# Send a car to Portugal



## sjmontano

My wife and I are retiring to Portugal in January. We already have a house and have applied for baggage certificates to send our furniture and personal effects. We are also sending 2 cars. My wife is a Portuguese citizen I am not. The Consulate called and said she could send her car tax and duty free but they weren't sure about my car since I am not a Portuguese citizen. They suggested we call the port agent were the containers will arrive to see if I owe tax on the car. Seems odd the Consulate didn't know on this issue. Does anyone know about this? Any help is appreciated.


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## travelling-man

Each adult new immigrant is allowed to import one motor vehicle free of import tax IF (note the big IF) the vehicle meets the required criteria which is: 

The importer can prove the vehicle has been registered to the him/her for at least 12 months previously (in the country it's coming from) & that he/she has lived in that country for that time period, the importer must provide a Certificate of Conformity or if the vehicle was manufactured pre CoC they will accept a downloaded copy of the original sales brochure that shows the tech spec of the vehicle.

The vehicle must be standard or any (obvious) changes to the vehicle must be listed on a letter from a main dealer or manufacturer listing all changes from standard stating & that all said changes from standard are acceptable replacements.

The matriculation process must be started within 6 months of the applicant getting his/her Residencia. Whilst you can do the matriculation process yourself, it's much easier if you have a local agent do it for you & current (at time of writing (October 2017)) cost is usually about €400 plus the one off matriculation inspection of about €125 + annual road tax.

Road tax is calculated on engine size & emissions and priced as a new car on the date of matriculation not on year of manufacture. If you do go the tax free import route, you are not allowed to sell the car for 5 years unless you repay the tax you've avoided on a pro rata basis ie 20% per year.

If you pay the import tax it's calculated on age of vehicle, engine size & emissions NOT on value & is often VERY expensive, especially for cars with large engines/high emissions & some cars can cost tens of thousands of Euros & one day difference in the date of manufacture from one year to the next can sometimes mean a massive increase/decrease in tax payable so do your research on the simulator link below very carefully.

You're allowed to keep a foreign registered car in Portugal for 180 days maximum before you either matriculate it or remove it back to the country it came from for a further 180 days. The only exception to this rule is for some (but not all) students on some (but not all) study permits

If you have a foreign registered car in Portugal, it must be taxed, tested & insured in it’s country of registration all the time it’s in Portugal & if the GNR catch you with an overstaying vehicle or without tax, test or insurance, they can & often do, permanently confiscate the vehicle which they will then sell or destroy. Note that whilst a foreign registered vehicle can be put through a Portuguese IPO/MOT inspection the pass certificate has no legal standing & is not a replacement for the test certificate from the country of origin.

When Portuguese matriculation/registration is complete the vehicle has to be submitted for a one off matriculation inspection which is a greatly enhanced safety inspection which includes a rolling road test & if the vehicle comes from a country that drives on the left the headlight units will need to be changed. Beam deflectors are not acceptable. 

Once matriculated the vehicle is subject to the ordinary Portuguese IPO annual inspection.


Importing and Registering Classic Cars/Motorcycle in Portugal

Classic cars/Motorcycles can be driven freely into Portugal providing they are for personal, temporary use and have the necessary vehicle taxation, insurance, and documentation.

Those wishing to import a classic car permanently into Portugal may drive the car for four days before registering it with the Portuguese customs office. (Alfândegas). 

Vehicle tax (Imposto Automóvel) must be paid for all classic cars unless registered as a vehicle of historical interest to Portugal when it becomes exempt. This classification must be renewed annually.

Vehicles made before 1960 are taxed at a lower rate

Classic cars brought into Portugal on a permanent basis must meet the following legal requirements:
Be classified by the International Classic Car Federation (Fédération Internationale des Véhicule Anciens, FIVA FÃ©dÃ©ration Internationale des VÃ©hicules Anciens (FIVA) – FÃ©dÃ©ration Internationale des VÃ©hicules Anciens (FIVA) ) 

Have a Classic Car Certificate (Certificado de Automóvel Antigo) from FIVA or ACP AKA a classic car passport.

