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[Sticky] Assistance with vehicle importation, driving licences, vehicle insurance, etc. etc. etc.

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Gerry

Admin

Topic starter

Dec 22, 2020 11:18 am

(@gerry)

Reputable Member

Joined: 1 year ago

We are delighted to announce our association with Automóvel Clube de Portugal - ACP.

ACP provide a complete range of services for vehicle owners in Portugal. These include:

Vehicle importation and matriculation
Driving licence renewal and/or exchange
Vehicle insurance
Roadside breakdown assistance and repair insurance
Classic car club
Legal advice on traffic law, traffic offences and motorist’s rights

They also have a number of other great benefits (including healthcare plans and discount schemes) all within ACP membership.

The membership fees are inexpensive and there are discounts available for the first year fees through our site. For more information, please click on this link:

EXPATSPORTUGAL.COM "https://expatsportugal.com/business-directory/acp-automovel-clube-de-portugal/"

ACP Automóvel Clube de Portugal | Expats Portugal

Medical assistance and health plans; Roadside assistance; Driving licence renewal and other vehicle documents support; Vehicles (buy and sell, renting new maintenance... just some of the reasons to join the Automobile Club of Portugal.

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Bayard

Premium Member

Apr 03, 2021 2:23 pm

(@bayard)

Active Member

Joined: 9 months ago

Hi Gerry, I hope you will be able to give me some basic advice that will help my wife and I as regards bringing a car along with us when we move to Portugal later this year or to buy locally in Portugal.

My wife is a EU Member, (Irish Citizen). I'm American. We have lived in the UK for the last three years, but before that we lived in India for 10 years.

We would like to buy a car here in the UK, then after six months bring it to Portugal and do so without having to pay steep importation tax. We are not sure how Brexit affects that tax free . Do we have to buy it and live for six months in a EU country to avoid the heavy tax?

We als owant to set up a residence in Portugal then bring in our Household goods which have been kept in storage in India as our plan for being in the UK was for one year, but stretched to three. Our concern is, will we be allowed to brining in our HHG import duty free from India. It's not our last place of residence, that's the UK. We are not Indian nor British, will that have an effect on bringing in our goods?

Sorry to be so long winded. Perhaps I'm making a mountain out of a molehill.

Thanks very much,

Lloyd and Vanessa

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Gerry

Admin

(@gerry)

Joined: 1 year ago

Reputable Member

Posts: 483

Apr 04, 2021 1:11 pm

Reply to

Bayard

@bayard

Hello Lloyd & Vanessa.

I hesitate to give specific advice because we are not 'experts' in these fields. However regarding the car, I agree with the comments from Old Bloke. What I question is do you really want to have a RHD car in Portugal. Apart from the obvious difficulties from driving on the right, the car will have less value here when you come to sell it. The price differential on second hand cars in Portugal versus UK is not so great. For example, I just found a 2013 Ford Fiesta Ecoboost Titanium with 26,000 kms for sale for Euros 8,900. Found identical car for sale in UK with 14,000 miles for sale for GBP 7,000. So the difference is around 600-700 Euros. I have no idea what your budget is or what type of car you want but I would suggest that it could be worthwhile to buy here in Portugal, avoid the matriculation issues and taxes and the problem with driving and selling a RHD vehicle. Of course if you want to speak with the true experts, we recommend ACP.

Regarding the HHG question. I don't think you will have any problem provided you meet the standards to declare these items as HHG and that you can prove they are personal effects and the storage history in India. However I suggest you get an expert view by talking to the shipping agent you intend to use and ensuring that their partner in Portugal is fully knowledgeable on this subject. If the shipping agent in India does not have a partner in Portugal that can handle the Customs clearance, let me know and I will connect you with someone that can help.

ITexpert7

Premium Member

(@itexpert7)

Joined: 7 months ago

Trusted Member

Posts: 78

Apr 08, 2021 6:41 pm

Reply to

Bayard

@bayard
Hi, the import taxes are not high if you buy the right car.
I just this week imported an almost new car from Germany, BMW with 292 hp and only paid 1013 euros import tax. I got the Portuguese plates today.
Here's the import tax calculator website, I've been experimenting with that since last year:

IMPOSTOSOBREVEICULOS.INFO "https://impostosobreveiculos.info/isv/simulador-isv/"

Simulador ISV 2021

jeannemarie

Community Member

(@jeanne)

Joined: 6 months ago

Trusted Member

Posts: 89

Apr 08, 2021 6:50 pm

Reply to

ITexpert7

@itexpert7 thanks for sharing the tax calculator. What year is the BMW and how long did you own it before importing? Thx

Bayard

Premium Member

(@bayard)

Joined: 9 months ago

Active Member

Posts: 11

Apr 09, 2021 9:55 pm

Reply to

ITexpert7

@itexpert7

thanks very much

Posts: 1754

old-bloke

VIP Member

Apr 03, 2021 4:18 pm

(@old-bloke)

Noble Member

Joined: 12 years ago

Brexit doesn't affect the ISV free import of a car, it's open to any new resident no matter from where in the world they're coming from provided they meet the other criteria.

Artigo 58.º

Transferência de residência

1 - Estão isentos de imposto os veículos da propriedade de pessoas, maiores de 18 anos, que transfiram a sua residência de um Estado-Membro da União Europeia ou de país terceiro para território nacional, desde que estejam reunidas as condições estabelecidas nos artigos 59.º e 60.º

Posts: 7

800

Community Member

Apr 09, 2021 3:40 pm

(@800)

Active Member

Joined: 2 weeks ago

"You will also need a signed letter of your driving record from your US state’s DMV. Most states will allow you to apply for it on-line, but they will only mail it to a US address. The ones which you can download and print are not acceptable by the Portuguese authorities. Take both of these letters and your residency card with your US driver’s license to the local Portuguese IMT office. You will need to surrender your US driver’s license."

wonder is this true while exchange foreign driver license to PT's ? , thanks.

" You will need to surrender your US driver’s license."?????

1 Reply

old-bloke

VIP Member

(@old-bloke)

Joined: 12 years ago

Noble Member

Posts: 1754

Apr 09, 2021 7:16 pm

Reply to

800

Posted by: @800

wonder is this true while exchange foreign driver license to PT's ? , thanks.

" You will need to surrender your US driver’s license."?????

Yes.

Posts: 7

800

Community Member

Apr 10, 2021 1:24 am

(@800)

Active Member

Joined: 2 weeks ago

wonder is this true while exchange foreign driver license to PT's ? , thanks.

" You will need to surrender your US driver’s license."?????

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