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Vehicle Inspection (IPO) Date Calculator

Next mandatory car inspection in Portugal

Enter your light passenger car’s (M1) first registration date and see the next mandatory IPO deadline, when the three-month window opens and whether the deadline has already passed. Everything runs in your browser.

By Elijah·UPDATED JULY 2026·4 MIN·OFFICIAL SOURCES
KEY FACTS
Private M1 rule
4 years · 6 years · 8 years · yearly
Reference date
First registration on the DUA
When you can go
Up to 3 months early
If you miss it
Go as soon as possible
PRAZO DA IPO

Data da primeira matrícula

LIGEIROS M1
Use a data indicada no Certificado de Matrícula / DUA.
Outras categorias usam a tabela oficial, não a calculadora 4-2-1.
EXPERIMENTE:
RESULTADO
INSIRA UMA DATA
4 · 2 · 1
—

Introduza a data da primeira matrícula para calcular o prazo da IPO.

Idade do veículo hoje—
Data-limite da 1.ª IPO—
Janela deste prazo—
Próxima data da série—

How this works

The calculator applies the official rule for private light passenger cars (M1): 4 years after first registration, then at 6 and 8 years, and every year after that. It also shows the legal three-month window before the deadline.

  1. 1
    Use the first registration date
    The date that matters is the vehicle’s first registration date, shown on the Certificado de Matrícula / DUA. gov.pt confirms that the inspection date depends on that date and that the vehicle category is also on the DUA. For an imported car or a special case, always confirm the reference date on the document and with the inspection centre.
  2. 2
    The 4-2-1 rule for passenger cars
    For light passenger cars (M1), Law 25/2025 keeps the Annex I schedule: first inspection four years after first registration; then every two years until the vehicle reaches eight years; then yearly. In practice: the 4th, 6th and 8th registration anniversaries, and every year after that.
  3. 3
    You can go up to three months early
    In the years when the car must go to IPO, the inspection must be completed by the day and month of first registration. gov.pt says it can be done in the three months before that date. The calculator shows the opening date of that window.
  4. 4
    If the deadline has passed
    If the deadline has passed, you still have to take the car to inspection and should do it as soon as possible. gov.pt says the inspection itself does not become more expensive, but driving on public roads without a valid IPO or after failing can lead to a fine if stopped.
  5. 5
    What this calculator does not cover
    This page covers only private light passenger cars (M1). Light goods vehicles, ambulances, public passenger transport, school transport, driving-school cars, heavy vehicles, trailers and other regimes have their own schedules in Annex I of Decree-Law 144/2012, as amended.

Frequently asked

Where do I find the first registration date?
On the Certificado de Matrícula / Documento Único Automóvel (DUA). gov.pt points to that document for both the first registration date and the vehicle category. If you bought an imported used car, confirm on the DUA which date IMT/the inspection centre is using as the reference.
Is the first IPO at 4 years or earlier?
For a private light passenger car (M1), the first IPO deadline is four years after first registration. You can do it in the three months before. Example: first registered on 8 May 2022 → first IPO between 8 February and 8 May 2026.
Does going early change the next date?
The legal schedule remains tied to the day and month of first registration. The three-month window lets you go to the centre without waiting for the last day. Keep the inspection sheet: it proves validity until the next date.
What happens if I drive with an expired IPO?
You must go to inspection as soon as possible. The inspection itself does not become more expensive because it is late, but gov.pt warns that driving on public roads after missing the deadline, or after failing, can lead to a fine if you are checked.
Does this work for vans, taxis or ambulances?
No. The main calculation is only for private M1 passenger cars. Light goods vehicles (N1) have the first inspection at 2 years and then yearly; public passenger transport and ambulances start at year 1 and can become six-monthly in year 8. Use the official gov.pt table or the consolidated Annex I.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
DISCLAIMER
An informational tool, not legal advice. It covers only private light passenger cars (M1), with rules checked in July 2026 on gov.pt and Diário da República. Professional categories, goods vehicles, public passenger transport, ambulances, school transport, driving-school cars, trailers, heavy vehicles and extraordinary inspections have their own rules. Always confirm on the DUA, with the inspection centre or with IMT.