Have a Technical Logbook/Manual (Ficha Técnica) from FIVA or other competent organisation. They will accept an ordinary workshop manual or ecopy of such.

Have a colour photograph of the vehicle which also goes in the FIVA classic car passport

Have a vehicle Logbook (Livrete) and Owner's Document (Título de Propridade) issued in the name of the owner/driver from the country of import.

Have the original and latest commercial purchase receipt (Factura Comercial) 

Have an Authority to Circulate Document (Guia de Circulação) issued by Customs (Alfândegas) which is issued on arrival 

Vehicles from the USA, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India or the UK must meet European Union homologation approval standards if the vehicle is more than 30 years old. This means headlights, running lights & indicators etc might need to be changed.

Vehicles over 30 years old may be classified as having cultural and historic interest to Portuguese State Heritage and might not need to undergo any kind of homologation adaptations such as catalytic converters etc. 

As a European Union member state Portugal adheres to the Mutual Recognition Scheme which means that the IMTT needs to be sure that any vehicle imported into Portugal is suitable for use on Portuguese roads. The driver/owner must provide documentary evidence from FIVA or the manufacturer of any physical alterations made to the vehicle. 

Import duty

A classic vehicle may be imported into Portugal tax-free provided:

The vehicle is for private use only.

The vehicle has been used by its registered owner in their former country for at least 12 months previously.


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## travelling-man

Note if you go the tax free import route the name of the registered owner must be the same as the importer so 2 cars in the name of one owner means you'll have to pay tax on one of them.


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## sjmontano

Wow. Complicated. The car is a 2016 Porsche Boxster that I bought in July of 2016 - so I have had it a year and a half by the time it gets to Portugal. It is a stock vehicle as sold by the dealer with no modifications, etc. I have lived at the same address for 10 years. The car is jointly registered to my wife and I as is her car which we are also importing. Will this be a problem? These were supposed to be our forever cars I'd hate to have to sell them and start over.Any help is appreciated.


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## travelling-man

To be honest I've never heard of a car having joint owners before but I'd guess if you each import one car & the name of the importer is on the document you'd probably be OK...... but I's suggest you ask a matriculation agent before you ship them off. 

Also check your paperwork to see if the CoC is there because if it is you won't have to pay for a new one....... In theory at least the dealer should have supplied it when it was first sold.


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## JohnBoy

That's a brilliant, detailed reply you have given TM. Coincidentally, I'm trying to help a couple in the UK at the moment who are moving out in December and want to employ an agent to carry out the matriculation. I suppose you don't know of anyone in the Coimbra area by chance? I've tried to Google it but have no idea what I'm looking for.


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## travelling-man

JohnBoy said:


> That's a brilliant, detailed reply you have given TM. Coincidentally, I'm trying to help a couple in the UK at the moment who are moving out in December and want to employ an agent to carry out the matriculation. I suppose you don't know of anyone in the Coimbra area by chance? I've tried to Google it but have no idea what I'm looking for.


There's Rui Cruz of Organifacho in Pombal who you'll find with Google & Ged Heaney (who is a member here) also knows someone but I'm not sure what area.

Cost is in the region of about €400 plus a bit more if you need a to make extra changes such as permission for a non standard rear number plate as you have on American cars.


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## JohnBoy

travelling-man said:


> There's Rui Cruz of Organifacho in Pombal who you'll find with Google & Ged Heaney (who is a member here) also knows someone but I'm not sure what area.
> 
> Cost is in the region of about €400 plus a bit more if you need a to make extra changes such as permission for a non standard rear number plate as you have on American cars.


Thanks TM. I'll follow that up tomorrow.


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## baldilocks

JohnBoy said:


> That's a brilliant, detailed reply you have given TM. Coincidentally, I'm trying to help a couple in the UK at the moment who are moving out in December and want to employ an agent to carry out the matriculation. I suppose you don't know of anyone in the Coimbra area by chance? I've tried to Google it but have no idea what I'm looking for.


Here in ES, the simplest is to use a "gestor" - I presume you have somebody similar in PT.


