en 
The measure that comes into force now covers citizens of 18
countries: Angola, Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Chile, United States
of America, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Mozambique, New Zealand, United Kingdom,
Republic of Korea, São Tome and Principe, Switzerland and Turkey, according to a report by CNN Portugal.
Thus, even if these citizens have a residence permit in
Portugal, they no longer need to exchange their license for a Portuguese license.
Exceptions
However, there are limits to this change, according to the Instituto
da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT) website, including the need for the
holder of the document to be under 60 years of age.
The rules also only apply if more than 15 years have not
passed since the issuance or last renewal of the foreign license. It is also
necessary that the country issuing the license has been party to the Vienna or
Geneva transit conventions or has signed a bilateral agreement with Portugal.
According to the amendment, which came into force this
Monday and which had already been published in the Diário da República on July
12, the authorisation only applies to driving within the territory of Portugal,
or in the country of origin, since the there is no question of switching to a
Portuguese driving licence, which, for example, allows driving in European
Union countries.
Until this Monday, citizens from countries with bilateral
agreements with Portugal, such as those of the CPLP, had up to two years to
exchange their driving license for a Portuguese one, at a cost of 30 euros. If
the license had been issued by a country that has not acceded to international
conventions, the holder must change it immediately to drive on Portuguese roads.
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As helpful as this may seem, many jurisdictions, such as many Canadian provinces, won't allow you to renew your driver's license if you're no longer a resident, and their license becomes invalid within the original country within months of leaving.
So while this change is well meaning, a lot of people are going to run into problems in the future and they'll have wished they had just exchanged their license for a Portuguese one
By Michael scott from Lisbon on 01 Aug 2022, 19:09
This change SHOULD have included a driver's test after 2 years if you are a resident of Portugal with a foreign driver's license. There SHOULD NOT be an age limit for people over 60 to drive that CAN pass a driver's test as all over North America. Portugal is selling thousands of properties to healthy, coherent people over 60 from other countries and you're not going to let them drive and explore your beautiful country once they move in, boost the economy and PAY TAXES? Does Portugal have a law against age discrimination??? Pass the test and you should be able to drive; another initiative for the election ballot and whoever gets it on will win the election!
By Wesley from USA on 02 Aug 2022, 05:44
So which countries of the OECD or CPLP aren't parties to the mentioned transit conventions? That´s an important piece of information.
By Miguel from Lisbon on 02 Aug 2022, 10:18
What happens for those over 60?
By Eric Wergeland from USA on 02 Aug 2022, 21:31
What is procedure if you are over 60 please?
By wilfrid mann from UK on 03 Aug 2022, 09:16
Please note the correct spelling of the noun licence. You (and some of your correspondents) keep using the American spelling license. If you are an English language paper, use correct English spelling. It´s there for all to see on the DVLA licence you´ve used to head the article!
By Steve Westcott from Lisbon on 03 Aug 2022, 09:39
This article is terribly confusing and even misleading. How about a simple list of all the countries that this new law applies to? Is it 18, or 18 plus the OECD (38) and which of those signed bilateral agreements with Portugal, or the Genève convention? This raises more questions than answers. You can do better than this!
By John from Lisbon on 03 Aug 2022, 10:00
I am somewhat confused. I am 69 and my husband is 70, do we have to apply for a Portuguese license or can we still drive on our UK ones when we rent a vehicle in the Algarve?
By Claire from UK on 03 Aug 2022, 10:13
I'm also confused......why is the UK licence not on the list? And yet the Licence show on the bulletin...is clearly a UK Licence.Please can someone please advise me.I am just 60 , however I have been trying to apply for my Portuguese driving Licence......for nearly two years ???? is this just another........Grey area? Good Luck Everyone.
By Douglas White from Algarve on 03 Aug 2022, 23:58
I cannot for the life of me understand the logic of this. So if you are from the UK for example and hold a British driving licence you can drive in Portugal whether resident or not and provided you are under sixty years of age. So how about tourists over the age of sixty? can they still drive a hired car. If you are resident and over sixty years of age you cannot drive using your British Licence but if you are a tourist over sixty you can drive using your British licence
By William Farmer from Algarve on 04 Aug 2022, 10:10
Your article states that "The rules also only apply if more than 15 years have not passed since the issuance or last renewal of the foreign license."
To clarify... Does this mean that you can exchange your UK licence if you are over 60, if your current licence has been renewed during the last 15 years?
By Bernice from UK on 05 Aug 2022, 01:52
The requirement to take a Portuguese driving test if you are a foreign national aged over 60 intending to move to Portugal can only be seen as age discrimination. The finer details of the 28 theory lessons and 32 practical lessons that are required are carefully hidden from sight. Not to mention the cost. Not to mention that not all the driving schools have English speaking instructors and there aren’t too many driving schools particularly in central Portugal. It may be necessary to employ a translator to take the theory test which is in Portuguese. The driving examiner speaks Portuguese so you have to have a good enough grasp of Portuguese to understand his /her instructions. The test involves four people in the car... you, the examiner, the instructor and one other person taking their test! I gather from online comments not many people pass their test either the first or second time time in Portugal... requiring further lessons at more cost. Is this draconian and discrimination? Portugal, particularly in poor economy regions in the centre should be welcoming such people and making it easy for them to become part of the community in which they wish to invest and support and become part of.
By FREDERICK HEYWOOD from Other on 09 Jun 2024, 00:11