# Cars in Portugal



## Rusty84

I am moving to Portugal in September and I understand that a UK car cant be in the country for more than 6 months. It would be easier for me when I move to use my car to drive from the UK and use it for the permitted period of time them take it home again. What I am wondering is, how does the insurance work with it being right hand drive? 
Can you get insurance in Portugal? 
Is it overly dear coz it is right hand drive? 
Are there any time limits on how long you can insure a right hand drive car for?

When it comes to sending my car home I will need to get one over in Portugal for me to use. I hear that they are really dear to buy. 
Is this the case? 
How do the prices compare to back home?
Is there much of a second hand market?
What kind of cost are second hand cars?


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## canoeman

You insure it in the UK, you just need to ask your insurers for a Green Card, different companies impose different restrictions on time out of UK etc.

It must be road legal in UK to be road legal here, insurance, MOT, car tax.

Yes cars are dearer look at Standvirtual - O Nº1 em Carros Usados big secondhand car market.


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## Rusty84

canoeman said:


> You insure it in the UK, you just need to ask your insurers for a Green Card, different companies impose different restrictions on time out of UK etc.
> 
> It must be road legal in UK to be road legal here, insurance, MOT, car tax.
> 
> Yes cars are dearer look at Standvirtual - O Nº1 em Carros Usados big secondhand car market.


That is perfect. Thanks for your help.


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## robc

You can get Insurance from most UK brokers which will give you unlimited cover in European countries, depending on age it may also be worth trying Saga.

Reference prices, my research led me to the conclusion that for a permanent solution it would be cheaper (although not necessarily easier) to buy LHD cars in UK and then matriculate them.

HTH

Rob


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## Rusty84

robc said:


> You can get Insurance from most UK brokers which will give you unlimited cover in European countries, depending on age it may also be worth trying Saga.
> 
> *Reference prices, my research led me to the conclusion that for a permanent solution it would be cheaper (although not necessarily easier) to buy LHD cars in UK and then matriculate them.*
> 
> Is this a difficult process? and would you just insure it with a Portuguese insurer when you moved it over?
> 
> HTH
> 
> What does this mean??
> 
> Rob


Thanks for the reply.


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## silvers

HTH = Hope this helps.
If you do buy a car here, don't expect to ever get your money back. The Portuguese all buy on credit and so to re-sell a second hand car that you bought for say, €15,000, you won't get anywhere near that on trade in. So buy cheap and run it into the ground.


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## Rusty84

silvers said:


> HTH = Hope this helps.
> If you do buy a car here, don't expect to ever get your money back. The Portuguese all buy on credit and so to re-sell a second hand car that you bought for say, €15,000, you won't get anywhere near that on trade in. So buy cheap and run it into the ground.


I just checked the website the other guy sent me a link to and it is so expensive. I bought my car brank new in the UK for £28k and the closest I can find on that website is a 3 year old one that is €46k :eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2:


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## notlongnow

Yes, the price of cars here is horrific.....however, if you were to ask my mother in law, who is now 9 months into a matriculation debacle which has involved her having to fly to the UK and Ireland for paperwork and visit the IMTT a ludicrous number of times, she would probably be inclined to advise you to just buy one here!


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## robc

Rusty84 said:


> I just checked the website the other guy sent me a link to and it is so expensive. I bought my car brank new in the UK for £28k and the closest I can find on that website is a 3 year old one that is €46k :eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2:


I have just bought 2 cars, both LHD, both UK sourced and I have saved myself an absolute fortune. 

If I have to fly round the world twice to get them matriculated then I would consider it still to be value for money. 

Rob


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## canoeman

You must own cars and lived in UK for 12 months prior to importing them to Portugal if you don't want to pay ISV.
2 cars 2 owners

Paying ISV can be expensive depending on age, cc, emissions, plus car is road taxed as a new car not it's age.


