Holders of driving licenses issued by the Member States of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) can now drive in Portugal without changing their licence.
According to the reform published this Tuesday in the Diário da República, the exchange of driver’s licenses is waived, “enabling to drive in the national territory with titles issued in those States, through the recognition of foreign driving titles.”
This recognition applies to driving titles in which the issuing state is a signatory to a bilateral agreement with the Portuguese stateif no more than 15 years have elapsed since the issue or the last renewal and provided that the holder is under 60 years of age.
The published decree law highlights that these driving licenses only allow driving in national territory “if their holders have the minimum age required by Portuguese law for the respective qualification, being valid and not apprehended, suspended, expired or revoked by virtue of a legal provision, administrative decision or judicial decision applied to the holder in Portugal or in the issuing State”.
Freedom of movement is an essential element for the full exercise of citizenship,” says the published decree-law, highlighting that “Portugal has sought to strengthen the rights of foreign citizens who move to our country, either in the case of temporary displacements. for tourism purposes, either to travel to work or invest in our country”.
In the document, the Government reiterates its commitment “to the integration of migrants, which implies an improvement in their quality of life”, stressing that it is “essential to simplify the permit to drive motor vehicles”, an element that it considers “essential for a guarantee of mobility throughout the national territory”.
Source: Observadora
