How this works
This checker follows the four country groups IMT itself distinguishes and the deadlines published on the official pages — nothing more. Answer two questions and get the verdict: whether you can drive today, until when, and what the exchange will require in your case.
- 1
First, the country group
IMT does not treat every licence the same way: it splits them into four groups — EU/EEA, the OECD/CPLP list of Decree-Law 46/2022, countries with a bilateral agreement or party to the traffic conventions (Geneva 1949, Vienna 1968), and countries outside all of these. What counts is where the licence was issued, not your nationality. The group decides whether you can drive, the deadlines and whether there are exams.
- 2
Then, the residency date
For agreement and convention countries, the deadlines run from the issue date of your residence permit: up to 90 days you may drive and must file the exchange request; from 90 days to 2 years you can still exchange without exams but may no longer drive; past 2 years, the exchange requires a practical test. For EU/EEA licences the relevant deadline is different: 60 days to register your residence with IMT.
- 3
With or without exams
Within the deadlines, the exchange is direct for the EU/EEA, the OECD/CPLP list and agreement or convention countries — only a medical check (plus a psychological one for categories C, D and E). Past the 2-year mark the practical test kicks in. Licences from non-convention countries are never valid in Portugal and the exchange always requires a multimedia theory test and a practical test, per category.
- 4
The documents
The core is the same for everyone: ID, proof of residence, the licence itself and the electronic medical certificate, which your doctor sends straight to IMT. Outside the EU/EEA you add the certificate of authenticity of the licence, issued by the issuing authority or a consulate — usually the slowest step of the whole process — and a certified translation when the licence is not in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish.
- 5
Where and how much
You apply online on the A Minha Carta de Condução portal (€30, with a 10% discount) and finish at an IMT desk, when summoned, by handing in the original licence and having your photo and signature taken. The Portuguese licence arrives in about 60 days and a provisional permit lets you drive in the meantime — except in the cases that require an exam.
Frequently asked
I have a Brazilian licence and live in Portugal. Do I have to exchange it?
Since August 2022 (Decree-Law 46/2022), no. As long as the CNH is valid, was issued or renewed less than 15 years ago and you are under 60, you may drive in Portugal on it, even as a resident. Two catches: this acceptance covers Portuguese territory only (it does not let you drive in the rest of the EU) and, if any condition stops holding, the exchange becomes mandatory — thankfully it is direct, with no exams. Useful note: if your CNH was issued from 18 May 2017 on (with a QR code on the back), you can skip the consular authenticity declaration.
It has been more than 90 days since my residence permit. Now what?
For licences from bilateral-agreement or convention countries, you can no longer drive on the foreign licence — but you have not lost the exchange. Up to 2 years after the residence permit was issued, the exchange still happens without exams. After that, IMT requires you to pass a practical driving test. The practical advice: file the request now; per gov.pt, a provisional permit issued while the card is produced lets you drive.
Does the exchange require exams?
It depends on the group and the deadline. No exam at all: EU/EEA licences, the OECD/CPLP list, and agreement or convention countries, as long as the request goes in within the 2-year window. Practical test only: agreement or convention countries after the 2 years. Multimedia theory test plus practical test, per category: non-convention countries. Every case includes a medical check, plus a psychological one for categories C, D and E.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
The exchange costs €30, with a 10% discount when requested online on the A Minha Carta de Condução portal (€27). Each test, where required, costs €30 more (Ordinance 1165/2010). The Portuguese licence arrives in about 60 days and a provisional permit lets you drive while you wait. The original licence is returned to the issuing country — if you move back one day, you can reclaim it by handing in the Portuguese one.
I have a UK licence — did Brexit change anything?
The UK is on IMT’s OECD list: a British licence is still accepted for driving in Portugal even with residency, as long as it is valid, less than 15 years have passed since issue or renewal and the holder is under 60. When the exchange is needed, it is direct, with no exams. And for people who were already resident in Portugal before Brexit, gov.pt applies the same rules as EU/EEA licences.
My licence is from the EU. Do I need to do anything?
Exchange it, no — it is valid in Portugal until the expiry printed on the document. But there is a little-known duty: residents must register their residence with IMT within 60 days, free of charge, online or at a desk. Special case: lifetime licences, or ones with no expiry printed, must per gov.pt be exchanged within 2 years of taking residence. If you want to exchange out of convenience, it costs €30 and has no exams.
DISCLAIMER
An informational tool, not legal advice. The country groups, deadlines, fees and documents follow the official IMT and gov.pt pages as of July 2026, but these rules have changed several times in recent years and the final decision is always IMT’s. Special cases — expired or lost licences, professional categories, dual nationality, the temporary-protection regime — have rules of their own. Confirm with the official source before getting behind the wheel.