Driving licenses from OECD and CPLP countries valid in Portugal

28.07.2022

From 1 August 2022, people with driving licences from member states of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will not need to exchange them for a Portuguese licence.

The countries that are covered by this regime are:

  • Angola, Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Chile, United States of America, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Mozambique, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Switzerland and Turkey.

Even if you have a residence permit in Portugal, you do not need to exchange your licence for a Portuguese licence if

  • you are under 60 years of age
  • you have the compulsory minimum age in Portugal to drive the vehicle(s) in the category(ies) of the foreign licence (check the age table for each category)
  • The foreign driving licence is valid
  • no more than 15 years have passed since the issue of the foreign licence or since the last renewal
  • The country that issued the foreign driving licence is part of the traffic conventions (Geneva, 1949 and/or Vienna, 1968) or has a bilateral agreement with Portugal

the foreign driving licence is not seized, suspended, expired or revoked in Portugal or in the country of origin.

This authorisation only applies to driving in Portuguese territory, since you are not exchanging a foreign licence for a Portuguese licence, which allows you to drive in the countries of the European Union, for example.

For more information, consult the IMTonline portal.

Source: Portal of the Institute of Mobility and Transport (IMT)