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## siobhanwf

Have a look at the details on the Embassy site ...

http://ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-portugal/cars

Permanent Importation of Motor Vehicles 
If you are transferring your residence to Portugal from another EU member state or from a third country, you may be able to import your motor vehicle tax-free, provided

• You are over 18;

• You have been resident in the country from where you are transferring for a minimum period of 12 months, consecutive or otherwise;

• You have held a valid driver’s licence in that country for a minimum of 12 months;

• You are transferring your normal place of residence to Portugal;

• Your vehicle was purchased fully-tax paid in the country of your former residence;

• You owned the vehicle in the country of your former residence for at least 12 months prior to transferring your residence to Portugal, from the date of issue of the vehicle registration document, or from the date on which the leasing contract was signed, as appropriate.

Importation Procedures
In order to import a vehicle, you should submit an application within six months of the date on which you transfer your residence to Portugal. The application should be made to your nearest Customs office.

The application should be submitted, together with:

a customs declaration relating to the vehicle
the vehicle’s registration certificate/logbook, as proof of ownership
your driver’s licence, valid for at least 12 months prior to the date on which you transferred your residence to Portugal
official residence certificate, issued by the competent authorities in the country of your former residence. If it is not possible to obtain this in your country of former residence, a certificate from the consulate is also acceptable. This will be issued once you have taken a statutory declaration and on presentation of your passport, tax-payer’s ID card, your residence certificate and vehicle registration document
documentary evidence of residence in the country from which you are transferring , such as rent receipts, utility bills, salary slips, proof of pension payments or national insurance contributions.
The Customs authority may request official translations of all documentary evidence.

A motor vehicle that has been imported in this way may not be sold, loaned, pledged or hired for a period of 12 months following the date on which the Portuguese registration number is attributed. In addition, in order to maintain eligibility for tax-free importation, you must continue to reside in Portugal for a minimum period of 12 months. Only one vehicle may be imported tax-free per person once every ten years.

If your application for tax-free importation is turned down, you will be notified by the Customs authority and have to declare to them, within a period of 30 days, what you intend to do with the vehicle. If you fail to do this, they will consider that the vehicle has been brought into Portugal illegally.


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## robc

canoeman said:


> You must own cars and lived in UK for 12 months prior to importing them to Portugal if you don't want to pay ISV.
> 2 cars 2 owners
> 
> Paying ISV can be expensive depending on age, cc, emissions, plus car is road taxed as a new car not it's age.


Which is why we are delaying our relocation to Portugal to ensure that the cars meet the criteria.
2 cars...... 1 registered and invoiced to me, in my name and the other in my wife's name.
I agree about the ISV but compared to the savings to be made on the vehicle then it is not really very much at all.

Rob


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## siobhanwf

You also need to be aware that you will not be able to sell a personal imporrt car for 5 years after matriculation in Portugal


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## siobhanwf

I have downloaded this information from the AFPOP website 

The easiest way of acquiring a vehicle with valid Portuguese registration documents is to purchase a new vehicle from an authorised agent in Portugal who will register the vehicle for you. This has the added advantage of having agents close by to provide service, guarantees, and spare parts. However, importation is an option and there can be tax advantages for new residents from within the EU who import a vehicle they have owned for more than 12 months.
You cannot have a foreign licenced vehicle in Portugal for over 6 months in a year, after that time you need to legalize the vehicle by importing it.
In order to do the car Importation you should follow these steps: Firstly, to use the vehicle legally whilst the importation process is underway, the owner should apply at the Customs for a long-term permit Guia de Circulação. In the same place the owner will, when applicable, apply for exemption or determination of vehicle tax. The vehicle will then be registered with IMTT and the Documento Único (Car Document) will then be posted to you. 
Individuals who are moving to Portugal and who have resided in another EU state, for at least 12 months prior to their arrival in Portugal, and who can provide proof of this (utility bills), may be eligible for exemption from ISV. Severely disabled people may also be eligible whether they are moving to Portugal or already living here.
For new residents in Portugal who come from an EU member state country, the vehicle must have been bought in the country of their previous residence, not have been exempted from any tax, and have been owned for at least 12 months before transfer of residence, when transferring the residence, you must cancel the residence in your country of origin immediately. Exemption must be requested within six months of transfer of residence, providing that you did not have any income from in Portugal until then. This can be done at one of seven Customs offices (Lisbon, Matosinhos, Aveiro, Setúbal, Faro, Funchal and Ponta Delgada). 
After presentation of the documentation to the Customs, they provide a receipt that permits the vehicle to be driven in Portugal for the period indicated on the receipt. This period is renewable until the importation process is complete, which can be up to one year. Exemption from vehicle tax can only be claimed once in any ten years.
Portuguese vehicle registration (Matricula)
The Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes Terrestres (IMTT) is the government department responsible for registering vehicles and vehicle ownership and for issuing registration numbers. 
Portuguese number plates can only be issued for a vehicle previously registered in another country when its technical specifications meet Portuguese and/or European Union standards. The process of assessing whether a model meets these standards is known as homologação. 

