Portugal Now Recognises Several Foreign-Issued Driving Licenses
In line with the new rules that started applying on August 1, persons who hold a driving licence issued by the Member States of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are now able to drive in Portugal without having to change their driving licence for a Portuguese one, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
The measure covers the following countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Sao Tome e Principe, Guinea Bissau, and Mozambique, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the US, Switzerland, and Iceland.
The Portugal News explains that citizens of all the countries mentioned above can drive in Portugal with their original driving licence even if they hold a Portuguese residence permit.
Despite introducing new rules on the recognition of foreign driving licences, the Portuguese authorities have emphasised that certain exceptions apply.
According to Portugal’s Institute of Mobility and Transport, the holder of the foreign driving licence must not be over 60 in order to be able to drive with the original document in Portugal.
In addition, the same explains that the new rules apply only if the driver received or renewed the foreign driving licence more than 15 years ago. This means that new drivers, as well as those with less than 15-year driving experience, will not be able to use their documents while in Portugal.
The Institute further highlights that it is also necessary that the issuing country of the foreign driving licence is part of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic or Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or has signed a bilateral agreement on the recognition of driving licences with Portugal.
Apart from the above-mentioned, the authorities point out that the authorisation to drive with a foreign driving licence issued by one of the countries mentioned above applies only within the territory of Portugal.
Citizens of countries that have a bilateral agreement with Portugal had time until August 1 to change their driving licence for an equivalent document issued in Portugal. In order to be able to obtain a Portuguese driving licence, they had to pay €30.
Citizens of countries that are not part of the international conventions, as well as those from countries without a bilateral agreement with Portugal, must change their driving licence immediately in order to be able to drive in Portugal.
