How do I exchange my foreign driving licence — and how long are IMT queues?

EU/EEA licences are recognised in Portugal: you can drive on yours until it expires, but within 60 days of taking up residence you must tell IMT, and exchanging it for a Portuguese licence is optional (a licence with no expiry date counts as valid for 2 years from the date you take up residence, then must be renewed under Portuguese rules). Licences from other OECD or CPLP countries — for example the UK, Switzerland, Brazil, Angola or Cabo Verde — also let you drive as a resident without an exchange, as long as the issuing country has signed the Geneva or Vienna road-traffic convention or a bilateral agreement with Portugal, the licence was issued or last renewed less than 15 years ago and you are under 60; if you choose to exchange it, no driving test is needed. Other foreign licences issued under those conventions or on reciprocity are valid only for your first 185 days and only while you are not resident: once you take up residence you must exchange them within 90 days. Licences from countries outside the conventions are not valid in Portugal at all — the exchange requires the theory and practical tests. Where a bilateral agreement sets its own terms (gov.pt gives 2 years from taking up residence), those apply; check your country and your case with IMT.

The status "Aguarda Atendimento" simply means you're in the queue for an appointment. Practical tips from people who've been through it: check email and spam for the invitation letter; when writing to IMT, always quote your process number; at some counters the photo appointment doesn't need pre-booking — they issue numbers on the spot.

A medical certificate may be required depending on your case, and if your original licence has expired the guia becomes essential — don't let both lapse at once.

Once you hold a Portuguese licence as a non-EU resident, it is valid only as long as your visa or residence permit: what changed in June 2026 (code 794).