If the model has not been approved for use in Portugal but the vehicle was registered in another EU country, then the original or a notarised copy of the manufacturer's certificate from that country is required. The vehicle will also need a technical inspection at a registered test centre. For motorbikes this includes a noise level test. The approval of models not previously registered in the EU is much more complicated.
After submitting the documentation an inspection to the vehicle needs to be done to confirm the vehicle's chassis and motor numbers, the number of passengers, and that lights, reflectors and safety equipment meet Portuguese standards, this inspection is done only in Inspection Centres classed as “Centro de Inspecção Classe B) In the Algarve you can find one in Lagos, Portimão and Loulé. Following successful inspection, the IMTT will issue the vehicle registration document (Documento Unico), see Bulletin P/10/E Car Documents.
Agents
A number of organisations will undertake the registration of vehicles; these include the Portuguese car owners association (Automóvel Clube de Portugal, ACP), customs agents (Despachante Oficial), and other agencies providing services for expatriates. For a new resident, the use of one of these agents may simplify the process. The Yellow Pages gives a list of agents under "Agências de Documentação" or “Despachante Oficial” and some are also available from the AFPOP Advantage Directory.


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## siobhanwf

I amy be wrong, maybe canoeman can verify but I think as a couple you can only bring in ONE car as a personal import


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## robc

siobhanwf said:


> I amy be wrong, maybe canoeman can verify but I think as a couple you can only bring in ONE car as a personal import


Hi Siobhan, I too was concerned about this so I checked with our Lisbon based Multinational Accountants who are arranging all the processes with regard to our relocation to Portugal, that is Tax Returns, Non Habitual Residency, Matriculation etc etc, they checked with the Lisbon Customs who have confirmed that it is one car per person, apparently this prevents discrimination against married/co-habiting couples.

I sense that yet again it may be a case of different interpretations for different areas.
Likewise with so many things these days I think.

Rob


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## canoeman

Yes it's one car per person, but and there's always a but, each person has to prove residency in UK so if utilities bills or whatever is being used to prove that residency then they need to be in separate names not joint and car ownership needs to be very clearly separate names, as does declarations from UK Embassy.


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## robc

canoeman said:


> Yes it's one car per person, but and there's always a but, each person has to prove residency in UK so if utilities bills or whatever is being used to prove that residency then they need to be in separate names not joint and car ownership needs to be very clearly separate names, as does declarations from UK Embassy.


I am with you on that one Canoeman, this is why we will be utilising the certificate granted to us under the Non Habitual Residency as part of the evidence for the 12+ months outside of Portugal.

One per Tax Payer in one name only, showing 5 + current years of tax payments in a foreign country, granted by the PT Tax Authorities should help.
Currently changing utilities about to add further weight.

Rob


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## canoeman

Non Habitual Residency whats this one? the certificate Customs will accept is from UK Embassy or Consulate, 

Issuing a certificate for the importation of a car €148

Your asking for problems supplying things there unfamiliar with or not on the list.


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## robc

canoeman said:


> Non Habitual Residency whats this one? the certificate Customs will accept is from UK Embassy or Consulate,
> 
> Issuing a certificate for the importation of a car €148
> 
> Your asking for problems supplying things there unfamiliar with or not on the list.


I will use it as a fall back, only to be used in the event that they require further proof.
+Non habitual Residency certificate........AFAIAW are only currently in Lisbon. 

Rob


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## canoeman

sorry you've lost me who or what is AFAIAW


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## silvers

as far as i am aware


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## canoeman

silvers said:


> as far as i am aware


Ah simples!

Just this Non Habitual Residency Certificate doesn't sound right, as you have to be a Registered Resident to import free of ISV or import and pay ISV or is this another name for Embassy Certificate stating when you left UK?


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