Case Study 45 – Triumph Tiger 800 from the Netherlands

A customer moved from the Netherlands to Portugal and brought two vehicles: an older car and a Triumph Tiger 800 motorbike. The car required an individual homologation, a special documentation process with IMT, which made that part of the process slower.
The motorbike, however, moved through customs very quickly.

Low Taxes for Motorcycles

Importing motorcycles into Portugal is generally inexpensive.
In this case, the ISV tax was under €50, which made the Triumph an excellent candidate for import.

The Importance of the COC

For motorbikes, having a Certificate of Conformity (COC) is crucial.

If the COC is available → the process is simple and cheap.
If the COC is not available → the costs rise significantly because:

• IMT must carry out a special approval process,
• a technical data sheet is required,
• a brand representative must sign off.
• In this customer’s case, the COC was provided, meaning the bike received its Portuguese plates in about one week.

The Inspection Process

Motorbikes are typically approved by customs quickly.

Once approved, the owner can already get plates and take out insurance.
However, the vehicle is not fully registered yet.
IMT will later schedule an inspection, which can take weeks or even months, depending on workload.

Important:
Once IMT assigns the inspection date, it is difficult to change.
One of our customers missed his slot because he was abroad and had to:

• pay for a new inspection, and
• wait for another invitation.

The inspection itself is straightforward and takes place at an IMT center. They typically check things like the engine number and basic safety features.

Key Takeaways

• With a COC, motorcycles are very easy to import. Plates usually arrive within 1–2 weeks.
• After receiving plates, you may already ride the bike, even while waiting for the IMT inspection.
• When IMT sends the inspection appointment, try your best to attend — rescheduling is difficult and costly.