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## JohnBoy

baldilocks said:


> Here in ES, the simplest is to use a "gestor" - I presume you have somebody similar in PT.


Not that I have been able to locate so far. I remember the gestor well from my time in Andalucia. Slight thread drift coming. Every town also had someone who had their finger on the pulse as far as property sales were concerned. Not an estate agent but a private person who you went to to find out what was available for sale but not necessarily advertised in traditional places. Was he known as a matador or similar. I know that a matador is normally connected with bull fighting, but interestingly, another translation is backbreaking. So maybe the matador in a community takes the backbreaking work out of house hunting. Just a thought.


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## sjmontano

Would I be able to get help with the CoC, inspections, etc. from the dealers who sell the cars I have in Portugal? Also, I know I can drive the cars for 180 days with US registrations but my insurance agent in the US says the insurance expires as soon as the cars leave the country. Can I get vehicle insurance before the cars are inspected/registered in Portugal?


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## travelling-man

The Certificate of Conformity comes from the manufacturer and if you don't have one in your existing paperwork then the only place you can get it from is that manufacturer I'm afraid....... there are companies online who will do it for you but that's how they do it. 

The matriculation inspection is done at IPO testing stations & is usually appointment only & not all IPO testing stations are licenced to do it. 

I'm surprised your current insurance company can't offer you 6 months overseas insurance & it might be worth checking with other companies. However, although some insurance companies here are reluctant to offer cover to foreign registered vehicles I did manage to get cover for mine before it was matriculated...... but it was extremely expensive & IIRC, I paid a monthly premium of something like €150. 

I'm pretty sure Ged Heaney who I think I mentioned earlier is a member here & he might be able to find you something suitable.


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## sjmontano

Thanks for all your help TM. We have family in Aveiro where we will be living who say they can get us insurance but they have never imported a vehicle and I'm not sure they understand the complexity. I'll check with my US agent to see if I can get temporary coverage until the cars are matriculated. Lots to do but I'll keep plugging away.


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## robc

Hi
Just to chuck my two penny worth in I imported and matriculated a car that was originally exported from Europe to California.
This also happened to be a Porsche. A 2005 vintage.
There was no CoC as the car was exported outside of the EU, so you will be faced with a couple of options.......
1. Get a letter of confirmation from Porsche US stating that the vehicle conforms to that marketplace. This should also confirm the VIN and Engine Numbers (I did this and when we got to Portugal it made no difference !!!)
2. Once you are in Portugal you or your matriculation agent MUST get a form from TUV Rhineland to complete which is a detailed analysis of the vehicle (note that your car must run a standard specification for things such as wheels, tyres and exhausts)

This completed from will accompany your submission to Customs and also IMTT who will ultimately "sign" the car off.
Part of this process will be a detailed "importation" inspection which will involve a rolling road for emissions, VIN Numbers, Engine Numbers, Seatbelts, Lights, Brakes and wiring.
My Porsche sailed through this inspection, as a footnote they may tell you they need to roadtest it................they do not, it is just their way of taking a car they could never hope to own and "ragging" it out on the road !!! Our Agent was wise to this and stopped the technician in his tracks !!!!!

Expect a slightly bigger cost than a "straight forward" import and of course your road tax will be based on their emissions and not the one that is published by the manufacturer.
If I can help further let me know.

Rob


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## sjmontano

Thanks for the information - this is all very helpful. We have 2 cars - the Porsche and a BMW - both need to be registered so I'm in for all this twice. We are moving to Aveiro, Do you have the contact information for the agent you used? It might be smart for me to start this process asap. Thanks again for you help.


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## baldilocks

It may well be that, although the US and much of Europe drive on the same side of the road (the right) your headlights may need to be re-aligned and adjusted. The US typically has Bright and less bright and a straight-down dip. Because there are many more single carriageway roads in Europe than in the USA, our lights when dipped are not only slightly less bright, they also move to the right to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. I was not fully aware of the difference until an American who was staying with us commented on the different arrangement which he found was strange.


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## robc

Hi again

Our Importation Agent is not now working (Marraige and Babies !!)

