Case Study 28 – Nissan Navara from Italy

We don’t often receive import requests from Italy, so we were happy to take this one on! The vehicle: a 2020 Nissan Navara.

Part of an official move

The customer had officially moved to Portugal and met all the requirements for a tax-free import — great start.
He was also quick to gather most of the necessary documents.

However… Italy isn’t exactly fast when it comes to issuing the deregistration document. It took nearly two months just to receive it.

Luckily, the customer had requested it right at the beginning. So, while waiting, we were able to make progress with the rest of the steps.

Getting started

While we waited, we arranged a COC substitute. This is often a smart choice for European cars, especially if the manufacturer charges for the official Certificate of Conformity.

The substitute document is faster to get and, importantly, it’s officially accepted by the Portuguese authorities (unlike many 3rd-party versions).

We also handled the homologation with IMT and arranged the inspection of the vehicle.

Fast-track at customs!

Once we had all the documents and submitted the application to customs… we got the license plate within a week.

We were a bit surprised. This was one of the fastest approvals we’ve seen.
Either the documentation was super convincing, or customs just has a soft spot for Italians. Either way, we’ll take it!

A twist with Italian registration

Importing from Italy comes with a small difference:
Normally, we submit the original registration document to IMT during the registration process.
But with Italian vehicles, the original must first be sent back to Italy to be officially deactivated. Only after that, it can be submitted here in Portugal.

It took a little extra coordination, but it all worked out smoothly.

Key Takeaways

• Some documents, like deregistration papers, can take weeks or months to arrive. Request them early!
• Customs might move fast or slow, always be prepared for either.
• If you’re importing from Italy, know that the original registration must go back to be deactivated before registration in Portugal is possible.