In September last year, I started the process of exchanging my Australian driver license for a Portuguese one. Got all the necessary documents and submitted the application to Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT). Because of the pandemic and various containment measures, most of this was all done online. It took 2 months for my application request to be processed, and I finally got a notification email to make payment, as well as mailing in my original license and supporting documents, and to go in to an IMT counter at my local Loja de Cidadão (Citizen’s shop) for my photo and signature to be taken. I promptly did all of this, and was told to expect the card in the mail in about 1-2 weeks. This was in early November. I got an email on 18 November that my application was completed and a Portuguese license was issued.

However, as of today, 2 March 2022. I still have not received my license. Even though in my application I had put down our current address, it would appear that IMT used the address from the tax office as my official residential address, which at the time was still my previous apartment in Carcavelos, that I hadn’t updated yet. It’s quite likely they had mailed it there, but our former landlord has checked and there wasn’t any mail with my license.

I’m now trying to find out from IMT as to what happened to my license and how I can get it back, but even getting an appointment or a queue ticket at the local IMT office is a pain, and a waste of time. So frustrating.