New Revalidation Regime for Portugal’s Driving Licences

17 August 2023

Effective from the 1st of August, a new extraordinary regime for the revalidation of driving licences will be enforced.


As per the recent decree-law approved by the Council of Ministers, individuals who had their driving licence issued before 1st January, 2008, are no longer required to undergo a special exam for its renewal. The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, approved this decree-law on the 17th of July.


As previously mentioned, the new regime applies to driving licences issued before 1st January, 2008, which have validity periods that differ from the legally stipulated period mentioned in the physical documents. Furthermore, it applies to licences that authorise the driving of vehicles falling under the categories AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE, and agricultural vehicles.


Under normal circumstances, driving licences must undergo revalidation within six months of their expiry date. The revalidation process must adhere to the age requirements assigned to different vehicle categories, regardless of the document's validity status.

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