MartynCymro

Red Eric

The rules may have been different in '93 and you could have been obliged to exchange shortly after becoming resident.

At some point though, EU directives stipulated that EU nationals could drive on their existing licence for as long as it was valid without having to effect the exchange - a measure amongst many designed to remove obstacles to people moving freely within the EU. Portugal - in a drive to similarly remove obstacles to other nationalities choosing to reside in Portugal - has also recently introduced measures to that end, including (conditionally) removing the need to exchange licences for nationals of a number of other countries, including the newly non-EU UK.

At this point, the better question would be "What is so laudable about exchanging one's driving licence when one has been explicitly excused from doing so?".

In addition to the reason mentioned above, others might include the fact that you could lose some categories on your licence by exchanging and that you might encounter difficulties in the early part of your residence in getting enrolled in the public health system - a pre-requisite to exchanging your licence. Another that springs to mind is that you may not know at the outset how long your residence in PT will last, so being able to opt not to exchange DL is a bonus. It's a small enough matter but one of those things you could probably do without having to go through arranging whilst in the throes of relocating, especially when processing times are lengthy.

Score76

https://www.portugalresident.com/val...s-in-portugal/

Provides clarity around query around residency.

Sri Pete

I have been trying to exchange my driving license for a Portuguese one for nearly three years. I think I have posted here before about some of the difficulties I have run into. At this point I am closer than ever, at least in that I have a temporary Portuguese license. To obtain a permanent Portuguese license, I am told that I must furnish a Certified Abstract of Driving Record that is "apostilled". I have already submitted a Certified Abstract of Driving Record and now am facing the fact that I must not understand what "apostilled" means. I thought that it meant the same as certified but evidently this is not the case. Can someone please explain?

zoff

Someone will come along and explain it much better than I can but apostilled is basically an internationally accepted certification. While your Certified Abstract of Driving is accepted in the country where it was certified the certification will not be accepted in another country until it is apostilled by a qualified state entity.
Like I said someone will come along and explain it much better than I can but I hope this clarifies it a bit.

Sri Pete

Thank you for your very quick response. From what you say I understand better why apostilling is required but I still do not understand what it entails. I am thinking that it must mean getting the document notarized in Portugal but I cannot see how a Portuguese notary could certify a foreign document or what value that notarization would give it.

zoff

If your Certified Abstract of Driving is a US document is has to get apostilled in the US.

Rambling archer

I would suggest you do a Google Search for "how to get a document apostilled" and you can find various routes to get your document apostilled, especially in the US. It seems it can be done without having to be personally present ....

Sri Pete

Ah, thank you so much. I realize that I was on the wrong track in thinking that this apostilling has be done in Portugal. I will look into getting it done in the US.

Sri Pete

I further realize that I have been extremely dopey about the whole matter. I should have just googled "apostille" in the first place. Thank you again for the responses and sorry for my dopeyness.

J00ls

I'm currently in the same position but don't understand what is meant by a 'Driving Record'". Can anyone give me a clue?