riv

Is there any legal impediment to someone who is a non resident owning and maintaining a Portuguese registered car ?

And driving it with a UK driving licence ?

Obtaining insurance ?

GrahamF

I did this for years before becoming resident, all you need is a NIF no. Funnily enough, I only took out residence to obtain residents parking permit.

santaanita

yes and you can bring your no claims with you for insurance

Sunseeker1st

Is this still true since Brexit?

TonyJ1

Of course. May need to have a fiscal representative to receive fines, notices for non payment of car taxes etc

riv

PS : how and where are the formalities carried out to register the change of ownership ? ??
What documents should one look to the seller having

TonyJ1

You would need someone to 'sponsor' you (fiscal representative) to obtain a tax numbers whilst being UK resident. For the transfer document - there is a form to be signed by both parties to the transactions -this is available on the registration authority's web site:
https://www.irn.mj.pt/IRN/sections/i...=1217232046.45

riv

I have NIF number, obtained some years ago to open a bank account.

Also own house in East Algarve so can provide addess. [ Just not resident there for over six months a year ].

TonyJ1

If you already own a home, no reason why you can't own a car, boat, plane, etc - similar type of bureaucracy, annual taxes, etc - remember that you might need a fiscal representative as from 1 July 2022 (depending on circumstances, might get away with a secure web address (provided by CTT - post office)

GrahamF

We changed cars last week, trading the old banger against a newer one. Dealer arranged all the paperwork on both transfers and registration doc will arrive in post. All I had to do was arrange insurance. Can't remember what we did in the past with private purchase.

P.S. Document wise, there's the registration which needs changing and the car should come with proof road tax paid and the test (MOT) document. Important to check no debt attached to car if private purchase but can't remember how that's done.

m2m2012

This is interesting. In most of Europe you cannot buy and register a car in your name unless you are a resident of that country.

How do new car prices in Portugal compare with other EU countries?

TonyJ1

He is registered as tax resident - sooner or later the tax authority is likely to be looking for tax returns.

I am also not too sure of your assertion that foreigners are not allowed to own motor cars unless they are resident - I suspect that many property owners in say Spain, France, Italy who are non resident, do own motor cars, boats, etc registered in these countries, and I would suspect further, at least in respect of EU citizens, that if there was an impediment, this would be against the freedom of investment rule in the EU treaty

GrahamF

I've had a few cars here, a couple before I had residence.

I don't know about the rest of Europe but prices here are crazy. I got €700 trade in for a 22 year old MK1 Focus estate which would have been scrap value in UK, the 10 year old MK3 estate replacement was €765, far dearer than UK. My cars spend much of the year parked while we're back in UK or away sailing so no point in buying expensive ones.

P.S. I'm not tax resident here, don't even bother doing returns.

Red Eric

When did you register residency?

GrahamF

Can't remember when I got my 5 year which expired some years before I applied for permanent, which was before Brexit referendum. . My wife is dual citizen, UK and Portuguese.