Three steps, all online
No appointments and no originals in the post. You can order from a PDF or a scan of your driver licence.
Send the PDF, a scan or a clear photo of your driver licence.
Every field is translated, including notes recorded on the driver licence.
Within 2–3 business days (1–2 days for car rental), or urgent: next business day (24 hours for rental). Add a printed copy by post if you need one.
Your translation is compared line by line with your passport and other documents, so it has to be complete and exact.
What you receive
- Every field translated, including the notes recorded on the driver licence.
- Every name, date and number on the driver licence carried into the translation.
- The translator's NAATI stamp and certification statement, showing who translated it and their NAATI credential.
- Our letterhead with our address and telephone number, so the translation can be traced back to us.
Driving in Australia on a Portuguese licence
Each state sets its own rules. Here is what the licensing authorities say, and where our translation can and cannot be used.
What each part of your Portuguese licence means
| On the driver licence | What it is | In your translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Apelidos · 2. Nome próprio | The holder's surname(s) and given name(s), as printed on the card | Surname · Given names |
| 3. Data e local de nascimento | Date and place of birth | Date and place of birth |
| 4a. Data de emissão · 4b. Termo da validade | The date this card was issued and the date it expires. Car and motorcycle licences issued since 30 July 2016 are revalidated every 15 years until age 60, then at 60, 65 and 70, and every 2 years after 70 | Date of issue · Expiry date |
| 4c. Serviço emissor · 4d. Número de controlo | The issuing service and the card's control number | Issuing authority · Control number |
| 5. Número da carta | The licence number: a serial number preceded by letters that identify the issuing service | Licence No. |
| 6. · 7. · 8. Residência | The photograph, the holder's signature, and the residence field, which Portugal stopped filling in from 2016 | Photograph · Signature · Address |
| 9. Categorias | The vehicle categories held: AM (mopeds), A1, A2 and A (motorcycles), B1 (quadricycles), B (cars), BE (car and trailer), C1, C and their E combinations (goods vehicles), D1, D and their E combinations (buses) | Categories |
| Verso: 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 | The back of the card: for each category, the date it was first issued (10), its expiry date (11) and any codes (12). Codes 1 to 99 are harmonised across the EU; codes 100 and above are national codes valid only in Portugal | Reverse: category · first issued · valid until · codes |
What to send us
- The official driver licence as a PDF, or a clear colour scan where every line is readable.
- Every page in one file.
- Both sides of the licence card, front and back, in colour.
Frequently asked questions
Portugal is a recognised country. Can I use your translation to transfer my licence in NSW?
No. Recognition means you will not sit the knowledge and driving tests for a car licence, but Transport for NSW still needs a translation and only accepts translations from Multicultural NSW or the Department of Home Affairs, in the original. Our NAATI translation is suited to driving in NSW as a visitor and to licence transfers in states that accept NAATI translations, such as Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
My licence says "Driving Licence" in the background. Do I still need a translation?
Yes, for the authorities we checked. The words appear only in the background pattern, with the same phrase in the other EU languages; the card itself is headed in Portuguese and its fields are numbered. NSW, Victoria and Queensland ask for a translation where a licence is not in English, and WA names only Irish and Maltese EU-format licences as not needing one.
I want to hire a car. Will this translation be accepted?
Car rental companies set their own requirements for overseas licences, so please check with your rental company before you travel.
How long does the translation take?
Standard delivery for a driver licence is 2 to 3 business days. An urgent option ($100) is available at checkout.
Do I need an apostille on my Portuguese licence?
The NSW, Victorian, Queensland and WA licensing pages we checked ask for your original licence and an English translation, and do not mention legalisation or an apostille. Portugal has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 4 February 1969, so if another authority asks for one, it is obtained in Portugal. An apostille is translated as an extra page.
Can I get a printed copy?
Yes. The certified translation is always delivered as a PDF by email, and you can add a printed copy sent by post when you order.
Other Portuguese documents we translate
Another document? See Portuguese translation services.