Short answer: Yes, you can register a car in Portugal without a Citizen Card. The public online service, Automóvel Online, requires the Portuguese Citizen Card's digital certificate, or the qualified certificate of a lawyer, solicitador or notary. Without a Citizen Card, you can file on paper at a registry counter or by post for €65, or have a lawyer or solicitador file online for you at the €55.30 online fee.
That second route is what Registo Automóvel offers, for €99.99, all included (the €55.30 State fee plus our fees, no hidden costs). No Citizen Card, no Chave Móvel Digital, no card reader and no queues. Our process explains the Portuguese form, you sign on paper and upload a photo, and a partner lawyer or solicitador validates the file and submits it to the IRN.
→ Register my car without a Citizen Card
Why registering a car in Portugal without a Citizen Card is a problem
Many foreigners living in Portugal discover the issue when they try to register a car they have just bought, or to take a sold car out of their name. Portugal's online registration service, Automóvel Online, is cheaper than the counter. But it only accepts two kinds of authentication:
The digital certificate of the Portuguese Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão), used with its PINs and a card reader.
The qualified digital certificate of a lawyer, solicitador or notary.
In short, the online service requires the Portuguese Citizen Card's digital certificate. If you do not hold one, you cannot file online on your own. There is also a second limit: if scanned documents have to be attached, the online request must be made by a lawyer, notary or solicitador, even for Citizen Card holders.
For the wider context, see our pillar guide on buying a car in Portugal as a foreigner. In Portuguese, our article on registering a car online without the Chave Móvel Digital (in Portuguese) covers the same problem from the Portuguese user's side.
Three ways to register a car in Portugal without a Citizen Card
1. In person at a registry office or Loja de Cidadão
You can file at a vehicle registry office (Registo Automóvel) or at a Loja de Cidadão. You take the completed Requerimento de Registo Automóvel, signed by the buyer and the seller, and the supporting document, if there is one. The fee for a change of ownership is €65.
The downside is practical: you need time off work, you may queue, and the form is in Portuguese. If something is missing, you may have to come back.
2. By post
You can also send the signed Requerimento and supporting documents by post to any Registo Automóvel. The fee is the counter fee, €65. This avoids the queue, but you lose control of the timing, and any error in the form can lead to a refusal, which costs €25.
3. Online through a lawyer or solicitador
A lawyer, solicitador or notary can file the request on Automóvel Online with their own professional certificate. You pay the online State fee of €55.30, 15% less than the counter, plus the professional's fee. This is the only way to use the online service without a Citizen Card, and it is also the route that allows scanned documents to be attached.
→ Let a solicitador file it online for €99.99
What you need to register a car without a Citizen Card
Whichever route you choose, the core document is the same: the Requerimento de Registo Automóvel. It identifies the car, the buyer and the seller, and both parties sign it. If it is printed on 2 sheets, everyone initials the sheet without signatures. Our Portuguese guide on how to fill in the Requerimento (in Portuguese) explains each field.
You will also need:
The identification documents of the parties.
The document proving the transaction, when there is one.
The car's registration certificate (certificado de matrícula, often called the DUA), which the seller hands to the buyer.
Our Portuguese checklist of documents for the ownership registration (in Portuguese) lists the documents for each situation.
The 60-day deadline still applies
Not having a Citizen Card does not extend the deadline. The change of ownership must be requested within 60 days of the sale. After that, the online fee rises from €55.30 to €120.30, and the counter fee from €65 to €130.
The deadline also matters to the seller. If the car is still not registered 60 days after the sale, the former owner can ask for administrative seizure of the car. So if you are the seller and you do not have a Citizen Card, waiting for the buyer is a risk. You can request the registration yourself, because anyone with an interest in the registration can do so.
Registering without a Citizen Card: do it yourself vs Registo Automóvel
Doing it yourself:
Counter or post only, at €65.
Portuguese form, filled in without help.
A €25 refusal fee if something is wrong, plus the time lost.
Travel to a registry office or Loja de Cidadão, and possibly a queue.
With Registo Automóvel:
€99.99, all included, paid by Multibanco or MB Way.
Filed online by a partner lawyer or solicitador with their professional certificate.
The file is validated before submission, to avoid refusals and lost fees.
Sign on paper, upload a photo or scan, from home or from abroad.
Follow-up through a support ticket, plus email and WhatsApp.
How our service works
Enter the number plate and the details of the buyer and the seller.
Print the Requerimento, sign it on paper, photograph or scan it, and upload it with the identification documents.
Pay by Multibanco or MB Way. A partner solicitador or lawyer validates the file and submits it to the IRN.
It works whether you are the buyer or the seller, an individual or a company, and even if one of the parties is outside Portugal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Automóvel Online without a Portuguese Citizen Card?
Not on your own. The online service requires the Portuguese Citizen Card's digital certificate. The alternative is to have a lawyer, solicitador or notary file the request with their qualified certificate.
Is the Chave Móvel Digital enough to register a car online?
The official requirements for Automóvel Online list the Citizen Card's digital certificate or a professional's qualified certificate. Our process does not need the Chave Móvel Digital at all.
Can I register a car by post?
Yes. You can send the signed Requerimento and the supporting documents to any Registo Automóvel. The counter fee of €65 applies.
How much does it cost to register a car without a Citizen Card through Registo Automóvel?
€99.99, all included: the €55.30 online State fee and our fees, with no hidden costs. If the 60-day deadline has passed, a surcharge may apply because the State fee goes up.
Can the seller register the car if the buyer has no Citizen Card?
Yes. Anyone with an interest in the registration can request it, including the seller. With our service, either party can start the process.
Register your car today
You do not need a Portuguese Citizen Card to get the car in the right name. With Registo Automóvel:
You pay €99.99, all included.
You avoid the registry counter and the queues.
A partner lawyer or solicitador checks the file before submitting it.
You can sign on paper from anywhere.
Registo Automóvel is a private platform and is not the IRN. This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Fees follow the Regulamento Emolumentar dos Registos e Notariado (article 25) and information published on gov.pt and justica.gov.pt. Last reviewed November 2026.
