Hello all. We are in the process of gathering the rest of the documents necessary for applying for a D7 Visa (we will be retired) and hope to submit that within the next couple of weeks. We are Americans living in Germany and will be submitting through the Portuguese Embassy here. My question involves the availability and cost of buying a second-hand (used) car there. We currently have two vehicles, a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox (American SUV) that we will get rid of here before we move, and a 2003 Toyota Yarus (European specifications purchased here). We are considering bringing the Yarus with us, either driving it there (COVID rules permitting and if my mechanic thinks it is in good enough shape to make that journey) or shipping it. I have owned the car for over two years, so import taxes will not apply. We are wondering about instead purchasing a decent, but inexpensive second-hand care there. I have read that cars are more expensive there than they would be elsewhere in the EU. What I am wondering is what is the likelihood that we would be able to find and purchase a reliable used car there for around 2500€ from a dealer. We plan to initially find a place near Setubal and then explore from that location to decide on a more permanent location. Any thoughts or ideas are warmly welcome. Thank you all!
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This will give you an idea of what's available in the €2000 - €3000 price range in Portugal.
@old-bloke Thank you. I took a quick browse on that site already and saw quite a wide range of vehicles in that range. Is it advisable to purchase through a dealer rather than an individual?
Unfortunately that's not something I can answer, there are pros and cons to both.
@bdgfn my friends and family here suggested buying from a car stand when I first moved here. Their reason was because you get an additional 2 year guarantee on the car. For me it really paid off as only a month after I bought the car it needed a repair which cost almost 2,000€ and I didn't pay anything for it. But I did regret buying the car so far from where I was living. The back and forth at the time was inconvienient, it was just over an hour away.
I drove it until it needed the same expensive repair 100,000 km later. Turns out it was worth the same as the repair so I broke down and got a semi-novo car, basically a super low km service car. It was only 4 months old. And this time I got it from a place 15 km from my home. They also dealt with the all the paperwork and transferring of ownership, basically all buereaucratic stuff I want nothing to do with! For me buying private is not something I would personally do unless it was from someone I knew and trusted.
@tartntiny TaniaC, thank you for your response. I truly appreciate that. And it confirmed some things I had read elsewhere as well.
Hi @bdgfn
I think the advice to use a dealer in your local area is really sound. Get the right dealer and they will look after you. The standvirtual site allows you to filter your search by area. Also, worth knowing that if you buy a car from an individual, you risk inheriting any outstanding debt on the vehicle. Much better to use a dealer in my view 😊
I take it I'll need a Portuguese address when purchasing a car so I can get Portuguese insurance and register the car?
Will I need my residency before purchasing?
You will need your NIF before purchasing a car. Residency is not required. The cost of importing a car....even one purchased in another EU country is very, very high. However, there are used car dealers on every block much like Starbucks in the US. We were able to find a very good used car that still had 3 years on the original 5-year factory warranty. These cars are inspected every year and must meet stringent specifications. Cars cost a lot at the time of purchase because of the TAXES. The insurance is remarkably low here for a country whose drivers all think they are Mario Andretti. Read my article on this site about Americans driving in Portugal. It won't be nearly as bad a transition for you because you are coming from Germany where you will have mastered roundabouts.
@peggyl Thanks. We already have our NIFs and opened a bank account. It turns out that we will be postponing our move for another year. I was told I was being laid off in mid-January due to funding, but the funding for the next year was restored, so we will purchase a second-hand car here in Germany this summer so that I will have owned it for at least six months when we make the move.
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