# okay to tow pt trailer with Irish 4th?



## mcgyverinportugal (Jan 15, 2014)

Hi folks I am moving to Portugal in march and am importing my catering trailer so I understand it will then have its own plates. Does anyone know if I can legally tow the trailer using my Irish registered 4x4?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

*No *you can only tow a Portuguese registered trailer on a Portuguese registered vehicle, but your question also means you don't understand other aspects of vehicle and Residence laws

You can only legally keep your Irish registered 4X4 *and* trailer in Portugal for a max of 183 cumalitive days in any 12 month month period providing you are *not* a Registered Resident

If *you* stay longer than 3 months you should Register your Residence

You must be a Registered Resident to "matriculate" any vehicle or trailer
Not to pay any ISV(car tax) you must start "matriculation" within 6 months of leaving Ireland, no ISV on trailer so 6 months doesn't apply

As a* Registered Resident you cannot* drive any "foreign" registered vehicle whether you own it or not *without special* permission from Customs


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

C/M has it dead right as usual but let me add you don't have to have a separate serial number/trailer registration & number for the trailer if it's under a certain weight which IIRC is around 500 kg.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Which is unlikely with a catering trailer, look at TA022? posts on identical subject, which might also be for sale so you could save yourself the aggro and cost of importing and matriculating your own trailer but still need a Portuguese plated car to tow


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

CM is right about the weight but don't forget that's the unladen weight that's being referred to so although perhaps unlikely to be important, it's not impossible.


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## mcgyverinportugal (Jan 15, 2014)

Aha, Thank you for the info guy's... I am only going to Portugal for less than 6 months and thought I could escape matriculation of the 4x4 but if I need to be a registered resident to matriculate the trailer anyway then that rules that out I guess.. If I become a resident and matriculate both my 4x4 and trailer do I escape paying duty on the 4x4 as I'm coming to Portugal to live? and if so do I only have to pay to get headlights changed around and c.o.c. from the manufacturer or am I way off the mark? (as usual  )


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## mcgyverinportugal (Jan 15, 2014)

Sorry canoeman just to go back over what you said.. If I bring my trailer and 4x4 for up to 6 months am I permitted to use the trailer for business purposes for that period or am I way off? Many thanks..


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

*No you cannot* use either of your vehicles for any sort of "gain" as a visitor + although the vehicles could spend 183 days here you *can't* you must/should register your Residence at 3 months and by 4th month.
If you did then you risk being fined, vehicles impounded or forced matriculation or removed from Portugal, if you earn "money" here you must also pay tax

Yes if you register as a Resident you can "matriculate" 1 vehicle free of tax providing you qualify
Been a Resident of another country for 12 months + and can prove it
Owned vehicle for 12 months + and can prove
plus a few other things


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## mcgyverinportugal (Jan 15, 2014)

Many thanks again canoeman I am looking at TAO22's thread as you suggested and finding lots of valuable info you supplied.. I already own a catering trailer here in Ireland but would be interested to see if Tao22 has sold her trailer yet so I jumped on a thread to ask as I cannot send private messages yet..


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## Centralbound (Aug 16, 2013)

You need a shed load of paperwork to run a mobile food business in Portugal and it's partly regional. Fluent language and the patience of Job required.

I would love to be able to post in an encouraging way one day when someone asks about creating money in the Portuguese economy. It is depressing to read good ideas and immediately know that they will be suffocated.


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## mcgyverinportugal (Jan 15, 2014)

Hi central bound.. I already know how hard it is to get a static or ambulant permit as I have tried and failed on two occasions...  where I want to sell from now is privately owned properties to avoid some but not all of the red tape.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Don't believe you can circumvent rules regulations in that way, you would still be reguired to comply with Food & Hygiene regulations even on private property and if I was the owner of that property I wouldn't allow you to trade if you weren't legal because I would also then be in the firing line


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## mcgyverinportugal (Jan 15, 2014)

Hi canoeman I most certainly would obtain both health and lpg certification and any other document to keep everything above board... that's not what I meant. I'm sorry if I didnt explain myself correctly... I wouldn't dream of doing anything illegal, what I meant was being a private caterer I wouldn't have to go through the process of applying for a static licence to sell in a public area in the local camara which took 3 months before I got an answer last year.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Are you sure, think you would still reguire at least a trading type licence, let alone the tax aspects


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## mcgyverinportugal (Jan 15, 2014)

No canoeman I am never too sure  
I was thinking of opening my business as a sole trader and register for tax etc. I have an agent/friend of a friend who deals with hygiene licencing (vogtry) who will assist me with all relevant licences etc to get me started but my first hurdle is for me to be in Portugal in march with a road legal catering trailer and suitable towing vehicle. I am going to look into how much it would cost to export a 4x4 from Ireland to Portugal although I'm a little scared off by the process... I only purchased the vehicle a few weeks ago so that rules matriculation out. It might be a better option for me to buy or rent a suitable vehicle in Portugal.


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