Do I need an international driving permit for Portugal? Guide

You arrive at the counter with a driving licence issued in Berlin, London, Toronto or Chicago, and the question is always the same: can I take a motorcycle out on the road in Lisbon with this? The answer to do I need an international driving permit for Portugal depends on where you come from: tourists have their own rules, residents have different ones, and our side is stricter still, because a rental insurance policy leaves no room for doubt about who is on the handlebars. In this guide we have put together what the IMT and the European Commission publish and what we ask for at the Sobreda shop, so you know before booking whether your document is enough.

In short:

• A tourist with a licence from a country that has signed the road traffic conventions can drive in Portugal for up to 185 days, counted from the day after arrival.
• An EU or EEA licence is valid until the expiry date printed on the document, and registering your residence with the IMT is free.
• Up to 125 cm³ we require you to be 18 and hold an A1, A2 or A licence; above 125 cm³, 21 and an A2 or A licence.
• Daily prices for October 2026 range from 36 € (110 cm³ scooter) to 140 € (Honda Africa Twin), with 400 km per day included.
• The deposit, between 400 € and 2,300 € depending on the model, is blocked on a credit or debit card in the driver's name.

What the IMT says to people arriving as tourists

The basic rule is on the page of the Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT, the Portuguese mobility and transport institute) about licences from countries that have signed the conventions and other situations. Anyone holding a driving licence issued by a country that has signed the international road traffic conventions, or that has a bilateral agreement or reciprocity arrangement with Portugal, can drive here with that licence for a maximum of 185 days. The count starts the day after you enter the country and only applies to people who have not yet taken up residence, the tourist situation.

In practice, 185 days covers everything we do at the counter. The number only matters to people who spend a long spell in Portugal, for example someone who arrives in September and wants to rent a motorcycle in March: count the days and keep proof of your entry date.

The same page explains what happens when you take up residence: you need to arrange the exchange of your licence, with a medical assessment, a form on the A Minha Carta de Condução portal and handing in the document at an IMT counter. The stated cost is 30 €, with a 10% discount on the online request. That is a conversation for after you move, not for your holiday week.

If your licence is from the European Union or the EEA

This is the simplest case. According to the IMT, on the page dedicated to countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), you can drive in Portugal with your EU licence until the expiry date shown on the document. Anyone settling in the country must register their residence with the IMT. The service is free, but it must be done within 60 days of taking up residence.

For someone spending a week in Lisbon, this means your national licence is enough, with nothing to translate or exchange. What changes from person to person is the category: the licence has to say A1, A2 or A depending on the motorcycle you choose. A car licence (B) on its own does not open the door to a 750 cm³ motorcycle.

United Kingdom, United States, Canada and other OECD and CPLP countries

Since 1 August 2022, Decreto-Lei n.º 46/2022 has extended recognition to a group of countries outside the EU. The IMT describes it on the page about licences issued by OECD and CPLP countries (the OECD and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries). That list includes, among others, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Switzerland and Brazil. These licences are accepted for driving in Portugal even after the driver becomes a resident, as long as specific conditions are met:

• the issuing country has signed one of the road traffic conventions (Geneva 1949 or Vienna 1968) or has a bilateral agreement with Portugal;
• no more than 15 years have passed since the licence was issued or last renewed;
• the holder is under 60;
• the licence is valid and has not been seized, suspended, expired or revoked;
• the driver meets the minimum age Portugal requires for the category in question.

Note the second point. An American licence renewed 16 years ago, or an Australian licence of the same age, fails the 15-year test even though it is printed and legible. At the counter we look at the issue or renewal date before we look at anything else.

If you are Brazilian, the story has a chapter of its own, with the agreement between the two countries and the usual questions about the CNH. We wrote all of that separately, and the right thing to read is Is a Brazilian CNH valid in Portugal? Renting a motorcycle in Lisbon.

International driving permit: when it helps

The international driving permit (IDP) causes more doubt than it deserves. It is not a licence, it is a supplement: the British Government document says you must always carry your driving licence and, at the same time, the IDP. On its own, it lets nobody drive.

For British drivers, the official rule is clear. The UK government page on international driving permits lists Portugal under the 1968 convention and states that a holder of a photocard licence from the UK, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man can drive for up to 185 days without an IDP. Anyone who still has the old paper licence should exchange it for a photocard or apply for an IDP. The same site adds that, if you rent a car, you should check whether the rental company asks for an IDP, and the same caution applies to a motorcycle.

For North Americans, Canadians, Australians and Japanese, the IMT pages we consulted do not mention an IDP. They talk about a valid licence, a country that has signed the conventions, the age of the licence and the age of the driver. We will not invent a requirement the law does not mention, but we will not promise the opposite either: our contract asks for a licence that is valid and recognised in Portuguese territory and in the European Union, and the final decision at the counter rests with the team, who may refuse the rental if they are not convinced of your experience. If your licence does not come from an EU country or one of the countries listed above, write to rent@moto.pt before booking and attach a photo of both sides.

Minimum age: the law and our rules

The IMT, on its page about motorcycle driving licences, explains the ages for obtaining a licence in Portugal: 16 for category A1, 18 for A2 and, for category A, 24, or 20 with two years of category A2. As a tourist you have already brought your licence from home, but the ladder gives an idea of what each category means.

Our conditions go beyond the legal minimum, for insurance and safety reasons, and they are in the rental contract and in the requirements section of each model:

• up to 125 cm³ (for example Honda PCX 125 and Yamaha NMAX 125): 18 years old and an A1, A2 or A licence;
• above 125 cm³: 21 years old and an A2 or A licence, depending on the category indicated on the model page (A2 allows motorcycles up to 35 kW);
• above 700 cm³, such as the BMW R 1300 GS or the Yamaha Tenere 700: the previous requirements plus two years of proven experience on motorcycles with similar characteristics.

