# Importing 2 cars to Portugal



## jimllshiftit

I know this subject has been done to death but I need some clarification as one of my vehicles may be classed differently. 

The first vehicle is a Spanish registered LR Discovery. Its probably not worth importing but its set up just the way I want it and building another to do the same job might cost as much as the transfer to Portugal. 

The second is a UK registered 70's Mini Pickup. 

Both are LHD and I am not currently resident in Portugal. 

Can I import both vehicles under my name without paying additional tax? Is the pickup classed as a commercial vehicle? What's the cheapest way of getting them both to have Portugese logbooks?


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## jerryceltner

Just a quick answer without going into too much detail is that you can bring both vehicles into Portugal as long as you have owned them for 12 months. You will have to become a Portuguese resident.
The Discovery you will have to go through with a lot of paperwork and utility bills so as not to pay import tax and the Pickup you will have to pay import tax on but on that there will be none I think I am right in saying. There is quite a lot of time and expense involved in both to get the necessary documentation. The Discovery will be about 750+ euro for circulation tax (road tax) per year as will be classed as a brand new vehicle. I have a Merc E320 on a 2002 plate and this year it will be about 771 euro and I matriculated it in 2009. The van I have is a 1996 and the circulation tax is 31 euro and I matriculated it in 2012.....big difference.


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## canoeman

As Jerry says you must first be a Registered Resident for either option, and there is no way apart from Matriculating to get Portuguese Plates for a car.

You can only import 1 vehicle per person free of car tax (ISV), so you import the one that would cost you most to Matriculate free of any ISV.

On the face of it the Discovery would be the dearest to import "as a personal import" and pay ISV tax on, so the one to import "free" but you don't say how you've modified it and that could make life difficult to impossible for you to matriculate.

Mini when you say "pickup" then it might be classified as a " Os automóveis ligeiros de mercadorias, de caixa aberta, ou sem caixa, com peso bruto de 3 500 kg, sem tracção às quatro rodas;"

You need to supply a bit more information to get any worthwhile answer, on the vehicles and also where you and the cars are as you say Australia, but discovery Spanish?

Suggest you look at Importing cars which gives a straightforward explanation of requirements that apply for importing "free" of ISV for anyone from anywhere not just UK.
If your importing a vehicle as a personal import and paying ISV then major difference is no pre 12 month ownership or Residence reguired but you must start "import, matriculation" within 21 days of vehicles arrival


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## jimllshiftit

Thanks for your responses. 

Im an ex Canarian resident living in the UK. I dont know why I have an OZzy flag next to my name and I must look into changing it. 

My understanding of Spanish enables me to loosely translate your Portugese quote to "Light commercial vehicle with open back of less than 3500kg. Not 4x4". That sums the little pup up nicely but I had a faint hope that its age might mean the authorities would not charge so much for its importation. Maybe even classify it differently under some kind of historic import. Im speculating of course. 

The Disco just has some sensible alterations from standard. It left the factory with 12 windows, it now has 6 as the sunroofs, roof lights and rear side windows have been welded up. It has some heavy duty suspension which makes it a little taller than standard but not much, the tyre sizes are standard. Inside it has lots of clever storage solutions with tool chests, cigarette lighter type power supplies, twin batteries, Range Rover seats. Also it has tinted glass and a heavy duty roof rack. It has a bigger intercooler than standard and the cat' and EGR valve have been removed. There are a few extra guages and warning lights inside but overall I think thats everything.

How much would an equivalent Portugese reg'd 1994 Discovery cost to tax? Mini pickups are thin on the ground here so I suppose Id be lucky to find another out there. Are there still many Mokes knocking around? How much would they be to tax?


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## canoeman

First thing to get your head around is that when you import and matriculate a car whether you pay ISV or not, is that Road Tax (IUC) *is based on the year of Matriculation* NOT it's year of manufacture or 1st registration.

Your mini should then not be subject to ISV so cheap to import, IUC should also be reasonable as it's a small reasonable emmision engine. You might be able to import it as "historic interest" but as others have found out it can have little impact on IUC.
Mini's a popular collectors car, many clubs across Portugal

Your Discovery though I think you will have problems as it no longer complies with COC or the equivalent for the model especially cat' EGR and I think that it would more than likely fail the checks/MOT carried out because it didn't have required number of windows etc. 

Second thing you also need to get Residence to import, more onerous if your Canadian without EU citizenship


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## jimllshiftit

Ok thanks for the advice. 

May I just point out that I am ex CanaRian not CanaDian. 

I think the annual cost of the IUC alone would mean it would not be worthwhile importing the Disco. Id be better off buying a Portugese one and starting from scratch. 

The mini might come with me if its cheap enough though. Is there a tier system per cc or something? That might affect which engine is fitted to it at the time of Matriculation. It has a 1380cc fitted at the moment.


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## canoeman

mini should be about 145€ IUC and as headlights etc won't require alteration then if you DIY would be transport? MOT and registration 200-300€ at outside certainly cheaper than replacing here, but if you've modified engine to original you might have problems, sorry I read canarian wrong, so getting residence won't be a problem 

IUC and also import simulators on this site Tabela Imposto Único Circulação (IUC) 2012 - Tabela Imposto Único de Circulação - Imposto Sobre Veículos e Imposto Único de Circulação


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## travelling-man

Jim

The good news is there are 2 mini mokes for sale at www.interclassicocom.

The bad news is classic cars are very expensive here in Portugal so one is priced at E6400 and the other at E11500. 

I don't have any connection to the company or the website and hope it's OK for me to post the web address?


