Driving a Portugese registered car as a Brit visitor on a Brit licence?

[Jungle Jim]

I visit my ex-pat friend in Portugal who has all the residency stuff and a Portugese car. As I understand it, as a visitor I can only drive a local vehicle if it is a hire car but as her car is private and has Portugese plates I can't drive it, although I would like to share the driving. Does anyone know if there is an option that would allow me to drive her car?

 

[maxi77]

I visit my ex-pat friend in Portugal who has all the residency stuff and a Portugese car. As I understand it, as a visitor I can only drive a local vehicle if it is a hire car but as her car is private and has Portugese plates I can't drive it, although I would like to share the driving. Does anyone know if there is an option that would allow me to drive her car?

I can't give a definitive answer but many including us do it though we will be changing our licence shortly. We were stopped at a drink driving check many years ago and the GNR officer was not worried about the licence as long as the other paperwork was OK.

 

[Graham376]

Never had a problem driving family member's Portuguese cars on UK license for several decades before we had our own here. Still driving on UK license, no problems both times pulled and papers inspected. Don't mention residency though, I'm on holiday officer.

 

[ashtead]

Perfectly possible to drive a car as a driver with a licence from another EC state . It's not really possible for insurers to offer a product which carves out non UK licence holders so if you are an EC licence holder whatever the quality of the test in your home state you can insure a uk registered driver. A uk licence holder can likewise buy and insure say a German registered car and pay the local city tax etc . In summary provided your friend has contacted his insurers and you are covered under his policy to drive your Brit licence presents no problems. If anyone wants info on a post Brexit equivalence regime though please refer to gov websites .

 

[Jungle Jim]

Thank you all, that is very reassuring. I'll get her to check the insurance and take it from there.

 

[Graham376]

Perfectly possible to drive a car as a driver with a licence from another EC state . It's not really possible for insurers to offer a product which carves out non UK licence holders

One major difference to the UK is that all Portuguese cars have to be covered 3rd party for any driver.

 

[Wansworth]

You do no how the Portuguese drive?

 

[macd]

If anyone wants info on a post Brexit equivalence regime though please refer to gov websites .

...which will tell the OP that he'll probably need an International Driving Permit from 30 March in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Buy now before the rush?

 

[25931]

As Graham says Portuguese insurance gives 3rd party ( no fire & theft) cover for anyone with a driving licence, so as long as you have all the docs. with you you have no worries. It would only be necessary to consult the insurance co. re comprehensive insurance. Someone has confused the issue - a Portuguese resident may not drive a foreign registered car apart from a hire car.

 

[Neil_Y]

Sort of linked to this thread...
Interesting thing we discovered after checking rules for driving a Swedish registered car in UK was that UK citizens are not permitted to own and/or drive a foreign registered car in the UK, trying to get Swedish partner onto my insurance was really expensive if she was a resident of Sweden but when she was a UK resident it halved the price of my insurance?
In Sweden it's easy as it's the car that is insured not the driver.
After Brexit? who knows....I'm getting an international permit

 

[macd]

...UK citizens are not permitted to own and/or drive a foreign registered car in the UK

I think you'll find that they are. Now UK residents, on the other hand...

 

[Graham376]

I think you'll find that they are. Now UK residents, on the other hand...

Chapter and verse here, depends on whether a resident or visiting -

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/temporary-imports

 

[shan]

You do no how the Portuguese drive?

Mostly down the middle of the bloody road....and then look surprised when they encounter another car o the road...

 

[Graham376]

Mostly down the middle of the bloody road....and then look surprised when they encounter another car o the road...

Their favourite trick is to stay in the right hand lane when turning left at roundabout.

 

[shan]

Their favourite trick is to stay in the right hand lane when turning left at roundabout.

...or to go around the entire roundabout in the outside lane.

 

[Jungle Jim]

Thank you all for the input. Oh yes, I have seen how the Portugese drive, I reckon I am ready for anything they can throw at me, I have driven in Nigeria which is a good grounding :ambivalence:

International driving permit being applied for next week :encouragement:

 

[Heckler]

Sort of linked to this thread...
Interesting thing we discovered after checking rules for driving a Swedish registered car in UK was that UK citizens are not permitted to own and/or drive a foreign registered car in the UK, trying to get Swedish partner onto my insurance was really expensive if she was a resident of Sweden but when she was a UK resident it halved the price of my insurance?
In Sweden it's easy as it's the car that is insured not the driver.
After Brexit? who knows....I'm getting an international permit

Why? Another scare story, go to USA, brit license ok, go to Oz or NZ, same. I suspect rest of the world the same

 

[Graham376]

Why? Another scare story, go to USA, brit license ok, go to Oz or NZ, same. I suspect rest of the world the same

I wouldn't say it's a scare story but, a premature decision. The licenses we have at the moment are standardised EU ones. We have already been warned by EU and UK Gov. that UK licences "may not" be valid, depending on what deals are/are not made.

 

[JohnO-1]

Also, remembering there are different requirements for Portuguese & Spanish IDPs, just in case you think you might cross over the border.

 

[Jungle Jim]

Yep, can confirm that, the lady in the Post Office checked while sorting out my IDP, you need 2 different ones to get the ferry to Bilbao and drive through to Portugal for example.