Portugal is about as far as mainland Europe goes from the UK, and that distance makes people expect a long, complicated move. The distance is real. The complication is not: a car from Portugal is an EU import like any other, and we take it from collection to UK plates.
- Transit time
- Usually 1 to 4 weeks
- Usual method
- Road transport, ferry or container
- Import tax
- 20% VAT, no duty if EU or UK-built
- Price
- Priced per job
A long road, and other ways to travel
By road, a car from Portugal crosses Spain and France before it reaches the Channel. It is one of the longer runs we do in western Europe, which is why the timing is given as a band, usually 1 to 4 weeks, rather than a few days. Where the car is and when the next transporter runs make the difference.
Road is not the only way. Ferry and container are options too, and a container keeps the car sealed for the whole trip. Our guide to container, RoRo or air sets out the trade-offs, and we will recommend whichever suits the car and your dates.
Moving back from Portugal
If you are moving home from Portugal, the tax is the first thing to look at, because it may be nothing.
- Lived outside the UK for over 12 months and owned the car for over 6? You may qualify for Transfer of Residence, which makes the import tax and duty free. It needs an HMRC application, and we send you guides on completing it.
- Took a British car out with you? A previously UK-registered car may come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C. See bringing a UK car back home.
Import tax if you bought it there
A car bought in Portugal pays 20% import VAT on the purchase price plus the transport. There is no duty if the car was built in the EU or UK. A car built outside the EU pays 10% duty as well, even though it was sold in Portugal, so check the build country before you buy.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. VAT is worked out from the purchase invoice, or from a recent valuation if the invoice is more than 3 months old. The import tax calculator runs the numbers.
| Feature | Import VAT | Duty |
|---|---|---|
| Bought in Portugal, EU or UK-built | 20% | None |
| Bought in Portugal, built elsewhere | 20% | 10% |
| Over 30 years old | 5% | None |
| Transfer of Residence | None | None |
Customs at both ends
On the way out, the car needs an EU export declaration. On the way in, it needs a UK customs entry. We handle both: as HMRC CDS authorised agents we make the UK entry ourselves, and once the car is here we submit NOVA so the DVLA can register it.
Cancelling the Portuguese registration
Portugal's vehicle authority, the IMT, expects the owner to cancel a car's Portuguese registration when it is exported. It is done at an IMT counter, and one of the documents it asks for is proof the car has left the country, or a copy of its new registration certificate.
So in practice this step often comes at the end, once the car is on UK plates. Keep a copy of the UK registration document for it. The IMT also asks for the Portuguese registration certificate, so hold on to that until you are done.
Your Portugal paperwork
0 of 7 done
Making it UK road legal
A car bought in Portugal is left-hand drive and built for driving on the right, so it will usually need:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph
- A rear fog light where needed, which is generally the main change on cars over 10 years old
Our guide to speedometer and headlight conversions explains how we do the work, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers day-to-day life with one. A British car coming back is right-hand drive already, though any lights changed for Portuguese roads will need setting back.
Testing and registration
The car clears customs and comes to our site in Castle Donington, where we make the changes, check it for UK compliance and test it. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, and we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, so the testing happens on the same site as the work.
For an EU-built car under 10 years old, the usual route is a Certificate of Conformity, which we can source; without one, the car takes an IVA test. Cars over 10 years old take an MOT, and cars over 40 years old need no MOT and can be delivered to your UK address before they are registered.
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days, and you can follow progress on our customer portal along the way.
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for Portugal. The distance, the method and what the car needs here all vary too much for one figure to mean anything. Send us the details and we will price the whole job.
For what every EU route has in common, see our guide to importing a car from Europe, or the Portugal country page.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to bring a car from Portugal to the UK?
Usually 1 to 4 weeks. It depends on where the car is, the method and when the next transporter or sailing runs. Your quote gives the timing for your car.
Do I pay import tax on a car from Portugal?
Usually 20% import VAT on the price plus transport, with no duty if the car was built in the EU or UK. Transfer of Residence can make it tax and duty free if you are moving here.
Can I bring my British car back from Portugal tax free?
It may come back tax free if you have its UK purchase invoice and a copy of its old V5C. It is HMRC’s decision on that evidence.
Do I need to cancel the Portuguese registration?
Yes, the IMT expects it when a car is exported. It asks for proof the car has left Portugal or a copy of its new registration, so it is often done once the car is on UK plates.
Can you register the car in the UK as well?
Yes. We do the changes, testing and DVLA registration on our own site in Castle Donington.
Bringing a car home from Portugal? Send us the details on the quote form.
