How to exchange and later renew your driving licence in Portugal
This guide is for people who hold a foreign driving licence and need a Portuguese one, and then need to renew the Portuguese card once it has been issued. Below is the process step by step: what to prepare, how to apply to IMT, what to do with the temporary paper licence and how not to get stuck at the renewal stage.
Check whether you already have to exchange your licence and whether any critical deadlines have passed
If you hold an ordinary foreign licence and have become resident in Portugal, it is best not to put off the exchange. In practice people go by two important milestones: once you have a residence permit, driving on your old licence is risky, and the exchange itself has a limited time window. According to recent accounts, IMT often treats 2 years from the date the residence permit was issued as the limit for an exchange without extra problems.
If your licence has already expired, that is a separate risk. Recent experience from 2026 shows that IMT may refuse to exchange an expired licence. People then sometimes have to renew the licence in the country that issued it first and only then apply again for the exchange in Portugal. If your deadline is approaching, apply as early as possible and keep proof of the date you applied.
“Had exactly the same situation. After a few visits to IMT they made it clear there's no way to exchange an expired licence,had to go to Belarus ,get a new licence and then exchange it here for a Portuguese one”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkautolife_pt15.04.2026
“In Portugal the 2-year period for exchanging a licence is counted from the date you got your residence permit. If you applied for the exchange straight after getting the card, stress that. Your ‘delay’ is the result of Portugal itself being slow to issue documents. We'd advise finding a lawyer or an experienced fixer. If IMT digs its heels in and says the licence has expired so there's no exchange, you can ask to be allowed to exchange it by taking the practical test. That's many times cheaper and quicker than learning at a driving school from scratch.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkRussosEmPortugal15.04.2026
Gather your documents before you apply
You will usually need: a valid foreign driving licence, a document proving your legal status in Portugal, your passport, your NIF, a medical certificate and a document confirming that your licence is valid. With Russian and Belarusian licences, this certificate is in practice exactly where people most often get stuck.
Recent experience from 2025: the certificate confirming the licence was valid was obtained from the GIBDD (the Russian traffic police) in Russia via a power of attorney, then translated into Portuguese and sent to Portugal. Some people have also obtained such a certificate through the consulate, but appointments there can take a long time. The medical certificate for categories A and B is usually arranged separately; for professional categories such as C, additional certificates or a psychological test may be required.
“Yes, I exchanged mine. Docs you need: - certificate that the licence is valid (ordered it from the GIBDD in Moscow (someone picked it up for me with a power of attorney) + translation into Portuguese, also done in Moscow, and sent by post from Moscow to Portugal). You can also get that certificate at the consulate - but the wait for an appointment is really long. - doctor's certificate (did it at the clinic I'm registered with through my insurance company, 20 euros I think). Then I submitted the documents at IMT (Porto) - 30 euro fee and they give you a piece of paper instead of the licence, which you can only drive with in Portugal. Waited almost 8 months for the licence (submitted the docs in December - got it in July by post). A couple of times I drov”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkPortugal 🇵🇹 TravelAsk Chat18.08.2025
“UPDATE ON my lost licence and trying to get a certificate of its validity at the consulate: the licence never turned up, but they did issue the certificate that it's valid! Didn't even need persuading. I didn't have a copy of the licence either, but it turns out Gosuslugi (the Russian government services portal) has a copy of your licence (they told me that at the consulate) and that's enough for the certificate. Obviously without a valid licence the exchange in Portugal won't happen, but I got the certificate in case the licence turns up after all.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkchatporto13.02.2026
Get a medical certificate
For the exchange and for some renewals you need a medical certificate registered for IMT. It is often done at a clinic, by your family doctor or by private services that enter the details straight into the electronic system.
For categories A and B, going by first-hand experience, this is usually a quick procedure: sometimes done in a day, sometimes online. For categories C and above you may be asked for additional reports or a psicotécnico (psychometric assessment).
“Applied online on the IMT website with temporary protection. 1 week for all the procedures and the visit to IMT. In 10 days the licence came, valid for 1 year. Costs: 30 euros for the card + 30 euros for the doctor's certificate (categories A, B). If you also have C, there's an extra certificate. Replacement a year later online, paying 30 euros, valid for 15 years.”
