Legalization of imported vehicles in Portugal can take months: Industry warns for IMT delays

It is reported that there are serious delays in the legalization and initial registration process of vehicles brought from abroad to Portugal. According to the cases received by Associação Portuguesa do Comércio Automóvel (APDCA), some Pedido de Certificado do Veículo procedures can take up to three to four months.

The problem particularly affects the documentation and registration process of vehicles brought from another country, not Portugal.

However, there is an important distinction: the three-four month period is not the official nationwide average processing time published by IMT. The figure is based on cases received by the automotive industry association itself.

Where does the process get stuck?

According to APDCA's statement, one of the problems is the Pedido de Certificado do Veículo, or PCV process within the Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes.

In some files reported to the Union, it may take three to four months for the PCV process to be completed and the relevant payment to be made.

But the process does not always end with the completion of the IMT phase.

In some cases, vehicle information does not appear immediately in the registration system after the IMT process and therefore the initial ownership registration cannot be made.

This situation can make the process dependent on the data flow between the two institutions/systems.

What is the reason for the delays?

Among the possible problems cited by the sector;

lack of expert personnel,

problems in information systems,

complex or incompletely prepared files,

Registration with IMT Coordination problems between systems

is available.

It would be fair to say that all of these reasons have been confirmed by the IMT as the official explanation for the nationwide delays. These are the problems and evaluations reported by industry representatives.

Why is the problem serious for the vehicle owner?

The physical presence of an imported vehicle in Portugal does not mean that all legal and administrative procedures have been completed.

Stages such as PCV, tax procedures, initial ownership registration and Documento Único Automóvel are interconnected.

Delay in one stage can also stop subsequent operations.

Especially for residents who want to bring the vehicle from another EU country and use it permanently in Portugal, this creates a risk that the vehicle may not be fully legalized on the planned date.

The conclusion “All processes take four months” is not correct

The three-four month period in APDCA's statement relates to certain cases of delay.

Therefore, it is not correct to say that it takes four months to legalize every vehicle imported in Portugal.

The nature of the file, the country the vehicle comes from, whether the documents are complete or not, and the processing load of the relevant IMT unit may affect the duration.

What's more newsworthy is that the industry association says the delays are no longer isolated and are affecting business activity and vehicle deliveries.

What should those who bring a vehicle to Portugal do?

Those who plan to import a vehicle should only purchase the vehicle. Not only the acquisition price and ISV cost, but also the administrative processing time should be included in the planning.

In particular, the period during which the foreign license plate can be used in Portugal, ISV declaration, vehicle conformity documents, PCV and ownership registration are separate obligations.

The delays reported in the industry do not mean that legal deadlines have disappeared.

Therefore, it may be risky to postpone one's own tax or registration obligation by relying on the justification "IMT is delayed".

The main development to follow

We currently have serious cases of delays reported by the industry.

The next important stage is whether IMT will publish official data or explanations regarding processing times and whether operational changes will be made to correct the problem.

Until this happens, rather than saying “imported vehicle legalization in Portugal has officially increased to four months”, “the industry reports that some IMT processes are taking three to four months” more accurately reflects the current evidence.

Resources

Diário de Notícias — Atrasos no IMT deixam carros importados meses à espera de registo, 21 September 2026

https://www.dn.pt/economia/atrasos-no-imt-deixam-carros-importados-meses-espera-de-registo

Renascença — Por que é que está a ser difícil legalizar veículos importados?, 22 September 2026

https://rr.pt/artigo/explicador-renascenca/2026/09/22/por-que-e-que-esta-a-ser-dificil-legalizar-veiculos-importados/486336/