Pilou

I read a lot on this forum and on internet.

The fee an agent asks for doing the procedure is 500 EUR. I read that now you need to do this online.

The most difficult part is gathering all the necessary info. The agent will send you a very long list and you need tp provide him with all the docs.
Then he fills in the form on internet. I cannot see why the fee needs to be 500 EUR.
An agent won't waste time, because he just sends you a standard list of all the docs needed. He only starts to do anything when you have provided him with all the datails.

It is just that I don't understand why this is EUR 500 plus the taxes etc.
The value of our car is only 4000 EUR, but I don't want to sell it.

mfesharne

The going rate with most agents is more like €400 & you can do it yourself but bearing in mind the time it can take & the hassle of coping with the bureaucracy & language issues (IMO) it's well worth paying an agent to do it.

Do you know what is required to get a vehicle matriculated on a tax free basis & do you know that if you have to pay the tax it can be obscenely expensive?

Loafing Along

He is taking the hassle out of the process for people who normally do not speak portuguese and he gives you some new number plates ...

Pilou

You are right.
We will first look if we can have all the necessary paperwork.

I cannot understand why they ask for the tax returns of the last 3 years which states your income in Portugal or abraod???? They did not even ask this when we became resident!!

Loafing Along

The tax return is the easy bit, your local Finanzas will produce them and charge you about €10,- for the privilege and they should all be blank that way you qualify to transfer your car not import it .

Pilou

OK, that is easy. One down!

gedscottish

400-500 is the going rate, although I just read about someone the other week on FB paying a supposedly highly recommended Algarve agent over 1000! (now that's taking the piss). There's around 200€ of expenses involved in that 500 excluding transport costs, it can be a lot of hassle and running about if it does not go smoothly. Fail to do it on your own and that 500 could turn to thousands should you need to pay the ISV.
p.s There's 180 days from when you move to have all the paperwork in place, that's why the agent won't start till everything is in order, they are being sensible and potentially avoiding you costs should you not be able to get all the required documentation.

mfesharne

I think you'll find it's actually 180 days from when you get the Residencia OR import the vehicle to begin the process.

gedscottish

As soon as your residência stops in your country of origin or bring the car into Portugal, the clock is ticking regardless if you apply for residence here or not. Tick tock

Diddion

Is this the case?

We intend leaving the UK 8 April 2018, delaying our entry to Portugal to about May 15, by which time we will have owned our car for 12 months plus one day. I had thought this would safely satisfy the rules for tax - free car importation by a new resident. Am I wrong?

Loafing Along

Real tightrope stuff ! Remember one of the documents you will need is a Consular certificate confirming your date of departure from the UK unless you can persuade your local Town Hall to issue such a document. So , in theory, the time when you leave you will not have owned the car for twelve months in your country of origin.

Diddion

Thanks, Loafing Along. I think there has been perhaps some past mismatch of information! I had understood that we would be ok as long as the car was owned by us for over 12 months on the date of first entry to PT in the tax year. But this now indicates that the date of departing the UK is also significant, does it not? A point which I have wondered about is my tax residency during that gap between UK and Portugal. I really must not get it wrong! Any further thoughts, or source material?

Loafing Along

This is the official summary :https://www.portaldocidadao.pt/web/a...-para-portugal

You can put it though Google translate or similar

Your tax residency in Portugal starts in theory 3 months after you arrive as during the first ninety days you are a tourist and , (again I say in theory as we did it on day 2), as you can only apply for residency after the tourist period.

As we came from Spain I had to get a certificate from the Town Hall of where we lived to confirm we had left "for permanent residence in portugal ". The certificate also confirmed we had been resident in Spain for five years before moving.

Diddion

Hmm. This is, I think, the relevant (Google Translated) point from your useful post, Loafing along:

Certificate of residence issued by the competent authority of the country of provenance, including the registration in the inhabitants register, the start and cancellation dates of residence. Where in the country of residence there is no competent authority for the control of residents, cancellation is attested by the consular entity;

Still not entirely sure about this, though. I do understand the issue of residency in Portugal - it is the UK bit which is causing me concern, here.

Loafing Along

Apparently it is almost impossible in the UK to get such a certificate but the British Consulate in Lisbon does offer such a service. This is the releavnt link :https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial...e-for-portugal

Scroll down and you will see the details about car importation