C1 (categoria de condução)
Published 3 November 2026, 17:05
C1 — driving licence category (lorry from 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes)
Under Article 3(2) of the Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir (annex to Decreto-Lei n.º 138/2012), category C1 covers vehicles that are not passenger vehicles, with a maximum authorised mass of more than 3,500 kg and less than 7,500 kg and seats for no more than eight passengers besides the driver; they may tow a trailer of up to 750 kg. The category is available from the age of 18, and only to someone who already holds a valid category B licence (Articles 20 and 21).
Where you come across it. A large van or small lorry, delivery work, moving house yourself.
A licence with a lorry category has a different validity period: 5 years up to the age of 70 and 2 years after that, and a medical certificate is required at every renewal from the age of 25 (Articles 16 and 17). For non-EU nationals, since 2026 the validity has also been tied to that of the residence permit. Do not confuse C1 with C1E (the same vehicle with a heavy trailer) or with the C1 language level: the letters are the same, but they mean different things.