How do I choose the right car model to import?

Define subjective criteria (driving pleasure, aesthetics, reliability) and objective criteria (brand, model, fuel type, maximum mileage, age). Focus on 2-3 main ranked criteria. Also consider ISV (Vehicle Tax) which affects the final cost.

What are the ownership costs of an imported car?

Beyond the purchase cost, consider: IUC (annual circulation tax), tires and maintenance, fuel, car insurance, and vehicle depreciation. Choosing a used car significantly reduces depreciation costs.

How does vehicle legalization work for imported cars in Portugal?

Legalization involves 5 steps: 1) Get the national homologation number from IMT, 2) Pass the Type B inspection for license plate assignment, 3) Fill out the Customs Declaration and pay ISV, 4) Submit documentation to IMT, 5) Register the vehicle at the Vehicle Registry Office.

Is it worth importing a car instead of buying in Portugal?

Yes, importing can generate significant savings. The Northern European market (especially Germany) is more competitive with lower prices. With Clevercar's turnkey service, the entire process is handled by professionals — from selection to delivery of the legalized car.

How much does it cost to import a car to Portugal?

The total import cost includes: vehicle purchase price, ISV (Vehicle Tax), transport, legalization and documentation. Use Clevercar's ISV simulator to calculate the tax and the savings calculator to compare with the national market value.

Complete Vehicle Import Guide 2026

Choosing the Model

Before starting to search for model A or B, think and write down on paper what your most important criteria are. This will help you make a more considered decision and feel more at peace with your choice. The criteria will always be subjective, but here is a list where you can start. Select the most relevant to you and add others that seem important.

Subjective Criteria

Driving pleasure
Practicality
Brand prestige
Brand reliability
Aesthetics

As popular wisdom goes, you can't have it all, so we suggest focusing on 2 or 3 criteria to make your option and establish a hierarchy among them.

Objective Criteria

Preferred brands
Models
Body Type
Fuel Type
Colors
Extras you value most
Maximum mileage
Maximum vehicle age

Other Considerations

Fuel type
Engine capacity
Co2 emissions
Vehicle age

Don't forget that, when importing a car, the final cost will depend on how much you will pay in ISV (Vehicle Tax). You can consult our ISV simulator to know how much you will pay when importing a vehicle.

Cost of Ownership

Enjoying a car implies not only the acquisition cost. There are other costs that are important to consider, which have to do with its use and ownership.

IUC (Tax)

Although it is called Single Circulation Tax, it is actually a property tax, since it does not depend on how much you drive and you have to pay it even with the car parked in the garage.

Tires and Services

Good tires or a recently performed service at the time of acquisition can easily mean €500 in savings in the first year.

Fuel

This can be a very significant cost in the total ownership costs and the choice of fuel should be related to the total number of kms and the most frequent daily mileage.

Insurance

What coverage, with or without travel assistance? With or without own damage?

Devaluation

This is a good reason to buy a used car. The greatest devaluation occurs in the first year, either because it applies to the maximum value of the car or because the rate is higher. When you buy a used car, you greatly reduce this cost.

Budget and Credit

Defining a budget is a matter that depends on the economic situation of each person at a given time. But there are two situations that need to be distinguished.

No Credit

In this case, everything is simpler and depends on the size of your wallet.

But even if you have the capacity to buy a car outright, using your savings, we suggest that you do not fully commit them to the acquisition of your new car. It might make sense to combine a higher down payment with credit, preserving liquidity for any unexpected situation.

In this case, there are a set of best practices that should be considered:

Do not commit more than 10% to 15% of the family budget to the automobile.
Before making the deal, compare different credit proposals. Ask your bank for a proposal — they already know you and can make a competitive offer —, but don't hesitate to ask for other proposals. A good solution might be to use a credit intermediary, where you can easily get proposals from different institutions.
When comparing proposals, ensure that you are considering all charges. What matters is the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) — a rate that includes interest, commissions, insurance, taxes — which is what you will actually have to pay every month, and not the nominal rate — which only refers to what you will pay in interest.
What term to contract? For the same interest rate, the financial cost — how much you will have to add to the value of the car to cover interest, taxes associated with the credit, commissions, and other contractual costs — will be greater the longer the loan settlement period. Therefore, the shorter the term, the lower your costs will be.
Early settlement and its conditions are another of the variables to consider when choosing your loan. In some cases, you only pay 0.5% on the outstanding amount if you anticipate payment. Imagine you are going to receive a significant amount in, for example, 12 months. It might make sense to negotiate a longer term to support lower monthly payments and anticipate the payment at the end of 12 months.

