wellinever

Sorry another question/situation regarding exchanging of UK driving licence to PT.
Became PT resident in Dec 2020
Made online application on 4th April 2020 ti exchange licence
Using what now looks like on old online form.
Sent all requested docs,,,,passport, Residency, DVLA certificate, copy UK licence.
Had medical at my SNS GP, they sent the medical to IMT (as far as I know)
I have not heard anything ever since. No rely at all.
Returned to UK in June and in September I received a new driving licence automatically sent as my old licence was expiring in Oct 2021. (2 years over 70 licence).
I am now back in PT....and really have no idea what to do...any easy suggestions?
I have looked online again and see that the application form is different to the one I filled in (EXCHANGE OF FOREIGN DRIVING TITLES 3.0)
Should i start this all again?
Looked for phone number to call but all lines appear dead.

Bomber Harris

DVLA do not "automatically" send new licences to replace expiring ones. You would have had to physically apply for it by either completing and returning the D46P (which is sent automatically by DVLA) or a D1.
You might want to read post 289 HERE

wellinever

not an answer to my question

Bomber Harris

Apply again with your current valid licence and don't apply for another UK licence because you are trying to have both UK and PT driving licences at the same time.
IMT and DVLA are still talking to each other as part of the deal for UK licences still to be treated as EU licences. All the time they're still talking to each other DVLA will tell IMT when you have submitted a revoked driving licence to them and IMT will just likely bin any application that doesn't involve a valid licence, or if you're lucky they may write to you telling you to submit the correct licence as per the post I referred you to.

wellinever

I am not nor ever was trying to have 2 licences.
i applied when I was in Portugal giving the UK DL number I had at the time. I have not had any acknowledgement to that. In June I returned to the UK with the only licence I had. I was sent an application form to get a new licence that would start in October.....given I had no other licence what option did I have? On my return to PT I am now wondering what to do. So I have an appointment with my gp next week, hopefully he can give me an up to date medical report and then I can apply again with the new UK valid licence.

Bomber Harris

I guess some people are more prepared to put up with the inconvenience and annoyance rather than risk a £2500 fine by applying for a UK licence when they're a resident of Portugal.

wellinever

I appreciate what you are saying, and indeed I was not aware of that.
But in any event was there an alternative?
I applied for an exchange early this year, what else could I do?

Alan PT

The delays in the driving license exchange were very well publicised, so you really should have applied ASAP, not waited until April, especially since you knew your license was expiring. You are very lucky that they extended the window for exchange. I say this not to "tell you off", but to emphasise that you really need to take responsibility and take control of the situation, for your own good

I suggest you apply again ASAP because unless they extend the deadline yet again, my understanding is that your UK license will soon no longer be valid in Portugal (since you became resident more than 90 days ago and it will no longer be treated as an EU license). Last I heard, they extended validity until the end of this year and this was the second extension I'd guess it may not happen again.

IMT will answer emails sent to their driving license exchange email [email protected] (I always email in Portuguese out of courtesy and because I suspect it elicits a faster response). You could explain that you applied previously, that you applied again, that your medical may be "out of date" now but that you are in the process of renewing it

You'll find people who complain a lot about IMT not being responsive and there's some truth in that, but if you are polite and persistent then you will get a response

GrahamF

February 2020 applied for exchange, handed UK license in, given paper temporary one only valid in Portugal. Returned to UK later in year and having no valid license, applied for replacement UK one. In December received letter from IMT demanding I hand it in, they obviously received info from DVLA. Have ignored them since, using UK license as tourist when pulled as I'm also still UK resident.

Alan PT

"ignore the problem and lie to police" probably isn't the best advice to be giving people

appman999

Sorry if this is hi-jacking the thread a bit but for UK nationals applying for residence and driving licence exchange next year (outwith the transition period) presumably they can hold a both a Portuguese and UK driving licence.

I assume once the UK licence has been submitted for exchange one can then apply for a replacement UK driving licence?

GrahamF

Only one license can be held, the Portuguese inform DVLA when license issued and DVLA cancel UK one.

Whether, as suggested in a post above, I'm lying to authorities by claiming to be a tourist is debatable. I'm a dual resident, with house, taxes paid, etc. in UK and just doing a check, have spent a little more time here in past year than in Portugal so, quite entitled (maybe required) to have a UK license. Portugal and UK have dual residence agreements and having permanent residence I can spend up to two years out of the country without forfeiting status. Under the circumstances, it's a very grey area when two countries rules contradict. My wife who has dual citizenship (but no residence under her married UK passport name) only has a UK license.

Red Eric

My understanding is that you can only hold one licence at a time.

If you're applying for residence in Portugal next year, in order to be considered continuously resident from then on, your allowable absences would preclude you from spending a majority of you time outside Portugal and the allowance for using a UK licence as a resident before its being deemed invalid for driving on is 90 days. The combination of those 3 factors suggests to me that in those circs, you must exchange the UK licence and you won't be able to legally obtain a replacement UK one since you won't be resident there.

And that leaves aside the possibility of ongoing communication between DVLA and IMT.

Alan PT

"Dual residence agreements" - Not sure what you mean by this, or do you mean the double taxation agreement?

Since you declared yourself resident in Portugal, the law for Portuguese residents applies to you, nothing grey there. Right now, it's not a big deal, since Portugal extended recognition of UK licenses. But in two months it will be, unless the UK reaches an equivilance agreement (apparently they are still negotiating, but don't hold your breath)

http://www.imtonline.pt/index.php/tr...d-situation-24

GrahamF

The dual tax treaty for residents of two countries, determines which country should be considered main country of residence. As well as time spent in each, another point is -

Centre of vital interests
You’re a resident of a country where your social, domestic, political and cultural links are greater. For example, you set up home in another country and keep your home in the UK where you lived, worked and where your family and possessions can, with other factors, show that your centre of vital interests remain in the UK.

P.S. Apologies for large text on this copy and paste, not shouting.