# Documents to sell your car in Portugal: what you need and what to do afterwards

Source: TugaCarro (https://tugacarro.com/en/documentos-para-vender-carro/). Updated: 2026-11-14. ISV calculator: https://tugacarro.com/en/simulador-isv/

Selling a car in Portugal takes few documents, but some steps, if forgotten, leave the car in your name after it is sold. Here are the essentials: what to have at hand, registering the sale and what to sort out at the end.

> General information, not legal advice. Check the current requirements with the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) and on the Portal das Finanças.

## Short answer

To sell, you need your ID and the car's registration certificate. The sale has to be registered in the buyer's name; until then, the car stays in your name for fines and taxes. A loan, retention of title or seizure has to be settled first.

[Request a valuation of my car](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro/)

## What to have at hand

- ID: Citizen Card, passport or residence permit.
- Registration certificate of the car (the old livrete and ownership title on older cars).
- IPO: proof of the last periodic inspection, if the car has had one.
- IUC: proof the tax was paid, if you have it.
- Maintenance: service book and invoices, if any.
- Loan: if there was one, the lender's statement to cancel the retention of title.

## Registering the sale

Ownership of the car is in the vehicle register. When you sell, the register has to move to the buyer's name. The request is signed by buyer and seller and can be made online or at a registry office. The buyer has the obligation to request it, but the seller can do it too.

Until the register changes, fines, tolls and the IUC may keep arriving in your name. So, in a private sale, don't hand over the car without making sure the registration will be done.

## After the sale

- Insurance: tell the insurer about the sale to cancel or transfer the policy.
- Via Verde and other tags: remove them from the car and cancel them or move them to another vehicle.
- IUC: the tax is owed by whoever owns the car in the month of its registration each year; registering the sale in time avoids paying for a car that is no longer yours.
- Copies: keep a copy of the contract and of the registration request.

## When you sell the car to us

At the inspection we look at the documents (registration certificate, IUC and IPO). If you accept the offer, we agree the sale documents with you before any payment, and we pay by bank transfer to an account in your name.

Is there a loan on the car? Read [selling a car with a loan](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro-com-credito/).

## Frequently asked questions

**What documents do I need to sell my car?** Your ID and the registration certificate. Proof of the last IPO, the IUC and the service history also help.

**Who has to register the sale?** The buyer has the obligation to request the registration, but the seller can do it too. The request is signed by both.

**Can I sell the car without a valid inspection?** The sale is possible, but a valid IPO avoids discounts and buyer doubts.

**Who pays the IUC in the year I sell?** The IUC is owed by whoever owns the car in the month of its registration. Registering the sale in time avoids paying for a car that is no longer yours.

**What if the car is in someone else's name?** Only the registered owner can sell, or someone with documents that allow it. Tell us in the request.

**Do you handle the documents?** We agree the sale documents with you before any payment.

## Read next

- [Sell your car](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro/)
- [What is my car worth](https://tugacarro.com/en/quanto-vale-o-meu-carro/)
- [Selling a car with a loan](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro-com-credito/)
- [Selling a damaged or broken-down car](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro-acidentado-avariado/)
- [Private sale, trade-in or buyer](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro-particular-retoma-ou-comprador/)
- [Sell your car in Lisbon](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro-lisboa/)
- [Sell your car in Porto](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro-porto/)
- [Sell your car in Leiria](https://tugacarro.com/en/vender-carro-leiria/)

## Tools

- ISV calculator with "outside the EU" mode: https://tugacarro.com/en/simulador-isv/
- TugaCarro bot on Telegram: https://t.me/TugaCarroBot