Exchange of driving license in Portugal

If you have a driver's license (hereinafter DL) from EU countries or the USA, you can stop reading here; such licenses can be used without exchange. However, for others, after obtaining residency status, you have 90 days to initiate the DL exchange. And 2 years for a complete exchange. This means that within 90 days you must submit the documents for the exchange and obtain a temporary certificate that can be shown to the police. If after 90 days you have neither the certificate nor a Portuguese DL, you may be fined 250 euros by the first police patrol you encounter. If you do not apply for the DL exchange within 2 years, you will no longer be able to exchange it; you will have to take the driving exam in Portugal again, which means attending a driving school.

There are some exceptions: for Ukrainians under temporary protection, it is possible not to exchange the Ukrainian DL as long as the protection is valid (until March 2027).

Instructions for exchanging a driver's license.

1. Obtain a Portuguese residence permit (VNH). Until you have a VNH, you don't need to worry about the exchange. After obtaining the VNH, you have 90 days to submit the documents. As soon as you receive the VNH, you need to register at a local health center and get a medical number — Utente. It is advisable to have a Portuguese bank account (or use a friend's) to pay for the service fees.
2. Obtain a certificate from your consulate stating that your current DL is valid. The consulate is familiar with this certificate and can issue it directly in Portuguese, but this takes about a month—sometimes faster, sometimes longer.
   For Ukrainians: To obtain the certificate, you should book an appointment at the Embassy of Ukraine, write an application (can be filled in advance by downloading the form on the website of the Embassy of Ukraine in Portugal), attach a copy of your Ukrainian DL and international passport,  in the application write your current phone number in Portugal. When submitting the request, you will need to pay 28 euros by card and wait for your certificate to be ready. Submission and issuance are handled at window 1 in the embassy. Booking is required, but there is often a walk-in queue. They might not accept you without an appointment.
   For Ukrainians under temporary protection who want to exchange their driver's license, this certificate is not required (this should be verified, as this rule may change at any time). Other Ukrainians must go to the Embassy of Ukraine in Portugal (in Lisbon or Porto). As it is known, obtaining consular services at the Ukrainian embassy for men is not always possible these days. There is another option. Any translation bureau in Ukraine can request such a certificate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, translate it, and get an apostille. This is slightly more expensive, takes about the same time, plus delivery. IMT (the Portuguese service center for drivers) accepts this certificate without any issues. I submitted a certificate that was almost a year old from the date of issuance.
3. Obtain a medical examination certificate. A medical number (Utente) is mandatory. It can be obtained online for 25 euros, for example, here: @spravka_vu (Telegram).
4. Prepare scans of the following documents:
1. Driver's License (DL)
2. Residence Permit (VNH)
3. Consular Certificate
4. Medical Certificate
5. Proof of address from Finanças. Certidão de domicílio fiscal emitida através do Portal das Finanças
5. Then create an online application for the license exchange. Go here — https://aminhacartadeconducao.imt-ip.pt/pedidos. Select "Troca de título de condução estrangeiro." Fill out the online form. It is generally self-explanatory. Attach the requested documents. The medical certificate is not requested—this is normal. Pay the fee; payment will only go through after a few hours. Your application will then be created. After that, just wait for a response. This can take about a month on average. You will receive an email or you can check messages in the IMT portal.
6. Later, you will receive an email stating that your documents have been approved and you need to book an appointment via siga at IMT for the nearest dates (within 30 days) to submit documents offline. It is important to choose the "right" IMT branch. In some branches, it can take six months to process the license, in others a week. If you live in Lisbon or the surrounding area, I recommend the branch in the city of Santarem. They process documents within 15 minutes, and a week later your new DL will arrive by mail.
7. On the chosen date, you must appear at your selected branch. It's better not to arrive early. In the electronic queue, there might be numbers higher than yours because you arrived before your time. You will be seen anyway; just wait for your number on the screen. Bring all documents from point 4 and your passport just in case. On-site, they will take your photo, take your DL and consular certificate, and issue you a temporary certificate. With this certificate, you can drive until you receive your Portuguese DL by mail.
8. The license might simply be left in an envelope in your mailbox, or the mailman will deliver it. As mentioned above, the timeframe depends on the IMT branch. From one week to 6 or even 8 months.

That’s all; overall, it’s not complicated. You don’t need an assistant or a translator; you’ll figure it out on the spot.