If you are already living in Portugal with a residence permit it is time to apply for the equivalence of your driving licence. You only need to have a driving licence in your country of origin to be able to apply for a Portuguese driving licence.
Currently you can do all this online at IMT (Institute of Mobility and Transport) which is the entity responsible for this matter in Portugal. The cost is 30 euros, however the IMT can demand more requirements (theoretical or practical exam) which will increase the costs depending on where you come from, for example when the foreign licence was issued in a country that has not adhered to the international conventions on road traffic.
The following documents are required for the equivalence of driving licences for light passenger vehicles and motorbikes with a cylinder capacity up to 125:
1 – Valid and definitive driving licence.
2 – An identification document, with residence in Portugal (any identification document issued by the Portuguese State, as for example the residence permit, except the passport).
3 – A medical certificate. The medical certificate is electronic, issued and sent by the doctor to the Institute of Mobility and Transport (IMT) via the internet. It is required for all licence categories.
4 – Declaration, issued by the entity congeneric to IMT (foreign entity that issues the title) or consular entity, that proves that the license is authentic and indicates: the date of issue and validity of the license; the categories of vehicles that the driver can drive, with the dates of qualification and restrictions that each category has.
If the letter is not written in Portuguese, Spanish, French or English you will also need a translation of the letter into Portuguese, authenticated by the Portuguese embassy or consulate (or other European Union member state) in the country where the letter was issued.
For vehicles in other categories (C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE, or categories B and BE) and driving ambulances or fire engines, or transporting sick people, school transport, collective child transport and rental cars, you will also need an additional document:
5 – Certificate of psychological aptitude (CAP) that can be requested from a psychologist in Portugal.
Once you submit the documentation and make the payment the request will be analysed and if it is in conformity, you will receive a guide that will allow you to drive until you receive the definitive Portuguese driving license. Once ready the licence will be sent to the address you indicate when submitting the documentation.
