Can you drive on foreign plates in Portugal?
Updated 25 October 2026 · Legaliza na Hora
It depends on where you have your normal residence, not on your nationality or on where the car is registered. Someone who is not resident in Portugal may generally drive a foreign-plated car here temporarily, under the temporary admission rules. Someone who is resident in Portugal cannot use a foreign-plated car permanently: the car has to be registered. A car brought in to stay has to have the DAV presented within 20 working days of entering the country, under the general rules. Outside those rules there is a risk of a fine, of the tax being assessed anyway and, depending on the case, of the vehicle being seized.
Three situations, three sets of rules
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| Not resident in Portugal, visiting or passing through | Generally may drive on the original plates, under the temporary admission rules and within the legal limits |
| Resident in Portugal with a foreign-plated car | The car has to be registered. It cannot be used indefinitely on foreign plates |
| Car bought abroad and brought in to stay | DAV within 20 working days of entry, with the registration process under way |
The question that settles everything is: where is your normal residence? Not your nationality, and not the country on the plate. A Portuguese person living in Switzerland who comes on holiday is in one situation. A British person who already lives in Lisbon is in another.
Non-residents
Someone whose normal residence is in another country may bring their car into Portugal and drive it for a limited period without paying ISV. That is the temporary admission regime. The car has to be registered in the country of origin with valid insurance, and it cannot be sold, rented or lent to a person resident in Portugal. The time limit and the conditions are set in law. If the stay becomes a move, the regime stops applying, and the clock on registering the car starts.
Residents
If your normal residence is in Portugal and you drive a foreign-plated car that is yours or is permanently at your disposal, you are as a rule in an irregular position. The law provides for some exceptions, for instance in certain cases of company cars or of workers who move between countries, and those cases turn on specific conditions and evidence. Do not assume you fall inside an exception because someone told you they did.
A car brought in to stay
Once a car enters Portugal to remain here, the DAV is due within 20 working days under the general rules. The ISV payment deadline is separate: 10 working days from the notification of the assessment. Keep the transport document, the CMR if the car came by truck or the bill of lading if it came by sea, because it proves the date of entry that the 20 working days run from. If you drove the car in yourself, keep the evidence of the journey.
Having a registration process under way is not, in itself, a permission to keep driving indefinitely. Check what your own case allows before you use the car.
What you are risking
- A fine.
- The tax being assessed and charged anyway.
- Depending on the case, the vehicle being seized.
These are not consequences we impose or can waive. They follow from the customs and tax rules, and they are the reason the 20 working day deadline matters more than most people assume.
While you wait for the registration certificate
Once the Portuguese number is issued we send you the DAV showing it. If you ordered the optional plates at €35, fit them, remove the foreign ones, keep the DAV in the car and update your insurance to the Portuguese number. The registration certificate, the DUA or livrete, is issued later and posted to the owner’s address. Waiting for it does not authorise unlimited use of the car: confirm the documents and the period that apply to your case. See Portuguese number plates and registration numbers.
The fastest way out of the grey area
Register the car. For an EU car with a certificate of conformity our service costs €329.50 including VAT, with the DAV, the applicable IMT fee, ownership registration and the certificate posted to you. For a car from outside the EU it is €826 including VAT with customs clearance. If you are moving your residence here and the car is already yours, the service with an exemption application is €596 including VAT. ISV, the €93.52 inspection and transport are separate in every case. Everything except the inspection is handled remotely, anywhere in the country.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tourist drive a foreign-plated car in Portugal?
Generally yes, under the temporary admission rules, for a limited period, with the car registered and insured in its country of origin and not sold, rented or lent to a Portuguese resident.
I live in Portugal. Can I keep my foreign plates?
Not permanently. A resident using a foreign-plated car that is theirs or permanently at their disposal is as a rule in an irregular position. The law allows some narrow exceptions with specific conditions.
How long do I have after bringing the car in?
Under the general rules the DAV must be presented within 20 working days of the car entering Portugal. The ISV is then due within 10 working days of the notification of the assessment.
Can I drive while the registration is in progress?
Do not assume so. A pending registration is not a permission to drive indefinitely. Check the documents and the period that apply to your own case before using the car.
What happens if I am stopped?
Depending on the case, a fine, assessment of the tax, and possibly seizure of the vehicle. These follow from the customs and tax rules.
Does my nationality matter?
No. What matters is where you have your normal residence and whether the car is permanently at your disposal in Portugal.
Official sources: Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira. This page explains the general rules. It is not legal advice on your individual case, and the authorities decide how the rules apply to it.
Car in Portugal on foreign plates?
Tell us when it arrived and where your residence is. We will set out the deadline that applies, what it costs and what happens next.