The contract also states that, for models up to 125 cm³, a B licence held for at least 25 years is accepted, valid only in Portugal, under Lei n.º 78/2009. The wording points to a Portuguese rule. If you have a foreign B licence and are counting on this door, do not assume anything: ask us in writing before booking, with the issuing country and the issue date.

What each category lets you rent

This table brings together the daily prices for October 2026 in our fleet, with the required category and the deposit. Values are per day, with no long-rental discount, and the 400 km per day are included on all models.

Model	Licence	Minimum age	Price per day (October 2026)	Deposit
Honda Vision NSC110	A1	18	36 €	400 €
Honda PCX 125	A1	18	46 €	600 €
Yamaha MT-125	A1	18	60 €	600 €
Yamaha NMAX 125 Tech MAX	A1	18	63 €	600 €
BMW C 400 X	A2	21	72 €	900 €
Husqvarna Svartpilen 401	A2	21	73 €	600 €
Honda ADV 350	A2	21	80 €	800 €
Honda NC750X	A	21	100 €	1,000 €
Honda Transalp 750	A	21	110 €	1,000 €
Yamaha Tenere 700 Rally	A	21	120 €	1,300 €
Honda Africa Twin	A	21	140 €	1,100 €

With an A1 licence the catalogue stays at 125 cm³ and the Vision. With A2 the mid-range models join in, from 72 € to 81 € per day (the 34 kW Honda CMX500 Rebel is here too). An A licence opens everything, but above 700 cm³ the two years of experience are still required.

The documents on pick-up day

Pick-up is at Sobreda, on Estrada Nacional 10-1, every day between 09:00 and 19:00. Each motorcycle's page says the same about documents, and the list is short:

1. citizen card or passport;
2. driving licence of the category required for the model, valid and recognised in Portugal;
3. a physical credit or debit card, in the driver's name, for the deposit;
4. suitable motorcycle riding experience, which we assess at the counter itself.

Bring the original licence. The motorcycle's condition is inspected in your presence, any existing damage is photographed and noted on a checklist signed by both of us, and only what is not on it is your responsibility on return.

The deposit: what a hold on your card means

The deposit is not a payment. Our contract describes it as a pre-authorisation, that is, a temporary hold of the amount on your card, which becomes unavailable to you but does not leave the account. It varies by model and, under our conditions, is usually between 600 € and 2,300 €; in the current fleet it ranges from 400 € on the Vision to 2,200 € on the BMW R 1300 GS Adventure. Cash is not accepted.

This has a practical consequence for travellers. The card must have enough free limit: holding a 1,000 € deposit on a card with 800 € available does not work, and a debit card with a low balance creates the same problem. Check your limit before leaving home. After the return and the motorcycle check, we give the release order at the terminal; the time until the amount shows up again on your card depends on the bank that issued it and on the Visa and Mastercard networks, not on us.

Booking, kilometres and extras for visitors

To secure the date you only need to pay 30% when booking. Each day includes 400 km and each additional kilometre costs 0.49 €. Delivery to the airport or to your address is available, but it is a separately paid service; the base price does not include it. The rental includes a basic helmet with a visor, and anyone who prefers a full-face one pays 5 € per day. Gloves cost 2 € per day, the protective jacket 5 € and the phone holder 3 €.

If your plan includes Spain, the contract offers Spain extension insurance at 58 € per 10 days. Whatever the answer to do I need an international driving permit for Portugal when renting with a foreign licence, anyone with an A2 licence who wants something more fun than a 125 cm³ scooter can choose between the ADV 350 and the C 400 X.

Cases that complicate the counter

There are four situations we have seen more than once and that are worth anticipating:

• A valid licence but of a category that does not match the model. An A2 licence is no use for the Africa Twin, however experienced you are.
• Deposit card in someone else's name. The contract holder must be the holder of the physical card.
• A second driver without documents. Any authorised driver must meet the same requirements and be identified in the contract. If the motorcycle is ridden by someone who is not identified, the rental may be cancelled without a refund and an administrative fee may be charged.
• Experience that cannot be seen. We reserve the right to assess your experience. If the team concludes that you cannot ride the chosen model safely, the rental may be refused, with no right to a refund of what you have already paid.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an international driving permit to rent a motorcycle in Portugal?

Portuguese law, on the IMT pages we consulted, talks about a valid licence, a country that has signed the conventions and age, not about an IDP. For British drivers with a photocard licence, the UK government says you do not need an IDP for up to 185 days. In the shop's contract, the requirement is a licence that is valid and recognised in Portugal and the EU. If you have doubts about your country, write before booking.

Is my American, Canadian or Australian licence accepted?

The United States, Canada and Australia are on the list of OECD countries whose licences the IMT accepts, as long as the licence is valid, is less than 15 years from issue or renewal and the driver is under 60. The motorcycle category shown on the licence is still what decides which model you can rent.

Can I rent a 125 cm³ scooter with just a car licence?

The contract accepts a B licence held for at least 25 years on models up to 125 cm³, but describes it as valid only in Portugal, under Lei n.º 78/2009. With a foreign B licence, confirm with us by e-mail before booking, stating the country and the issue date.

Can someone else ride the rented motorcycle?

Only if they are identified in the contract as an authorised driver and meet the same requirements for age, licence and experience. Handing the motorcycle to a friend who is not in the contract can lead to the rental being cancelled without a refund and to an administrative fee.