How to legalize an imported car in Portugal, step by step

Before the car arrives

Gather what you will need in the country of origin: the complete registration certificate (in several countries it comes in two parts, and you need both), the invoice or bill of sale, the Certificate of Conformity (COC) and the transport document (CMR) or the insurance the car travels with. Without the complete registration certificate, the process cannot move forward.

The steps, in order

1. Vehicle Customs Declaration (DAV). Once the car enters Portugal, the DAV must be filed with the Tax Authority within 20 business days. This is where the ISV is assessed. With the DAV, the car can be driven for 60 consecutive days — and the license plate application must be made within those 60 days.
2. Type approval at the IMT: the model's European type approval is converted into a national type approval, based on the COC. If the vehicle has no national type approval, the IMT fee rises from €45 to €165.
3. Form 9 (Modelo 9) and the inspection for license plate assignment, at an inspection center.
4. Payment of the ISV, assessed by the Tax Authority in the DAV. You can estimate it beforehand with the ISV calculator.
5. Assignment of the Portuguese license plate number by the IMT and payment of the registration fees.
6. First ownership registration at the Vehicle Registry Office (€65, optional in our service) and issue of the Single Vehicle Document (DUA).
7. License plates, at €12.50 each — the last step.
8. Insurance: the car must be insured from the moment it is driven on foreign plates; once it has Portuguese plates, the permanent policy is taken out. See our car insurance.

How long it takes

With ComfyLand, the DAV is issued within one to two days of receiving your documents, and the whole process, until it is completed at the IMT, takes about three weeks. You can follow each stage on the case status page. The timelines are explained in the guide to legalization timelines.

What ComfyLand does for you

We handle all the paperwork with the IMT and the Tax Authority, book the appointments and follow the case until you get Portuguese plates — for €159.90, VAT included. All you need to do is send the documents and be available for the inspection. See our imported car legalization service and the list of required documents.

Read next

• Documents you need to legalize an imported car
• What it costs to legalize an imported car: fixed costs and ISV examples
• ISV on cars imported from the EU and from outside the EU: what changes

All guides