Before engaging an Agent I would go here

Site da DGAIEC - Descrição Quem Somos

and contact the office nearest to you which would seem to be Aveiro and I would talk through with them what you intend doing.
I found them to be extremely helpful, speak reasonable English and this will at least give you a head start before engaging an Agent. They can tell you what papers they will want you to provide and also they can talk you through the process from initial application through the DAV form through to Number Plates. 

I will not recommend an Agent to you as I cannot vouch for their abilities and given that your cars are "non EU CoC" many agents will not have dealt with this type of import.
Also please note the number of Offices on the list, there are 16 main offices, as this is Portugal they will all do things slightly differently (you will get used to it once you live here) so you would be best suited going to the office who will "sign" off on your cars.

HTH

Rob


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## sjmontano

Again thanks for the help. It looks like the Aveiro office is where I will go. It's near my house and I have spent many hours there each trip I have made.


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## gedscottish

You can get insurance as soon as you have the initial document from the customs(the one received when the process is started), you'll be able to insure the car with this document and when your PT registration number is issued, it's just a case of changing that detail over(maintain the same policy). However some companies are getting a bit sticky about insuring newly imported cars fully comprehensive due to the high rate of theft on imported cars.


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## chimaerahk

Is it possible to import a car for track day use only without registration?
Please help


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## travelling-man

chimaerahk said:


> Is it possible to import a car for track day use only without registration?
> Please help


Interesting question but I'd suggest you consult a lawyer on that one

The tax is actually a matriculation fee not an import tax so I'd guess if you don't matriculate it then as far as that tax goes, you don't pay that. 

However, the law also states that a foreign registered car may stay in PT for 6 months before being matriculated or returned to it's country of registration for a further 6 months. However, a good lawyer might find a way for you to import it into PT and then simply deregister it in it's former country. 

That's probably a long shot but it might be worth the lawyer's fees to find out.


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## chimaerahk

Traveling man,
Thanks a lot.
I have a sports car with a big engine which I want to import. So if I register it, it costs me a lot for the annual road tax (IUC)about 900 Euro but I will save a lot for the first registration tax(ISV). How about the resale of this car after 5 years?
By the way how long have you lived in Portugal?


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## travelling-man

chimaerahk said:


> Traveling man,
> Thanks a lot.
> I have a sports car with a big engine which I want to import. So if I register it, it costs me a lot for the annual road tax (IUC)about 900 Euro but I will save a lot for the first registration tax(ISV). How about the resale of this car after 5 years?
> By the way how long have you lived in Portugal?


The rules changed in the last budget & you now only need to have owned it for 6 months instead of the previous 12 months, have 12 months to begin matriculation instead of the previous 6 months & can sell it after 1 year instead of the previous 5 years. 

If the car is a classic (over 25 years old) it might be possible to get it registered as a car of historical interest to Portugal which although gives you very limited mileage, it also makes it exempt from the annual road tax & IPO inspection & also gives you very cheap insurance.............. I pay about €36 per YEAR for my 5.9 litre V8 engined classic. 

We've been in Portugal for 7 years now.


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## Tellus

chimaerahk said:


> Traveling man,
> Thanks a lot.
> I have a sports car with a big engine which I want to import. So if I register it, it costs me a lot for the annual road tax (IUC)about 900 Euro but I will save a lot for the first registration tax(ISV). How about the resale of this car after 5 years?
> By the way how long have you lived in Portugal?


As you said a car to register in Pt. is a long and expensive way..
But if only use it on track events on closed places like airports or private roads or on a raceway should be no need for registration, no plates.. 
You only have to trailer it.

The other way is importing as moving good.
If you move to Pt. and the car is registered in your name for more than 12 month.
If the car is older than 35 years import tax could reduced to 5%

After the main residence change, maintain the principal residence in Portugal for at least 12 months,
Request for tax exemption within six months of the main residence change
Have a valid driver's license at least 12 months before the main residence change.
The vehicle must have been owned for 12 months before moving to Portugal and may not be sold, rented or lent within the first 12 months after tax-free approval in Portugal.


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