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## jimllshiftit

I think the 'pup can come with me and id rather have that than a moke. Its nice to be able to shelter the rain when need be, and be able to lock any valuables up. 

Interesting website though, any idea where I can view Land Rovers in the Classifieds?


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## travelling-man

If you do a Google search on something like used car for sale portugal you should find plenty & from your previous comments, I assume you like well prepared landies, so you should also search for allmakes 4x4 who are UK based but I have no doubt will have a PT agent........ they have some really great products at reasonable prices.


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## siobhanwf

Have just PMd you details on how to change the FLAG from the one you have (Australia)


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## Nigel hippy

If you bring a car across that is not 12 months old and are visiting but then decide to stay. At what point do you pay tax on it?


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## canoeman

Think you might be misunderstanding 12 month

As a NON Resident you can bring a vehicle into Portugal for 183 days in total in any 12 month period.

To matriculate a car as a NEW Resident then you must have owned it and resided in another country for 12 months prior to move.
You must be a Resident here to start matriculation
You must start matriculation within 6 months of date of leaving previous country

If you *haven't owned car/vehicle or been a Resident* elsewhere for the 12 months prior then you *cannot* matriculate *Free* of ISV

Once a Resident you can import any vehicle as a personal import and pay ISV (Tax) you must start matriculation within 20 days of import


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## Nigel hippy

canoeman said:


> Think you might be misunderstanding 12 month
> 
> As a NON Resident you can bring a vehicle into Portugal for 183 days in total in any 12 month period.
> 
> To matriculate a car as a NEW Resident then you must have owned it and resided in another country for 12 months prior to move.
> You must be a Resident here to start matriculation
> You must start matriculation within 6 months of date of leaving previous country
> 
> If you *haven't owned car/vehicle or been a Resident* elsewhere for the 12 months prior then you *cannot* matriculate *Free* of ISV
> 
> Once a Resident you can import any vehicle as a personal import and pay ISV (Tax) you must start matriculation within 20 days of import


thanks Canoeman
When I put 12 months old, I meant owned for 12 months or more.

Thank you once again.


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## carlaperes

jimllshiftit said:


> I know this subject has been done to death but I need some clarification as one of my vehicles may be classed differently.
> 
> The first vehicle is a Spanish registered LR Discovery. Its probably not worth importing but its set up just the way I want it and building another to do the same job might cost as much as the transfer to Portugal.
> 
> The second is a UK registered 70's Mini Pickup.
> 
> Both are LHD and I am not currently resident in Portugal.
> 
> Can I import both vehicles under my name without paying additional tax? Is the pickup classed as a commercial vehicle? What's the cheapest way of getting them both to have Portugese logbooks?


Hello.
You have had great advices here, so let me give you just one more: do it with an agency that handles this sort of imports because the law is tricky and sometimes there are ways to solve problems that only experience can help...your questions seems to be one of those cases. I suggest importmycar where I have worked in the past. They are very experienced.


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## clairerox

Hi I am thinking of purchasing a uk landrover freelander van and trying to import it and pay the tax, will it qualify for van import and road tax being 4 wheel drive?


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## canoeman

No 4 wheel drive is taxable, you'd be charged ISV

This is wording
The cars of merchandise, open box, without box or closed box not having cab integrated into the body, with a gross weight of 3500 kg, *without *four-wheel drive;

Try this simulator
Portal das Finanças


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## clairerox

Hi Thanks for your quick reply. Would the import duty be as bad as a car? I have tried the simulator but can't seem to make it work!


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## canoeman

Believe so, post the information and I'll run it through, any large engine high emmissions is expensive + the IUC road tax is high
Year
New or Used
Date of 1st registration
cc, fuel type, co2 g/km


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## clairerox

Thanks, not bought it yet have been looking for a low mileage freelander over here unfortunately despite lots of trips to Porto and Lisbon all seem to be either very high mileage or been very roughly treated! So came up with the idea of a commercial van freelander from UK. It would be approx May 2004 diesel 1951cc 205g/kg. I have been trying this one in the simulator (Passenger car closed box of goods. Table B) as in the info it states something about four wheel drive. Thanks for all your help.


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## canoeman

Can't get Financas simulator to work either, using another it comes up as a whopping €21,755€ I'll have another look tomorrow


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## canoeman

That's better worked this time, 
Simulador do Cálculo do Imposto Sobre Veículos (2013)

Apresenta-se em baixo o resultado da simulação à data actual.


DADOS DO VEÍCULO

País de Origem União Europeia
Tipo de Veículo Automóvel ligeiro de mercadorias, de caixa aberta, ou sem caixa, com lotação superior a 3 lugares, incluindo o do condutor, que apresentem tracção às quatro rodas, permanente ou adaptável. (Taxa intermédia de 50% do imposto resultante da tabela B)
Estado do Veículo Usado
Data 1ª Matrícula 11/05/2004
Cilindrada 1951 cm3
Tipo de Combustível gasóleo
Partículas >= 0,003 g/km


Fórmula de cálculo do ISV

Imposto Calculado (cm3)	20.017,26€
Parcela a abater (cm3)	10.200,16€
Redução por anos de uso (%)	52.0%
Montante de ISV (cm3)	2.356,10€
Agravamento Particulas - Para veículos a gasóleo	500,00€
Imposto Sobre Veículos (ISV)	2.856,10€

ISV 2,856,10€ + IVA @ 23% if it's a commercial vehicle in UK i.e. VAT free then you might also have an issue there, you need to check properly that simulator is accurate


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## clairerox

Hi, Thanks for all your help, will keep looking in Portugal for a while longer.


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