UNITED KINGDOM · A THIRD COUNTRY SINCE BREXIT
Bringing a car from the UK to Portugal
Since Brexit the United Kingdom is a third country. The process now has two stages and two separate reliefs, and the order between them is not interchangeable.
Why a British car no longer follows the same route
Until the United Kingdom left the European Union, a British car entered Portugal the way a German or French car still does today: with no customs declaration, because it moved inside the single market. That ended. The United Kingdom now sits outside the customs union and the vehicle arrives as goods imported from a third country.
In practice that adds a whole stage before the one most people know about. The UK Government's own guidance for people bringing vehicles to Portugal says it plainly: a Customs Agent, in Portuguese Despachante Aduaneiro, must complete the customs import declaration before the vehicle customs declaration.
The two reliefs, in this order
They are two separate claims, for two separate taxes, at two separate moments. Confusing them is the mistake that costs the most in these cases.
- Customs import declaration. This is where the vehicle legally enters the customs territory of the Union, and where relief from VAT and from customs duty is claimed, under the allowance that applies to the personal property of someone transferring residence.
- Vehicle customs declaration, the DAV. Only then, with the previous stage closed, is the DAV filed and the ISV exemption on transfer of residence requested.
Starting with the DAV leaves the process blocked upstream, because the act that legalises the entry of the goods is missing. It is not a matter of preference or of shortcuts: the second stage depends on the first being complete.
What to deal with while still in the UK
This is the part that cannot be recovered later. Once the house is handed back, the job has ended and the person has left the country, gathering the same evidence becomes far harder.
| Document | What to check |
|---|---|
| Residence certificate | Requested from the Portuguese consulate, with a start date and an end date of residence in the United Kingdom. The end date is the date declared for leaving, which is why the document is dealt with before the move and not after. |
| Evidence in the applicant's own name | Payslips, rent receipts or electricity bills from the months before departure. They have to be in the name of the person claiming the exemption. |
| Evidence of how the car arrived | If the car is driven over, keep the ferry ticket. If it travels by truck, keep the CMR and the transport invoice. Some customs offices ask for them, and without them the case stops. |
| Vehicle title | The British registration document, showing the date the vehicle came into the applicant's name. |
The conditions the law sets
The exemption is not automatic: it is requested, it is assessed by the Portuguese tax and customs authority, and it depends on conditions worth confirming before the car travels.
| Condition | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Previous residence | Having lived abroad for at least the six months preceding the transfer of residence to Portugal. |
| Vehicle ownership | The vehicle has to have been in the applicant's name for at least six months before the transfer of residence. Buying the car on the way to Portugal does not meet this. |
| Deadline | The request has to be filed within twelve months of the transfer of residence. Outside that window the right is lost. |
| After registration | The vehicle cannot be sold, given, rented or lent for twelve months from the allocation of the Portuguese plate. |
| One vehicle per person | The exemption covers a single vehicle per applicant. |
Every case is assessed individually. The decision belongs to the Portuguese tax and customs authority and this page does not anticipate it.
What is handled for you, for 826 €
The package for a vehicle coming from outside the European Union is the one that applies to a British car, because the United Kingdom is a third country. The 596 € package, with the transfer of residence exemption, applies to someone moving from a European Union country.
Included: review of the case and the documents, technical type approval at the IMT, the customs import declaration with the VAT and customs duty relief claims, the DAV with the ISV exemption request, the registration application and the ownership record. Separate: the type B inspection, 93,52 €, paid at the inspection centre, and the number plates, 35 € a pair, if you want them from us.
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How the case moves
- The case is reviewed. Residence, dates, vehicle title and evidence of entry. You are told what is missing before anything is filed.
- Technical type approval. The vehicle's documentation is handled with the IMT.
- The inspection, near you. At an approved category B centre, in whichever district suits you. It is the only step in person.
- The customs import declaration is filed. With the VAT and customs duty relief claims.
- The DAV is filed. With the ISV exemption request on transfer of residence.
- Plate and ownership record. The registration document is delivered to your address, anywhere in the country.
Anywhere in Portugal, with no trip to Lisbon
Documents travel through a secure area, the case is followed in the client area and the registration document is delivered to your address. The only step in person is the inspection, at the centre nearest you. The brand has a shop at Parque das Nações, in Lisbon, and serves the whole country remotely.
Frequently asked questions
Can the ISV exemption be requested before dealing with customs?
No. The customs import declaration comes before the vehicle customs declaration. The VAT and customs duty reliefs are claimed in the first one, which is what brings the vehicle legally into the Union customs territory.
Is the residence certificate requested before or after leaving the UK?
Before. The certificate states a start date and an end date of residence, and the end date is the date the person declares for leaving. That is why it is dealt with at the consulate before the move.
Why is the ferry ticket asked for?
To evidence the vehicle's actual entry and its date. If the car is driven over, the ferry ticket provides that evidence. If it travels by truck, the CMR and the transport invoice do. Simple to keep at the time and hard to obtain months later.
Why does the UK case cost 826 € and not 596 €?
Because the 596 € package covers a transfer of residence from a European Union country, where there is no customs import declaration. The United Kingdom has been a third country since Brexit and the process includes that extra stage, so the 826 € package applies.
The car was bought in the UK shortly before the move. Does the exemption still apply?
The rule requires the vehicle to have been in the applicant's name for at least six months before the transfer of residence. If the purchase is more recent, that condition is not met. Each case is reviewed before anything is filed, and you are told plainly what is found.
Can the car be sold once it has Portuguese plates?
Not during the twelve months following the allocation of the plate. In that period an exempt vehicle cannot be sold, given, rented or lent, or the tax is charged in full.
Official sources
- Importation of motor vehicles into Portugal, UK Government
- Request the vehicle tax exemption when moving to Portugal, gov.pt
- CISV ruling IV 23943, Portuguese tax and customs authority
Content published by Legaliza na Hora, a brand led by a Despachante Aduaneiro, licence no. 0121O8 issued by the Alfândega do Jardim do Tabaco, with a 50.000 € bond. Licence, bond and client protection.
Your next step
If you are still in the UK, start with the residence certificate and the evidence in your own name. If the car is already in Portugal, tell us where the case stands and we will say what is missing.