Do you need to apostille your US driver’s license or abstract of driving record for Portugal?

Do you need to exchange your US Driver’s license for a Portugal Driver’s License?

U.S. Citizens are entitled to drive in Portugal with their U.S. issued driver’s license for a period no to exceed 185 days, provided they are not legal residents.  After acquiring legal residency, U.S. citizens have 90 days in which to request the exchange of the driver’s license without being required to take a driving test. During that period, U.S. citizens may continue to drive with their driver’s license.

After exhausting the 90 days without making the request, U.S. citizens will not be allowed to continue driving, but they will be allowed to request the exchange without being subject to completion of driving test. They have a deadline of two years counting from the date of acquiring residency to make the request.

U.S. citizens need to present the following document issued in the USA to the local authorities in Portugal:

An abstract of driving record from the issuing authority in the last state of residence in the United States.   The DMV must attest the authenticity of the driving license, date of issue and expiration date, class of vehicles that you may drive and any suspension and revocation.   What is an apostille?

Before getting started, please find out if a color copy of your driver’s license signed, notarized, and apostilled is sufficient.  If not, then you will need to contact the DMV for a signed abstract of driving record.  An official copy with a valid signature must be provided by the DMV in which the official who signed the document can be authenticated by the Secretary of State’s office.  If no signature is provided or verifiable at the state office, then the only other choice is to have a notary public can visit the DMV to notarize the official who is going to sign/attest to the driving record.

NOTE: The information above is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as legal advice.

Obtaining an apostille can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

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