees and appointment locations change, and some details vary by region. Confirm the current process and the exact fee on imt-ip.pt before you rely on them. Related reading: the Bureaucracy Roadmap and your first weeks in Portugal.