Transporting a car from Europe to Portugal (2026): truck or drive
After the ISV, transport is the second cost of importing. There are two ways to bring the car, and the cheaper one at first is not always the cheaper one in the end.
Short answer
Bringing a car from the Netherlands to Portugal on a truck costs, as a TugaCarro reference, about 1 100 €. Driving may cost less in cash, but adds thousands of kilometres to the car, tolls, accommodation, temporary plates with insurance and the risk of the trip. For most cars bought to keep or resell, the truck is the more predictable option.
The two options side by side
| Truck | Driving | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | TugaCarro reference: about 1 100 € from the Netherlands | Fuel, tolls, accommodation, temporary plates and insurance, plus your trip out |
| Kilometres on the car | None | The whole distance (Amsterdam to Lisbon is over 2 000 km) |
| Risk | The carrier's, with transport insurance | Yours: breakdown, accident, fines |
| Papers to drive | No plates needed | Temporary plates and insurance valid for the trip |
| Your time | None | Several days |
What driving costs: an estimate
Illustrative example: 2 200 km in a diesel using 6 L/100 km with fuel at 1.70 €/L is about 224 € in fuel alone. Add tolls in France, Spain and Portugal, one or two nights of accommodation, your ticket out and the temporary plates with insurance. And the car arrives with 2 200 km more, which lowers its value.
An estimate with stated assumptions, not a quote.
We include transport in your car's numbers
What to check before transport
Transport in the on-the-road cost
2019 VW Golf 2.0 TDI bought for 17 900 €: transport 1 100 €, ISV 1 763 € and registration 350 € give about 21 113 € on the road. Transport is 5% of the total; the ISV, which changes from car to car, weighs more. See the example in the calculator
Typical mistakes
- Choosing to drive without counting the kilometres the car gains.
- Paying for transport before you have the car's papers.
- Not photographing the car at pick-up: without proof, transport damage is hard to claim.
- Forgetting that registration has deadlines that start when the car arrives.
See the next steps in registering an imported car.
We include transport in your car's numbers
What we do for you
Since 2022 we have been bringing cars from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany: we arrange the transport and handle the registration. Before the deposit you get the on-the-road cost with transport included, in writing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transport a car from the Netherlands to Portugal?
As a TugaCarro reference, about 1 100 € by truck.
It varies with the city of origin and the type of car.
Is it cheaper to drive it?
In cash it can be, but the car gains over 2 000 km, and you pay tolls, accommodation, temporary plates and insurance, and carry the risk of the trip.
Can I drive a Belgian car to Portugal?
Not on the seller's plates: in Belgium the plate stays with the owner.
You need temporary plates or a truck.
Who pays if the car is damaged on the truck?
The carrier's insurance, under the contract.
Photograph the car and record the mileage at pick-up.
When does registration start?
When the car arrives in Portugal.
The declaration and ISV payment have short legal deadlines, counted in weeks.
Does transport count towards the ISV?
No.
For an EU car the ISV depends on engine size, CO₂ and age, not on the price or transport.
Read next
We include transport in your car's numbers
The car's tax.