Mac and Mabel

If you previously registered your U.K. licence with IMT, and they took your photo/signature/fingerprints at that time, then you might not be called for an appointment, just automatically issued with your new licence using the biometrics previously taken and stored. That’s what happened in my case nearly a year ago. I was also emailed a temporary licence once they had received my original licence. And yes, I used a registered post service.

Rambling archer

Thanks for that folks. Will send it off tomorrow then.

Pilotabroad

For what it's worth I think all others experiences are worthless as the whole system is random.

I've paid 30 etc and been waiting for appointment since February.

As for the temp licence, I recieved mine in March with an expired date already passed on the 20th Feb and signed on 25th Feb.

I've held off pushing it as I'm still not convinced by the whole mess and it seems the transfer has been extended another year.

As for driving around with no licence, I was pulled over and document checked by police a few weeks ago with no problem after showing a photocopy of my UK licence, pointless temp licence, the page from imt about extension to process.

Alan PT

Looking at your location, I presume you will also need to visit Leiria for your biometrics? Check the email you received with your temp license, mine said:
"Junto se envia guia de substituição do título de condução.
Deverá entrar em contacto com 210 488 488 a fim de agendar atendimento para recolha dos dados biométricos (troca estrangeira)."

But before I had a chance to call that number to book an appointment, they booked one for me (this was end of May). Perhaps they hadn't started doing the auto-booking in Feb and they are waiting for you to call to arrange an appointment? Just a thought...

Pilotabroad

Sadly nothing so logical.
As previously mentioned I was already in the system so no biometric necessarily required.
Also for some reason offices assigned are random and mine is Santarém.
Lastly after a friend called imt on my behalf back in June I was told that everything was paid, everything recieved, all OK, just be patient.... Of course a month later I received an email asking for my UK licence, called again to be told that they already have my licence and to just ignore the email.

Still waiting, uk licence still active
Its Portugal.... Enough said haha
Sometimes it works for you, sometimes against you.

Alan PT

Ah, yes, they seem to have spread out the processing (presumably in an attempt to catch up the backlog), so the office processing mine was Braganca. But I still had to go to the "local" office in Leiria for biometrics. But if they already have your biometrics it's hard to understand the delay.

But I guess with things distributed everywhere and perhaps some temp staff added to the mix I suppose it's not surprising that some randomness occurs

Rambling archer

Pilotabroad said "As for driving around with no licence, I was pulled over and document checked by police a few weeks ago with no problem after showing a photocopy of my UK licence, pointless temp licence, the page from imt about extension to process."

Well, that is reassuring ... just need a bigger wallet to fit all these A4 pieces of paper that I now carry round with me - Now added email about need to send in Licence to Lisbon, copy of the Guia that was attached (signed by me but not by a "foncionario" ), copy of the Licence .... already have NIF paper, CRUE Resident paper, QR from SEF dated December 2020, health Utente Nº, certified copy of UK passport .....
Not forgetting the Vaccination certificate and Booster card!

Sunseeker1st

Go on ... get yourself a Man Bag ...

Rambling archer

Managed to live without one in France and Spain, but I think PT is winning on this one - fanny-pack coming up next!

Sunseeker1st

Retired Engineer Vern

Hi Just joined this forum tonight and hope you do not mind me jumping in with another question as l have been reading with interest as l am trying to understand the process of exchanging my UK driving licence for a Portuguese one. We have been in PT for 2 months now having been given 4 months residency. We have made appointments to see SEF March 28th 2022 to obtain 2 year residency (that's the earliest we can get with them).
My problem is do we have to wait until we see SEF to obtain our ID residency card, and also my UK licence expires February 6th 2022? So not sure what to do as do not want to be driving around PT on an expired licence (we drove to PT in our UK licence car)
Thanks

appman999

Sorry I can't help (but I'm sure others can) but how did you get your SEF appointment, I've been ringing and ringing and continually engaged.

Alan PT

If possible, try to renew your UK license first, then do the PT exchange, since it will be tough to get a PT exchange done in that timeframe. You need to be a UK resident to renew your UK license, but since you only just moved, it's debatable whether the UK may still consider you resident anyway - basically if you can still receive mail to the UK address you have on your license then you should be fine.

If that doesn't work for whatever reason then start the PT exchange process ASAP and keep sending them regular emails reminding them that your license is about to expire

You also want to decide what to do with your UK car pretty quickly, as you'll need to start the importation process if you want to keep it in PT

Red Eric

Hi, and welcome to the forum from me

What's your position from your point of view at the moment, exactly? Do you maintain any sort of a base in the UK or have you, as far as you're concerned, moved to Portugal lock, stock and barrel?

You do realise that as things stand, you're not yet officially resident in Portugal, don't you?

Your car is presumably UK registered. Are you intending to keep that over the long term?

Retired Engineer Vern

Hi, l had to keep ringing, did you ring the new contact number as from Nov.1st?

217115000 and 965903700