Translated from Ukrainian; the original is at the linkchatleiria13.09.2025
“by the way about the certificate, for anyone exchanging a category C licence for a Portuguese one there's a test centre near us in Aljubarrota, sanity test 40 euros and the medical certificate for an ordinary licence is there too, 30 euros, and for another 15 euros they upload all the documents to IMT”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linknazare_pt02.08.2025
Apply: these days most people start online via IMT
Recent practice shows it is easier to apply first on the servicos.imt-ip.pt portal or through the new A Minha Carta de Condução section, and only then go for an in-person visit if you are asked to. IMT's procedure has changed: previously many people started with a form and waited for an invitation; in 2025 some people were asked to resubmit their documents through the new platform.
After you apply online, the fee payment usually appears, but not always straight away: for some people it only becomes available after about 24 hours. If IMT sends a request for missing documents, it is best to upload them within the deadline given: such requests really do come, and without a reply the case stalls.
“Second licence replacement For people with temporary protection the second licence replacement works in two ways: 1. On foot to a loja/espaço cidadão , costs 30 euros cash or card. Take your licence, protection document and passport. You can apply 180 days ahead. 2. Online on the website [link] . Log in with your NIF/digital key. You can apply 180 days ahead. If you get an error, message me privately, I know how to fix it . Free. Then we submit the application . In the basket there are the payment details, 27 euros. But payment will only be available after 24 hours.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkautolife_pt28.11.2024
Pay the fee and wait for confirmation of where to go in person
After you apply, IMT usually sends a case number and a status. From there, two things can happen: you are invited straight away to the office you chose, or you have to find an appointment through SIGA. In big cities slots can be hard to get, so many people go to another town where an earlier appointment is available.
If the system gives you a limited time for the in-person visit and there are no appointments, in practice people either grab slots as they free up or go wherever there is an earlier opening. In smaller towns the process often moves noticeably faster than in Lisbon or Porto.
“right, about the photo. I went to the loja at Saldanha four times at different times from 09:30 (maybe you have to queue before it opens, no idea, couldn't be bothered to get up early) to 13:00 and never once saw any tickets for photos. booked through siga and the earliest slot was a month away too.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkchatlisboa06.01.2026
Go to IMT in person and hand in your original licence
At the IMT visit they usually check your documents, take your original foreign licence, take your photo and issue a temporary A4 sheet. The fee for issuing the card itself is often charged at this stage if it was not paid earlier.
This paper document lets you drive in Portugal until the plastic card is ready. Outside Portugal, however, it is risky: going by people's experience and the answers they got when they asked, you cannot count on it in other countries, even together with an international driving permit. If you need to travel abroad, some people also got a Licença Internacional de Condução (international driving permit) through ACP, but that does not settle every question in another country.
Check that all your categories are being carried over
If you have not only category B but also A, C and others, check carefully what IMT has entered in your case and what is shown on the temporary paper. This is exactly where disputes often arise: some categories are not carried over automatically, and for some of them IMT may require a test or additional documents.
This applies especially to motorcycle and professional categories. Portuguese randomness happens too: for some people a category was not carried over without a test, while others, after a long silence, received a licence with the full set of categories. So read every letter from IMT carefully and reply on time.
“For the record and for the stats - handed in my licence for exchange on 23 October in Setúbal, and the temporary licence straight away only showed A1/A2. Tried to get cat A put at least on the temporary one, but the inspector seemed ready for questions like that, listed all the laws to me and said no. On 22 January a letter came from IMT - we have, they say, carefully analysed your case and cannot carry over cat A without tests. WRITE to us if you still want full A and to take the tests, and if you DON'T write within 10 working days, we'll automatically assume you're fine with A2.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkmoto chat 🇵🇹25.01.2025
Wait for the card to be issued and track the status
After the in-person visit the status usually changes to something like Concluído - Aguarda emissão de carta de condução portuguesa. This means the process has essentially been approved and the card is waiting to be printed and sent.
Waiting times vary enormously. In small towns people received their licence within a few days or a couple of weeks. At large offices the wait could take months. If things went quiet for a long time, people really did move their case along with a complaint or a message through the Contacte-nos form on the IMT website.
