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I exchanged my UK driving license at IMT on 5th August 2020, and was told at the time that it would take a year to get a Portuguese driving license! I was given a provisional paper document enabling me to DRIVE IN PORTUGAL ONLY valid for six months,which I subsequently renewed after six months. My official Portuguese driving incense arrived in the post at the end of September, of this year, almost 14 months after the original application. This is not only disgracefully tardy in a civilized country, but an infringement on the people’s rights to FREE MOVEMENT. I would have been unable to drive or rent a car in another country in Europe, the UK or anywhere else with the provisional six month temporary paper license.
I don’t know if the problems at the scruffy, dingy, inadequate office in Faro, (where, by the way, it is necessary to employ an interpreter, as none of the staff speak English), are related to staffing shortages, low wages, lack of leadership, inadequate technological support, or anything else, but I do know that the inability of IMT to provide a driving license to the residents of Portugal in a timely fashion, expat or otherwise, is totally unacceptable.
Christine Burt.
Portuguese resident
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We submitted our application in December 2020. My husband's licence expired 1 October. We went to IMT Guarda beginning Sept only to be told our applications were lost in the system after a computer malfunction. We had to go through the whole process again on a new form only received September, get an updated medical report, keep sending reminders, got our lawyer to pile on pressure. Have we heard? Our lawye confirmed IMT is the worst of the worst.
By Diana Krogh from Beiras on 23 Oct 2021, 19:41
It is frustrating and now complicated by a rash of businesses offering assistance in obtaining licence. We used one, and four weeks later we are no nearer obtaining one and 420 euro lighter. A police complaint has been made, but this situation with licences has lead to this proliferation of chancers
By Ian from Lisbon on 23 Oct 2021, 21:30
IMT seems to be broken!
My partner and I both applied to swap our UK licenses when we moved here and before the end of the brexit deadline. We weren't driving at the time but wanted to follow the rules.
Having both applied at the same time we had two very different experiences. Mine went as expected while hers received none of the correspondence, biometrics meeting etc. Then nothing. Silence.
We put it down to covid-19 and simply waited. Months past and we now wanted to buy a car so she wrote to IMT about hers and received it a couple of weeks later. So I wrote too. More silence. I wrote again and received an email telling me it was on hold because I needed my blue card (We obviously are waiting for these too).
I went to a local lawyer as clearly this isn't the case and the situation was now desperate. The lawyer was quite clear that I did not need my blue card and wrote to IMT pointing out the law concerning Brits who were protected by the transition agreement. He threatened them with court action for damages and like magic my application was now being processed.
I am still waiting for my licence, but at least hopeful that it will be very soon.
This and the situation with SEF made me seriously question whether it is worth the grief living here, frankly.
By Toby Flux from Other on 24 Oct 2021, 10:27
I'm so glad I exchanged my old paper licence for an electronic one whilst I was back in Belgium. I almost did it here but the medical certificate seemed a bit excessive and I knew there would be nightmare wait here in Portugal.
By Dad bod from Algarve on 24 Oct 2021, 11:16
I applied for myself and my husbands exchange at the same time in December 2020. My licence went through quickly and had received mine back within 8 weeks. Hadn't had any correspondence about his application so I contacted them and was told to apply via the portal which I did. Still to this day waiting for ANYTHING back. I've tried everything to contact them and get nothing back. I know of at least 15 other people that applied last year that are yet to be contacted about their licences. I imagine the authorities will be quick enough to fine people for not having the correct licences when we have done all we can to drive legally and it is completely out of our hands!
By Kelli from Algarve on 24 Oct 2021, 20:14
I have applied for my drivers license almost 4 months back, I am hopeful of receiving a permit to drive in the year 2025. There is no doubt in mind that IMT should be dissolved just like SEF without any further delay. The government should issue a notification permitting those who have applied for drivers license exchange to be allowed to drive as long as they are carrying the copy of application for the same. The government should feel embarrassed and ashamed for allowing to run this institution with no oversight.
By Mizanur from Lisbon on 25 Oct 2021, 01:32
My wife applied September 2020. They sent her a provisional that was out of date before it arrived. She was then asked to send her uk license and residencia to Vianna de castelo imt. This she did. She was then asked to go to Faro IMT for photo and fingerprints. She did this in February 2021. Since then nothing has happened. We have emailed, phoned, sent a letter recorded delivery and still no answer. My wife now has an out of date Portuguese license and no UK license. She can not drive a car anywhere now except for Portugal and has been unable to do so for almost a year. IMT are a nightmare to deal with. Never answer the phone and never reply to correspondence.
By David Greenslade from Algarve on 05 Nov 2021, 14:29
I was missing some documents and now want to resubmit - when i use the web it gives me a error for the following fields Fiscal Vat / Id Identification/ drivers licence - IT states the documents already exist how to i submit the missing document e.g. ID / DR Letter etc
By Mario Jorge Garcez de Sousa Pereira from Other on 09 Nov 2021, 19:25
Applied for mine and my husbands licences back in October 2020. Up to now they've lost two applications and we are now on our third attempt. I refused to pay for another medical certificate, so they've accepted the ones we originally got last year when we first applied. Sent paperwork two weeks ago and now waiting for the next phase, or perhaps they will lose all the information I sent again.
By Jill Darbyshire from UK on 17 Nov 2021, 22:39