Do you want to import your car into Portugal? This can be a costly affair. Importing a car is possible as long as you have an address in Portugal. In that case, you will have to pay taxes on the car. However, when you emigrate, you can import one car per adult as part of your household goods in Portugal.

To qualify for exemption from the Imposto Sobre Veículos (ISV) when importing a car as part of your household goods, you must meet certain conditions. You must be able to prove that you resided in the Netherlands, Belgium, or another country for at least 6 months prior to your emigration. Additionally, you must be registered as a fiscal resident in Portugal.

You must also submit a customs declaration, called the Declaração Aduaneiro de Veículo (DAV), and have your car inspected. You will need to visit the IMT (Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes) and eventually pay a (small) fee. More information about visiting the IMT can be found in the visitation rules (Portuguese).

What documents are exactly required? According to law 22-A/2007 of June 29, you must submit various documents to the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira. The specific documents required depend on whether you are eligible for ISV exemption or not. You will add the documents at the end of filling out your DAV. The customs declaration can only be filled out and submitted online.

Before you can fill out the DAV online, you must first have access through the Portal das Finanças. Once you have access, you can enter all the information in the system and attach the necessary documents.