“The long-awaited present has arrived, and it hasn't even been six months... Oh wait, it has. Exactly 7 months. Things finally got moving after a complaint through the form on the IMT website. Here's the link. I wrote politely: "I know you're very busy, thank you so much for your work, would you be so kind as to tell me where the bloody hell my licence is?" Sent the complaint on 17 January, on the 27th a letter came with the approval, on the 28th the reply to the complaint. Got the card yesterday. So it works. For those who haven't joined us yet. In Portugal you don't have to take a test, you can simply exchange your national licence for a local one. They get exchanged like everything in Portugal — simply, but slo”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkportugal_and_me21.02.2025
“There are stats for the different IMT offices, in the big ones like Lisbon and Porto you can wait six months or longer. I went to Viseu, the licence came 10 days later. Everyone I know who applied there got it just as fast”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkru_Portugal_pt09.11.2024
If the wait drags on, complain and ask what is missing
If nothing happens for months, do not just wait in silence forever. In practice, after a complaint or a letter, IMT sometimes suddenly finds a lost photo, asks for a missing document or sends the case straight to printing.
A common problem is that IMT does not tell you something is missing: a photo, your tax address, a certificate of domicílio fiscal or a translation. So when things drag on, it is worth not only complaining but also checking that the address on your NIF matches your actual address and that there are no mistakes in your details.
“I was at the IMT head office in Lisbon wanting to file a complaint, went there specifically for that, they'd lost my photos, of course nobody told me, time's passing, no licence, they asked me to explain why I wanted to complain, I explained, and suddenly the photos were found in the system and the licence arrived 2 weeks later. So you go too, maybe the process will get moving.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkchatlisboa31.01.2024
“Got my licence yesterday. Lisbon. Waited a year. I was worried they'd make me retake the tests, because the online application date was two days before the end of the two-year residence period. And I handed in the originals at IMT three weeks after the two years were up. Big thanks to a friend who, from her own experience, told me to file an online complaint asking why I still had no licence. They replied straight away that a Certidão comprovativa do domicílio fiscal was needed from the Finanças website. Provided it the same day. The next day a letter came saying the process was complete. The licence arrived five days after the pr”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkRussosEmPortugal29.09.2023
Receive the card by post or at the office and check the details straight away
The finished licence usually arrives in your letterbox or is delivered by post to your address. Sometimes you can collect it from the IMT office if they have confirmed this with you. As soon as you get the card, check your name, date of birth, categories and expiry date straight away.
If you find a mistake, write to the IMT office that issued it. Going by people's experience, it can genuinely be corrected without going through the whole process again, but this also takes weeks.
“Exchanged an expired licence. Here's a life hack. About a week before my licence expired I submitted an online application, and instead of the residence permit I uploaded the document about having given biometrics (the letter from aima). Paid the next day. Literally a day later I got a request to upload a scan of the residence permit, with 30 days to do it. So my licence was sort of extended by a month. Luckily I got the residence permit literally 3 days after the licence expired, then I uploaded the scan and the next day the application was approved. Then I went to Aveiro to hand in the docs and a week later my licence was printed. So from the moment of uploading the docs online t”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkautolife_pt03.11.2025
“in case it helps anyone. We wrote a letter to IMT in Setúbal, where the licence was issued, explaining that the year of birth was wrong. A few weeks later a reply came with a pdf form to fill in (general details, reason for requesting a replacement, etc). Then a month and a half of silence, and yesterday a letter suddenly turned up in the letterbox with the new licence. The licence number and issue date are new, the expiry date is the old one.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkautolife_pt12.04.2025
When the expiry date approaches, renew your Portuguese licence
Renewing a Portuguese licence is a different process from the first exchange. Recent experience from 2024–2025 shows that the replacement or renewal can be done 180 days before the expiry date. You can apply either in person at a Loja do Cidadão / Espaço Cidadão (citizen service centre) or online through IMT services.
For some statuses and ages the rules differ. According to recent accounts: for people with temporary protection the second replacement was often done online or in person; under 55 the next licence was issued for 15 years, while at 55–65 a medical certificate was already required and the validity was shorter. If the system does not show your licence in your IMT account, you sometimes have to go to the office and sort it out by hand.
