![This customer contacted us because he was relocating to Portugal and wanted to bring two electric vehicles with him: a Tesla and a Kia. I explained that we could handle the process as a regular import instead of a tax-free import. That’s because electric vehicles can be imported into Portugal without paying ISV (Imposto Sobre […]](https://carimportportugal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/100/tesla-model-y.jpg)
This customer contacted us because he was relocating to Portugal and wanted to bring two electric vehicles with him: a Tesla and a Kia. I explained that we could handle the process as a regular import instead of a tax-free import. That’s because electric vehicles can be imported into Portugal without paying ISV (Imposto Sobre Veículos), making the regular import option more straightforward and involving much less paperwork.
It’s worth noting that this only applies to cars coming from EU countries. If the car were coming from a non-EU country, like Switzerland, then IVA (Value Added Tax) would still apply. In such cases, we would opt for a tax-free import instead to avoid those additional costs.
Getting the Car to Portugal
Transporting the car turned out to be quite a challenge. It broke down in France, and for a while, it looked like the Dutch roadside assistance service (ANWB) would end up towing it all the way back to the Netherlands. Luckily, the customer managed to continue the journey and successfully brought the car to Portugal.
This experience highlights the value of having roadside assistance when driving over 2,000 km through Belgium, France, and Spain—especially with an electric vehicle.
COC Document
The customer had already requested the Certificate of Conformity (COC) before coming to Portugal. Although the document took a while to arrive, the delay ended up aligning with the time the car spent being repaired, so everything worked out well in the end.
The Customs Process
The customs process itself was fairly straightforward. The car passed inspection without any issues. While customs was not particularly fast, the approval process went smoothly and was completed within a reasonable time.
Key Takeaways
- Electric vehicles from EU countries can be imported into Portugal without ISV, making the simplified regular import process the best choice.
- Roadside assistance is strongly recommended when driving your car long distances to Portugal—several of our customers have had breakdowns en route.
- The COC document can take time to arrive, so it’s a good idea to request it well in advance.
