# Car Purchases



## soniamac (Jun 12, 2016)

Hi,

My partner and myself are moving to the Algarve Portugal at the end of July and we have been told that buying a car there is very expensive. Firstly any advice on whether to buy in the UK and import a car or buy there would be a real help ....... Also if it is best to buy when we get there does anyone know of anybody wanting to sell a car or where it is best to go...i've heard some horror stories so am keen to avoid being in any of them!!


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## Jormedawson (Apr 4, 2016)

Hi Soniamac. I havent done it in Portugal but it can be expensive to Import. What with changing headlights to EU spec (ie lef hand drive) and the import taxes then costs can add up. I think there is a 6months "free" period of when you first enter the country when you can register the car for free. Dont quote me on this but a simple google search will confirm this or not. It might be at the point of you registering your recidency here that you get it free.

Cars are way more expensive here than UK. For example a 95 clio can be 2000euros where as in the UK can be 200pounds! best to look on these 2 websites to get a grasp on prices. Dont expect to buy anything for peanuts. Portuguese people dont haggle or lower their prices much. Insurance here is much cheaper than in the UK, but this also applies to age and address much like the UK so it might work out the same for you. Cars are insured on the vehicle and not person like UK so your and your wife can drive under one policy unlike UK which makes it cheaper too. 

www.olx.pt

Standvirtual - O Nº1 em Carros Usados, Carros Baratos

This website post might help with how you import your car.

Frequently Asked Questions | Honest John

Personally speaking, i didn't bother buying or registering a car in PT and know lots that havent either. It depends on your personal circumstances. I drive back to the UK and France a lot so i am legally allowed to do this. However if your not doing this then its probably best buying a car here. 

Hopefully someone with better advice will pop along but in the meantime google is your best friend. Millions of posts on how to tackle it


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## Strontium (Sep 16, 2015)

soniamac said:


> Hi,
> 
> My partner and myself are moving to the Algarve Portugal at the end of July and we have been told that buying a car there is very expensive. Firstly any advice on whether to buy in the UK and import a car or buy there would be a real help ....... Also if it is best to buy when we get there does anyone know of anybody wanting to sell a car or where it is best to go...i've heard some horror stories so am keen to avoid being in any of them!!


Hi and welcome,

If you can be bothered this subject has been covered ad nauseam (as we say in PT) on this forum so a search will reveal everything. but beware...with a PT licence you will not be allowed to drive a UK reg car - some exceptions to this do exist.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

The basic rule in short is that every adult new immigrant can import a foreign registered car tax free if it is imported within 6 months of the immigrant getting his residencia AND if it has been previously registered to that new immigrant for at least 12 months beforehand. 

There are a few other criteria but none of them are particularly difficult to fulfill. 

If you have a foreign registered car here you can only keep it here for a maximum of 6 months before either registering it and paying the costs or removing it from the country for a further 6 months & all the time it's here, it must be taxed, tested & insured in the country it's registered in. 

Rules for driving licences are currently changing and you can now retain your UK or other EU licence but you must register it with the IMTT and the easy way to do that is to have a driving school do it for you....... they just take photocopies of your licence, fiscal document and Residencia then have you sign a couple of forms...... Cost is about €20 and it takes about a week. - Fine for not registering your licence is (I'm told) €60.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Just a slight correction to my last post regarding driving licences...... thay also take a copy of the photo page of your passport as well. 

Desculpe about that.


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