Check the date until which your licence is valid: since 9 June 2026 it is the date of your residence permit
This is the most important change of the past year, and it affects everyone who is not a citizen of an EU country and lives here on a visa or residence permit. Decreto-Lei n.º 114/2026 of 8 June — the seventh amendment to the Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir (the regulation on the right to drive) — has been in force since 9 June 2026. The new paragraph 9 of article 16 says that for such a driver the usual validity periods of the licence “are shortened to the expiry date shown on the residence document” (translated from Portuguese).
What is being replaced. Under the consolidated text of the regulation, the usual validity for a motorcycle, car and tractor (categories AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE and T) is 15 years until the driver turns 60, then 5 years, and after 70, 2 years. For lorry categories (C1, C1E, C, CE) and for people who carry passengers in a car for work — ambulances, patient transport, school runs, taxis — it is 5 years up to age 70 and 2 years after. It is precisely these periods, 15 and 5 years, that the new paragraph replaces with the date on your residence permit card: a two-year residence permit means a two-year licence. Bus categories (D1, D1E, D, DE) are not affected by the rule; they have their own period.
In practice, in summer 2026 this did not work the same way for everyone: some people were issued a card with the residence permit date that same month, others under the old rules, for fifteen years. You can see your own date in your personal account at “A Minha Carta de Condução” — it also says when to renew.
“All the docs already had 794 and the ‘right’ licence expiry dates, I thought I'd get away with it and they'd give me 15 years after all, but no way 😄”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkautolife_pt10.07.2026
“Applied to exchange my licence in Santarém on 26.06. The card arrived today. The new licence is valid until 2040. The new laws haven't reached the printing press yet 😁😁😁. They gave me categories A1 and A2.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkautolife_pt10.07.2026
Code 794 on the card, and licences issued before 9 June 2026
Paragraph 10 of the same article 16: licences issued under the new validity period must carry restriction code 794 and “are valid as long as the residence permit remains valid or is in the process of being renewed” (translated from Portuguese). The code is printed on the back of the card, in the restrictions column next to the category; the annex to the regulation explains it in exactly the same way.
Article 4 of the decree deals with licences already issued. The rule was extended to cards issued before 9 June 2026 as well, but code 794 is not added to them. Hence the confusion: the card shows one date — say, 2039 — but by law the licence is valid for exactly as long as your residence permit. The old date also still shows in your IMT personal account for now: in August 2026 people checked there and could not tell whether anything had changed for them or not.
What this means in practice, nobody in the chats knows, and neither do we: over summer 2026 there is not a single case in the conversations of the police at the roadside picking on code 794 or checking the licence's validity against the residence permit. The argument is strictly between two opinions — “there's a date on the card, and that's that” and “the licence goes off along with the residence permit card, whatever is printed on it”. There is only one safe course: keep your residence permit valid and apply to renew it in good time, as explained in the guide How to book an appointment with AIMA and renew your residence permit in Portugal.
“For now aminhacartadecondecao still shows the expiry as '39. Maybe, as often happens here, they just won't bother changing the date on old licences.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkmoto chat 🇵🇹06.08.2026
“I wouldn't get paranoid about old licences at all. There's an expiry date and that's it. You've got a residence permit and that's it. Nobody's going to start working out that for some reason you suddenly should have changed your licence”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkmoto chat 🇵🇹24.07.2026
Renewed your residence permit? Send the new document to IMT straight away
In summer 2026, people with an exchange or licence-issue case open at IMT started receiving letters: send your updated residence permit, otherwise the case will not move. It is sent through the “Atualização de validade de documento de autorização de residência” form in your IMT Online personal account. The letter states plainly that the card being issued will carry code 794 and be valid as long as the residence permit is valid or being renewed. Do not go by the article number in the letter: in July 2026 IMT cited article 16 of the regulation, in September article 14, while the rule is set out in paragraphs 9 and 10 of article 16.
Whether a renewal document will do instead of a new residence permit card, the conversations give no clear answer: for some people proof of automatic renewal was accepted, for others the process stood still until they had the new residence permit card in hand (July–September 2026). People also argue over whether you need to replace your licence card after every residence permit renewal at all. By law the licence stays valid while the residence permit is being renewed — so you can drive; IMT does not send a new card on its own.
