Car Import/ registration Portugal 🇵🇹

Tax and legal
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1

Hi

I am moving to Lisbon Portugal in April and I am wondering about car import taxes
I’m living in Spain and have a 2007 BMW X3 2.0D
I’ve seen the prices for used cars in Portugal it’s unbelievable

But I’ve heard car registration is pricey as well. Has anyone been through the process ?

2

I don’t know the answer to your question, but the consensus from expats is that you do NOT want to bring a car into Portugal from outside the EU due to high tariffs and you are much better off buying in Portugal.

You mentioned that you live in Spain now. Fortunately for you, Portugal is in the process of changing their laws to make importing cars from EU less onerous due to pressure from Brussels. You may want to hang on a bit until this new law is settled.

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3

Appreciate your help thank you . Here in Spain I can import a EU car and have it registered on Spanish plates for about €700-1000 depending on make and model
I wouldnt mind paying soemthing like that or a service that offers it. There are lot of small companies here that will do it all for you

4

You should look at coming in under the NHR program. No import duties on anything, but you become a tax paying citizen… except that the Portuguese taxes get credited back ( waved) if you are paying in another country, for 10 years. NHR= Non Habitual Resident. Also means you won’t have to worry about staying less than 183 days, either.

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5

Thank you for your help. I have applied for my NIF number and will be signing up for the NRH once I arrive and have my long term rental

6

Yes you will. NHR is a tax status regulated by Finanças. The amount of time time you must be in country during the valid period of a residence permit is regulated and enforced by SEF. That amount of time is the same for those with and without NHR status.

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We will be moving to Portugal permanently. This will be our new full time location under the NHR scheme

8

Hi,

I read that we can import cars duty free to Portugal. We are planning to move to Sao Miguel. I’ve heard that you shouldn’t import cars, but why not if it’s duty free. What kind of taxes do you have to pay once you bring the vehicles there? Registration? Excise tax? Etc. What costs are associated with owning a car in Portugal? Also, does it make a difference if it’s an EV. Some countries like Norway have lots of incentives for owning EVs.

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You can estimate both your ISV (if not exempt) and IUC taxes under this link:

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Regarding EVs:

  • Automóveis exclusivamente elétricos estão completamente isentos de ISV e IUC
  1. Importados usados da União Europeia – não pagam qualquer imposto;
  2. Importados fora da União Europeia – continuam a não pagar ISV e IUC, pagando apenas as taxas aduaneiras com a transação da viatura.
  • Automóveis híbridos ou híbridos plug-in
  1. IUC – não estão isentos de imposto.
  2. ISV novos ou importados usados – os híbridos normais pagam 60% do ISV e os híbridos plug-in pagam 25% do valor.

Source is this article, not official but hopefully still correct…

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11

Thank you Tommy.

T

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Hope this is true. It’d be great. We’ll ask when we have zoom sessions with the GV lawyers and their tax people. We have Teslas and want to take them with us.