Bring your car to Portugal. Pay only the tax you owe.
Moving here, or already living here? Three quick questions tell you whether you're likely to pay vehicle import tax, and which import type fits. Already sure? Go straight to your estimate.
Free, no account needed. Your personal quote within 1 working day.
"I'd given up hope of importing my car because of the bureaucratic red tape. … I highly recommend Car Import Portugal if you're looking to import your car!"
Do you pay vehicle import tax?
Question 1 of 3
What are you bringing?
Where is it coming from?
Which fits you best?
The 6 months count up to the date you officially moved away from your previous country.
- 4.9out of 5, from 44 client reviews
- 240+vehicles handled, counted from our invoices
- 17countries we've imported from
- €450 or €750fixed fee, with taxes or tax-free
Which of these sounds like you?
Each situation has its own import type, and its own costs. Pick yours.
- 1true
Your car may come in without vehicle import tax. There are a few strict rules, so we check your dates first. If they don't fit, an import with taxes is the other option, and often quicker.
See the conditions - 2false
This is the one for you if you've lived here a while, spend part of the year here, just bought the car or are bringing a company car. The car comes in with taxes, so the question is how much. That depends on CO2, engine size, fuel and age, and your personal quote shows the full cost before you buy or ship.
- 3false
This works for cars from the EU. Tax-free asks for proof that you lived abroad in the 6 months before you moved, such as bills or payslips, and usually takes 6 to 12 weeks. With taxes it often takes 2 to 3 weeks, with less paperwork, and can even happen before you move. For many small cars, vans and motorbikes the tax is low, and electric cars pay none. We tell you which import type costs less.
- 4false
We can check the ISV for you before you buy, so the price still works, and we're happy to advise. Then you bring the car to Portugal yourself and we do the import, or we collect it and do the whole import for you.
Ask about turn-key
"…we were able to import our two vehicles duty free."
"It saved us a lot of time and it went without any hassle."
Free, no account needed. We tell you which import type costs less.
Where imports usually go wrong, and what we check first.
Most people find out what they owe after the car has already arrived. By then it's too late to choose the cheaper option.
What often happens: Paying ISV you never had to pay
What we do: We check whether your car can come in tax-free before it leaves.
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What often happens: A car standing still while documents go back and forth
What we do: We start every step as early as we can, so you don't wait longer than necessary.
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What often happens: Customs working out a higher ISV than expected
What we do: We check the figures and challenge them when we think they're wrong.
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What often happens: Your foreign insurance or inspection running out mid-import
What we do: We tell you upfront how long it usually takes, so you can plan.
The authorities set the pace. We make sure nothing waits on us.
"Everything arranged in no time!!"
"First I had another company import my car. Everything that could go wrong went wrong there."
Free, no account needed. Your personal quote within 1 working day.
How it works, in four steps.
You won't fill in a single Portuguese form. You tell us about your car, you see what it costs, and then we do the paperwork.
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Get your free estimate
Tell us about your car in 2 minutes and see the average costs straight away. The exact amount depends on the make and model, and your personal quote follows within 1 working day.
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Send your documents
Upload them in your client portal, where every step is explained in plain language.
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We handle customs and the tax
We book the inspection too. You only bring the car, and you can follow every step online.
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Ready for the road
Your car gets its Portuguese plates: with taxes often in 2 to 3 weeks, tax-free usually in 6 to 12 weeks.
Example
Import plan
A petrol car from Germany, with taxes
- Our fixed service fee
- €450
- Fees you pay via us
- €112
- Inspection and fees you pay directly
- about €165 to €180
- Vehicle import tax (ISV)
- calculated for your car
- Typical total
- about €730 to €745, plus ISV
"The taxes ended up being too high to justify the import, and I am so glad I contacted them first - it saved me from an unpleasant surprise later!"
Where is your car from?
We've imported vehicles from 17 countries so far, and every one now drives on Portuguese plates. Find yours and read how it went.