A separate point for those whose IMT case is not yet finished: applying to renew your residence permit is not an approval, and IMT will not issue a new licence to someone without a valid residence permit. So the order is: residence permit first, then the licence, not the other way round. And if IMT has sent a request, you must answer it within the same deadline as any other request for further documents: the case is on hold the whole time.
“Your application needs further work. Reason: You must send a Título de Residência that has been revalidated. You are also informed that the driving licence being issued will contain restriction code 794 and will be valid only as long as the Título de Residência remains valid or is in the process of renewal (paragraphs 9 and 10 of article 14 of the Regulamento de Habilitação Legal para Conduzir).”
Translated from Portuguese; the original is at the linkautolife_pt01.09.2026
“update for the record - IMT asked for the new residence permit, citing the new rules on licence validity (=residence permit validity). Luckily I already have the new permit in hand, but the renewal document would probably have done too.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkautolife_pt01.09.2026
“Exactly. And imt won't issue a new licence until you have the residence permit - after all, applying for renewal doesn't mean it's approved”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkmoto chat 🇵🇹24.07.2026
Renewing your licence: when you need a medical certificate, when you don't, and what it costs
The IMT page asks you to apply for renewal within six months before the expiry date. The fee is €30, or €15 from age 70, with a 10% discount if you apply through IMT Online.
A medical certificate (atestado médico — an electronic medical certificate that the doctor sends to the system themselves) is not required of everyone. You need one if you are 60 or over and drive a motorcycle, car or farm vehicle (categories AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE) — and at every renewal if you hold lorry or bus categories (C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE), or if you drive an ambulance or fire engine, carry patients, pupils or children, or work as a taxi driver in a car. For this second group a psychological assessment is added from age 50. Nobody else needs a medical certificate to renew: a category B driver under 50 with an active Chave Móvel Digital renews the licence in the ID.GOV app, and a message about it arrives about five months before the expiry date.
Better not to let it lapse. Driving with an expired card is a traffic offence; if you do not renew for more than two years, IMT will require a special test with a practical part, and for more than five years a training course as well. Under the new rule this is closer than it seems: the validity period is now short and ends together with your residence permit, not fifteen years from now.
“You can get it at any clinic (even a dental one), you just go in and say you need a certificate for exchanging your licence, ATESTADO MÉDICO. They'll give you an appointment, have a chat with you, you pay for the appointment (usually 35 euros), and at the end you get an electronic certificate that they register with IMT themselves. Ask them to email you the certificate. There are Russian-speaking doctors with remote registration, but you have to wait for a slot there, prices are similar.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkchatlisboa22.05.2026
Petition No. 6760: what it asks for and what difference it makes now
Petition No. 6760 on the parliament website was filed on 11 August 2026 from Braga by the lawyer Priscila Santos Nazareth Ferreira. It asks for both paragraph 9 of article 16 of the regulation and article 4 of the decree to be repealed and replaced with database cross-checking: the driver register and the residence permit database are already linked, so the legality of residence can be checked without reissuing the card early. The main argument is proportionality: the ability to drive a car does not depend on immigration status, while a residence permit of one to three years forces people to renew their licence many times more often than other drivers, each time with a fee, a new card and a wait. The text also deals separately with professional drivers in categories C and CE: if the residence permit renewal drags on, the person simply cannot work.
As of 1 September 2026 the petition had 2,822 signatures, 2,821 of them collected online; its status is “awaiting signatures”. The thresholds are set out in the law on the right of petition (Lei n.º 43/90): more than 1,000 signatures — the committee must hear the person who filed the petition; from 2,500 to 7,500 — the petition is considered at a meeting of the relevant committee; more than 7,500 — it goes to the floor, to a plenary session. The committee threshold has already been passed; almost five thousand signatures are still needed to reach the floor.
And a sober conclusion, so you are not waiting for a miracle: a petition is a request, not a repeal. The rule has applied since 9 June 2026 and, as of today, has not been suspended by anyone. What you need to look at is not the date on the card but the date on your residence permit.
