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Driving in the Algarve - Part 3: What to have with you

by Almonds & Oranges    

This series of blogs covers the basics of driving on Portugal’s roads, including, general safety rules which documents you need to carry with you, driving licence laws, toll roads, buying a Portuguese registered vehicle, registering a foreign vehicle in Portugal and owning a vehicle in Portugal.

What you need to carry with you

In Portugal, there are specific documents which you're required to carry with you whilst driving. With the government’s recent clamp down on bad drivers, in an effort to improve safety on Portugal’s roads, spot checks are common place. I was stopped twice in the space of two weeks. If you're stopped by the police, you're likely to receive a hefty fine for each document you don’t have with you at the time, so it’s worth getting into the habit of carrying them.

Algarve driving important documents

Documents

With the exception of rental vehicles, whether or not you're the registered owner of the vehicle you're driving, in Portugal the law requires you to carry the following documents:

  • Valid driving licence for the category of vehicle you're driving
  • A registration certificate for the vehicle (Certificado de Matricula)
  • A valid insurance document for the vehicle (the tear off section must also be displayed in the front windscreen)
  • Current road tax; a receipt issued by Finanças (Portuguese tax office) showing that the road tax (Imposto Único de Circulação, IUC) has been paid
  • A current IPO (Inspecção Périodica Obrigatória) certificate for the vehicle. This proves that it's roadworthy. The tear off section must also be displayed in the front windscreen.

If you are driving a rental vehicle, always make sure that you have your rental agreement with you while driving.  If you don't have a driving licence issued by the Portuguese authorities, you are required to carry a valid passport as identification too.

Algarve breakdown safety equipment            Algarve car driving licence documents check

Other items

This is the list of items that you're required to carry in your vehicle at all times:

  • A reflective vest or jacket which is accessible without leaving the vehicle
  • A red reflective warning triangle
  • An inflated spare wheel and the tools necessary to change it
  • Approved child seats for children under 12 and/or 150cm tall

Algarve regulations safe child seats in car

In part 4, I'll cover the laws around driving licences for the visiting and resident driver.

What's your experience of driving in the Algarve? Have you ever been stopped by the police? How did it go?

 

Do you want to find out more about driving in the Algarve? You can read about it on Meravista’s blogs:

Driving in the Algarve - Part 6: Owning a car in Portugal

Driving in the Algarve - Part 5: Using Toll Roads

Driving in the Algarve - Part 4: Driving Licenses

Driving in the Algarve - Part 2: Safety First

Driving in the Algarve - Part 1: Rules and Regs

 

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