The Best Deal

The car market (particularly in Northern Europe and Germany, where the vast majority of imports come from) is very rigorous, and best practices are the rule. But even so, there are some precautions to take.

Always be suspicious of deals that are too good to be true.

Choose dealerships with good or very good ratings on platforms and social media (>4.5/5.0).

Choose dealerships with a relevant number of reviews. 10 or 20 ratings can be easily manipulated.

Choose dealerships that did not just arrive on the market yesterday.

Choose dealerships that are used to dealing with exports and that — unless you speak German or hire a translator — speak a language you are comfortable with properly.

Do not negotiate with a dealership that refuses to answer a question in writing, send a specific picture you ask for, or make a video call near the vehicle.

Vehicle Condition

It is important to remember that you are not buying a new car and that the photos often overemphasize the defects. The idea here is that you won't be surprised when you receive the car and, if fair, you can get some price revision.

Of course, if you choose our turnkey service, we ask these and all questions for you.

If the vehicle you choose to purchase lacks a CoC, you can buy it here. Don't forget to try to negotiate this value with the seller.

When is the next scheduled maintenance? What is the condition of the tires, and what percentage of tread do they still have? Is the wear even? Is it possible to see photos? What is the condition of the interior? Are there stains, damage or signs of wear on the seats? Damage or signs of wear on other interior surfaces? Any signs of corrosion? Is it possible to see photos? What is the condition of the paint? Is there any paint damage, even if small? Can you confirm that the car has never been in an accident? What is the provenance of the vehicle? Does the car have an up-to-date maintenance book? Is it possible to see photos of the most recent services? Does the car come with a valid CoC?

Vehicle Negotiation

The car market in Northern Europe is not very susceptible to negotiation, and for good reasons. They are normally very transparent regarding the vehicle's condition and, therefore, hold a secure position regarding the fairness of the asking price. Besides, since it's a very competitive market, the prices are already quite compressed.

Even so, based on objective elements of the vehicle condition evaluation, you can get some price reduction, but don't count on huge discounts.

If you want to leave this to professionals, it's very simple: you always have our turnkey service available.

Transport

You can, of course, choose to drive your vehicle yourself or hire a driver. But, if you choose to hire a transport service, be very careful when choosing the service provider.

I will hire a service

If you choose to hire a transport (which we recommend), there are some precautions to take. Do not be impressed only by the price. There are very different companies on the market, offering very different levels of service and reliability.

I will hire a service

What is the size and age of the fleet?

So your car arrives without incident…

What is the cargo insurance coverage?

The vehicle is already yours, and so is the risk.

How soon will you get the transport?

Having the car paid for, but the shipment successively postponed, is not a situation you certainly want to be in.

Do they offer home delivery?

If not, where are the warehouses located?

Will they transport the car to an inspection center, so you can have it inspected right away for legalization purposes?

I will drive the vehicle

Temporary license plates and insurance

If you deal with a dealership experienced in export, they handle this for you. If not, try to have everything prepared from Portugal to avoid staying an extra day on the trip.

Travel to the country of purchase

Travel to the seller's facilities

Stay of 1 or 2 nights

Depends on the distance to cover to return.

Fuel

Tolls

Meals

Legalization

Legalizing an imported car is not complex, especially if it's from a European Union country. Things get more complicated if it's from a non-EU country or a car prior to 2007 or without a COC.

Here you will find the basic steps to take to legalize an imported vehicle from an EU country with a registration date after 1998.

Obtain the National Homologation Number

a) At IMT (in person or online)

b) Needs COC (exceptions may apply)

1

Perform the Inspection to Assign License Plates

a) Vehicle Inspection Center (category B, which are the ones enabled for this type of inspections)

b) You must request the filling out of Mod 112, also known as yellow sheet, as well as the certification of model 9

Learn more about inspection and license plate assignment

2

Fill Out Customs Declaration and Pay ISV

a) At the Customs Portal

b) Get the settlement guide and pay the ISV

3

Deliver Documentation to IMT

a) At an IMT branch

b) Deliver:

Prior Booking
Model 9
Original Documents from the Country of Purchase
Copy of DAV
Copy of Model 80 (if exists)
Model 112
Homologation Inquiry
Copy of COC
Copy of Invoice or purchase contract
Copy of ID Card

4

Register the Vehicle at the Auto Registry Office

5