# Car ownership / registration



## Ghal (Feb 24, 2009)

Hi All,
I wonder if I could pick your collective brains about car ownership / registration in Portugal. 
We have a holiday home on the Silver Coast and were thinking of buying a car to leave over there to avoid paying for hire-cars each time we come over. 
We wondered whether there are any "regulations" we need to be aware of e.g. Is a non-resident allowed to own / register a car?
Any complications on insuring the car?

Any other gotchas in the bureaucracy? 

Thanks in advance for you help. 

Gal.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

The only requirement to purchase a car is a Fiscal number, the car would be registered to your Portuguese address, insurance would not be a problem.

It's more about cost, Portuguese cars are expensive, car tax and insurance is reasonable, but you have to take into consideration you still have to get from airport to house and back, how many times a year you visit and modern cars don't take very kindly to being left not being used.

Ever time this subject comes up, the consensus of opinion is it's more cost effective to hire.


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## Ghal (Feb 24, 2009)

Thanks for the info Canoeman. 
The only reason for considering purchase is that we're in PT for 9 weeks each summer and with it being peak holiday period the car hire prices go through the roof. Obviously need to knock up a spreadsheet and calculate properly the fiscals of each option. As you say for a weeks holiday its just as cheap to hire a car as it is to get a taxi to/from the airport, so the only real consideration is the summer period. 
Usually we just bring our car over on the ferry and use it for the 9 weeks, but the lady wife and daughter are getting rebellious about the 24 hr ferry crossing and the 8 hr drive from Santander. So anything for a happy home. 
Are you, or anyone else on the forum, aware of any car hire firms offering discounts for long term hires.

Thanks for your help.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Afraid not, you might do better from a local company, but it's still problem of from & too airport and peak holiday time.
 give them a choice long drive or no holiday!
Maybe someone with real local knowledge of Silver Coast might know a company


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## lowellao (Dec 28, 2011)

Sounds like an expat car cooperative scheme would be in order Wonder if there are any organized expat clubs like condo organizations that do or could facilitate this - as it is a need for us too.


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## grandwazoo (Apr 12, 2011)

Is your advice still true, Canoeman, that non-residents can own Portuguese-registered cars? I ask because I'm a non-resident (obviously) but a frequent visitor, and I've been offered a free car by a friend whose doctor has advised her to give up driving.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

grandwazoo said:


> Is your advice still true, Canoeman, that non-residents can own Portuguese-registered cars? I ask because I'm a non-resident (obviously) but a frequent visitor, and I've been offered a free car by a friend whose doctor has advised her to give up driving.


Very sorry to say that Canoeman passed away some years ago but I understand the advice he gave there is still correct.


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## grandwazoo (Apr 12, 2011)

travelling-man said:


> Very sorry to say that Canoeman passed away some years ago but I understand the advice he gave there is still correct.


Oh. Sorry to hear that.

Thanks for the reply though.


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