Importing a car

browse to http://www.e-financas.gov.pt
there is a simulator to determine tax.
Over the last 20 or 30 years, it was common for portugueses to shop in germany etc for used cars to bring her. autoscout was a reference to find interesting deals.

Nowadays, taxes for importations are very very high.
Government wish to protect "internal market" , and taxes very high used cars arrising from other countrys.
There are a few agencys dealing with the administrative question inherent to this program.

I would recomend to shop locally.

I want to bring my car from the states to Algarve. The consulate said I have to have a clear title for 12 months. Does anyone know if there's a loophole on this? I have owned my car since 2004 but took out a loan for my daughter's school that I can pay off. Any suggestions? And a website that can convert Portuguese to English preferably? Thanks.

Google translate .....

I shopped locally and I paid €9000 cash (after a €2000 discount) for a 10 year old car that costs 1500 Pound Sterling in the UK. I feel blessed to be relieved of my money. The car's caixa automatica has severe problems.... Please explain how was I protected by "shopping locally"? Being ripped off does not mean protected.

That's exactly why I want to bring my car. It is actually 15 years old, I. Bought it with 58K miles on it at 4 years old and it only has 91K on it now. I just passed an emissions test which is by California standards, the strictest in the country. I have an honest mechanic who works on it. I know what can go wrong with it. I would hate to be fleeced like that.

The dealer (Compre Bem, Madalena, Pico) took it to repair it (one year warranty), spent most of my diesel in the tank and drove it for over 200 km, returned it unrepaired (I doubt very much they took my car to Faial island for repairs, no docs were presented as proof of the repairs) and claimed that they repaired it. Con artists. Lawyers on the island are a joke as well as many other businesses. There are good, honest businesses as well and in general I am happy on the island.

58/91 thousand miles or km?

in Portugal we mostly use manual "caixa"....

and the market both of used card and repairs in Faial, is obviously related to the size of the population on the Island...
in mainland, unless ur Jay Leno and have dozen of classics you wish to show off, makes no sense to bring cars to europe...

Yes, don't bring cars to Portugal, unless you are a Jay Leno (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emperor Hirohito, Vladimir Putin etc. etc. etc.) or unless you are broke... and regarding caixa automatica... everyone that buys a car with caixa automatica in Portugal is destined to big troubles.. even if they buy a Mercedes like I did. And so the dealer will be a majour scammer as well. Right? And since an island has a tiny population of 15T it means you should expect to be ripped off when buying a car and not taken care of. Right? And since I already spent €100000 in just a few short months on the tiny island (in their own benefit, my guess?), they think I could absorb a few scams. Right?

So folks, do not bring your cheap cars to Portugal. Just get ripped off and swallow THAT.

So what's the story with scooters or motorcycles? I would love to have a vintage bike with a sidecar so my dog can ride along. Sure that's rare, so then does everyone who don't have cars just rent them? My little suv has served me well and I like cars I can use for moving stuff. I'm going to settle in Algarve where it seems it would be beneficial to have transport.

The consulate in the states on Sam Francisco told me you have to have a clear title for 12 months so it sounds like you can't buy a car on the way to Portugal from other countries.

Try this: put your little bike or car into a container and seal it, then contact PT embassy and tell them you want to import domestic goods as you are moving to the PT. They will "help" you how to import domestic goods and your "lawnmower" duty-free. But do your own research online as well as they will not help you 100% as they are interested in charging your arm and leg if you fail to file one single form. Your "lawnmower" will be your car. You can call it a lawnmower and bring it import tax free that way. Then just keep it in your back yard as your collectible. If you have a large-enough yard you can drive it around your back yard, unregistered. Many people bring guns into the country that way as no one opens the containers to check them inside anyway. I did everything by their rules, did not bring any guns as i was uninformed, was also insulted by the embassy telling me "do not bring any drugs" since I hate drugs and druggies anyway, but I brought a lawnmower, legally and they did not charge me a penny, because it was part of the household goods. You can try to bring your small car engine-less, then "buy" a local engine, something like that may work, but otherwise just pay 10 times more for a local junk, as European cars are known for their shitty quality, even the Mercedes-Benz, and enjoy. The better solution, to save you $30K to $100K in ridiculous import fees (if you are too lazy to do your homework and bring all your stuff duty-free) is to just buy a local motor scooter or bring a bicycle of your own. Don't worry too much as they do not really give a damn over here on anything. So just relax and do what you can do. They are HAPPY that you move to their country as everyone else left to Angola, Brazil, São Tome, Cape Verde or another Third World country anyway, to get the jobs there. Local jobs pay anywhere from 300€ to 500€ a month. If you're lucky, to get a job, 5€ to 7€ an hour for temporary construction jobs. That includes electrician, plumber, bricklayer and other professional jobs, which charge 7€ to 10€ per hour. So be prepared to work for next to nothing and enjoy your relaxed lifestyle being surrounded by friendly people. Just keep in mind, the place is very safe, except that it is teeming with thieves and people that make empty promises. Always get a cash receipt on anything you pay them in cash. Very beautiful and enjoyable country and very underrated.