What it costs, according to community conversations
| plastic card / IMT fee for an exchange or renewal | €27–30 | source |
| replacing a lost licence online (2ª via) | €27 | source |
| medical certificate for categories A, B | €20–35 | source |
| medical certificate online | €25 | source |
| medical certificate at a test centre | €30 | source |
| psychological test / certificate for category C | €40 | source |
| uploading documents to IMT through a test centre | €15 | source |
What to bring
- a valid foreign driving licence
- passport
- residence permit card or another valid document proving your legal status
- NIF
- medical certificate for IMT
- certificate from the issuing country confirming your driving licence is valid, if required
- translation of documents into Portuguese, if required
- proof of address or a Certidão comprovativa do domicílio fiscal (proof of tax address) — if IMT asks for it
- for categories C and above — possible additional medical or psychometric documents
Where people most often trip up
- Putting off applying and running into the 2-year limit from the residence permit date.
- Applying with a licence that has already expired: IMT may refuse the exchange.
- Not getting the certificate confirming the licence is valid in advance, or getting it without the necessary translation.
- Not checking the address on their NIF and then getting requests for further documents.
- Choosing Lisbon or Porto and getting stuck on appointments and waiting times, although other towns are faster.
- Assuming the IMT paper is fine for travelling around the EU: it only works reliably in Portugal.
- Not keeping an eye on categories and then getting a licence without A, C and others.
- Not responding within the deadline to IMT letters about missing documents.
- Not checking the finished card for mistakes in the date of birth, categories and expiry date.
- Waiting for months without complaining, although after a complaint the process sometimes moves at once.
- Looking at the date on the licence card rather than the date on the residence permit: since 9 June 2026 the licence is valid for exactly as long as the residence permit.
How it went for people
How one person got a photo appointment at IMT
The person went to the Saldanha office four times between 09:30 and 13:00 but never once found any tickets for having a photo taken. Through SIGA the earliest appointment was a month away, so he booked a slot in Coimbra for the next day. Then for several days he checked appointments at Saldanha 10 times a day and caught a slot that had freed up two weeks ahead. After the photo was taken, the licence was sent by post 10 calendar days later.
Three failed attempts at the theory test
The person paid about €500 for theory, €500 for practical lessons and another €700 for two retakes of the theory test. A maximum of 3 mistakes was allowed, but he made 6, then 5 and then 6 again; each retake cost €350. For about €9 at IMT you could view the wrong answers and even photograph them. The person never got to the next attempt: the two-year learner's licence ran out and the whole process was cancelled.
Exchanging a Ukrainian licence in two months
The person started exchanging a Ukrainian licence in early November, but the first IMT portal did not work, so in early December he applied through another official service. About a month later the status changed to “em análise”, after which an invitation to have the documents checked arrived. Instead of waiting for a slot in Porto, he booked in Aveiro, handed in the old licence in 10 minutes, had his photo taken and received a temporary licence. About a week and a half later, in early February, the Portuguese licence arrived by post; it was issued for 15 years, keeping the date of the first category.
Renewing a licence under temporary protection
The person first went to IMT in October, but was asked to come back closer to the expiry of the temporary protection document. The second time he joined the queue at 08:30, got to a member of staff at about 12:00 and explained that he was moving in a month and that the licence expired in early March. After several consultations the staff member put in a request not for 15 years but until March 2027, taking into account the document extending temporary protection until March 2026. The person spent until 15:00 at IMT; the only documents they looked at were the licence and the temporary protection document.
Exchanging a licence right at the deadline
The person submitted an online application about a week before the licence expired, uploading the AIMA letter confirming the biometrics appointment instead of a residence permit. A day after payment, IMT asked for a scan of the residence permit and gave 30 days to provide it. The residence permit card arrived 3 days after the licence expired, and once the scan was uploaded the application was approved the very next day. The person then handed in the documents in Aveiro, and a week later the licence was printed; the whole process from the online application to printing took less than a month.
A six-month wait for a licence in Faro
The person submitted documents to exchange a licence at IMT in Faro on 1 April 2025, and his wife on 10 April. After 60 working days, around 90 calendar days, he went to ask about the status, but was told the documents were being reviewed in Lisbon; letters also went unanswered. Exactly six months later, on 1 October, they both received a message that their licences had been printed. His wife got her card on 11 October, he got his on 12 October; the licences were issued for about 15 years, until 2040.
Retold in our own words from messages in open chats. The link leads to the full original message.