Pick your country
Pick your country to see a vehicle we imported from there. One of our favourites:
Sweden to Portugal
Our fastest one yet
His Swedish registration was about to run out. Motorbikes pay very little ISV, so we skipped tax-free and used our Extra fast service.
"I was able to attach the Portuguese plate right after the bike arrived to the country."
Norway to Portugal
A 1994 motorhome, tax-free
Built before certificates of conformity existed. It came in without tax, with a lot more paperwork.
Read the case
Dubai to Lisbon
Already at sea from Dubai
Cars from outside the EU need individual approval from IMT. We started the moment the VIN plate was photographed in Lisbon.
Read the caseYour country not on the list? Send us your car's details. We'll tell you honestly whether it's possible. Get my free estimate
See all 17 countries and their storiesDreading the import is normal. We did too.
Maybe you're worried about paying tax you don't owe, or about forms in a language you don't read. This is what three clients wrote.
"We were very well supported from the beginning to the end of the import process. All questions were always answered immediately. We can highly recommend Mathijs' service. Without help, we certainly would not have managed it."
- Saved us many hours
"Mathijs presents specific and detailed information with kindness, patience and clarity. He helped us successfully complete many steps of the foreign car import process and surely saved us many hours of trial and error."
Joshua
- Costs clearly explained
"The costs and procedures were clearly explained. The support was helpful throughout, from the technical inspection to getting in contact with an insurance provider."
Ralf
Which one is you? Fixed fees, every other cost shown upfront.
Moving here, or moved in the last 12 months?
Tax-free import
€750
About €1,030 to €1,045 with all fees, no ISV once approved
Usually 6 to 12 weeks
Already living here, or bought the car recently?
Import with taxes
€450
About €730 to €745 with all fees, plus ISV
Often 2 to 3 weeks
Something else?
- From outside the EU, or an older or altered car€750 plus documents
- We collect the car abroad for youOn request
If importing doesn't pay off, you'll hear it from us first.
Free, no account needed. No obligation until you pay your first invoice.
Not ready yet? Start here.
Free e-book: How to import your car to Portugal
Everything we wish we'd known when we moved, in short.
Download the e-bookYour questions, answered in clear language.
What happens after I ask for an estimate?
You see your import plan and the average costs straight away. We then look at your details and send your personal quote within 1 working day. You decide after that, and there's no obligation until you pay your first invoice.
How long does it take?
Until your car has Portuguese plates: with taxes often 2 to 3 weeks, tax-free usually 6 to 12 weeks*. From outside the EU a special approval process comes first, and then customs often takes 2 to 3 months. After that, IMT still has to register the car, which takes several months, and then the registration card is requested. The authorities set the pace and sometimes change their rules during an import. We keep you updated in your client portal.
*For a regular import. A special or non-EU import can have extra steps.
Can I drive the car while the import runs?
Yes. Until the Portuguese plates are on, you drive on your old plates, as long as your insurer still covers you after the move. If it doesn't, we can arrange temporary import insurance. Buying the car in another EU country? Then you can also drive it here on export plates from that country. Coming from overseas? International insurance can cover this period. Once the Portuguese plates are on (after 2 to 12 weeks, depending on the import type), you can take out regular Portuguese insurance while the registration continues.
Which countries do you import from?
From 17 countries so far: across the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. From outside the EU it takes longer and costs more. We import into mainland Portugal, the Azores and Madeira. Your country isn't listed? Just ask, and we'll tell you whether it's possible.
Can I do it myself?
In theory, yes. In practice it's a bit like doing the electrics in your new house yourself, and then defending your work in a Portuguese court. Possible, if you have months to spare and don't mind a few shocks. It takes a lot of time and phone calls, and a lot can go wrong. From outside the EU it's nearly impossible on your own.
Still want to try? The official pages are on gov.pt, in Portuguese:
We charge a fixed fee to do it for you, in your language, and to check everything first.
Send us your car's details. We'll take it from there.
Free, no account needed. Takes about 2 minutes.