Renew a Portuguese Driving Licence: Dates, Medical Certificate and IMT Steps

• Renewal is different from recognising or exchanging a foreign licence and from replacing a lost card.
• The date of first qualification and driving group can change the schedule.
• Apply within the six months before expiry; do not drive on an expired licence.
• Medical and psychological requirements depend on group and age; a certificate is not automatically required for every ordinary renewal.

Start with the IMT licence-renewal service to check the schedule and request revalidação. This guide is for Portuguese licence renewal, not a universal way to extend a foreign licence. The applicable deadline also depends on original qualification and category; check IMT's cohort schedule rather than relying only on the card.

Renewal, foreign exchange or lost document?

Use the foreign driving-licence guide for a foreign document. If your move changed official records, check the moving-house checklist. Changing an address or ordering a replacement card does not by itself extend the underlying permission to drive.

When do I need to renew?

For Group I, IMT distinguishes licences first obtained before 2 January 2013, between that date and 29 July 2016, and from 30 July 2016. The earlier cohort generally renews at 50, 60, 65 and 70, then every two years. The middle cohort has an initial date recorded on the document, followed by its applicable schedule. The later cohort generally follows 15-year periods until 60, then five-year periods from 60 and two-year periods from 70. A first qualification at age 58 or later has a specific first-renewal rule. Since 9 June 2026, for non-EU citizens holding a Portuguese visa or residence permit, these periods end on the residence document's expiry date (restriction code 794); such a licence stays valid only while the permit is valid or being renewed (RHLC art. 16.º n.os 9–10, DL 114/2026).

Those summaries do not replace the category/cohort table. Group II and professional-use situations have different requirements. If several categories appear on the licence, check the relevant category rather than assuming one date settles every entitlement. IMT's warning and official A Minha Carta guidance help identify the correct deadline. A recent replacement date on the physical card is not necessarily the date when you first became qualified.

What documents and certificates do I need?

The current IMT service requires a medical certificate for Group I from age 60 and for Group II renewals. The psychological certificate applies to Group II from age 50 under the described rules. This is not a requirement for every private car driver at every renewal. Medical evidence is transmitted electronically; do not assume booking a medical appointment means the certificate has reached IMT. Check the exact category, restriction and intended use with the official service before paying for unnecessary tests.

How to renew through IMT

1. 1
   Verify your actual renewal date

   Compare first-qualification date, categories and the IMT schedule. If the plastic card and age-based obligation appear inconsistent, ask IMT before relying on the later date.

2. 2
   Check the six-month request window

   The service permits renewal in the six months before the deadline. Arrange any required certificate in time; do not wait until you can no longer drive.

3. 3
   Prepare category-specific evidence

   Confirm identity/residence details and electronic medical submission when required. Obtain the psychological certificate if your route needs it.

4. 4
   Use the supported official channel

   The renewal page describes IMT Online, with NIF/Tax Authority credentials, and desk channels. Follow any required certificate upload and official payment instructions.

5. 5
   Track the application and document

   Retain the receipt and check requests for missing information. Confirm what valid evidence permits driving during processing; an unpaid draft or appointment is not a renewed entitlement.

Costs and channel restrictions

IMT lists a €30 renewal fee, €15 from age 70, with a 10% online reduction. Medical and psychological services may have separate costs. Confirm the final charge for the actual request rather than assuming the fee includes all certificates. The page describes an id.gov renewal route for qualifying category B cases up to age 50 with valid Citizen Card/CMD and existing IMT data, but this is not a universal route for every category, age or foreign resident. The service also identifies online restrictions for the relevant 997 Group II restriction.

Expired licence: do not treat late renewal as ordinary

IMT states that an expired licence does not permit driving. Where more than two and up to five years have passed, the service specifies a special practical examination. More than five and up to ten years involves training plus that examination. A much older expiry or another exceptional status needs an individual IMT assessment. Do not infer that an accepted application, a fee payment or a booked test authorises driving in the meantime. Resolve validity before using the vehicle.

Portal error, missing certificate or delayed card

Check that the application is actually submitted and paid, that IMT holds the required electronic medical certificate, and that the category and identity record match. Retain the reference when contacting support or a desk, so a delayed delivery is not confused with a refused renewal. If you need to correct an address, ask whether it affects the current delivery. Avoid duplicate applications and payments until the original state is clear. Never use somebody else's Tax Authority credentials to work around an identity mismatch.