How much does it cost to import your car?

On the car's registration certificate, which is the same across the EU: the engine size is in field P.1, the CO₂ in V.7 and the date of first registration in B. The CO₂ and the particles are also on the Certificado de Conformidade (COC, certificate of conformity), the document customs (Alfândega) uses to work out the ISV.

The standard the car was type-approved under, which is shown on the COC. New cars have been type-approved under WLTP since September 2018; older ones have NEDC values. Each standard has its own table, so choosing the wrong one changes the result a lot.

A car registered in another EU country gets a reduction based on its years of use, counted up to the end of the DAV (customs declaration) deadline: 10% up to 1 year, 43% between 4 and 5 years, 80% over 10 years. Since 2025, the reduction applies to the whole tax, including the CO₂ part.

Only if the COC doesn't show particle emissions below 0.001 g/km. Most Euro 6 diesels with a particle filter are below that value and don't pay it.

It's an estimate using the official tables in force. The final amount is the one the Autoridade Tributária (the tax authority) works out on the DAV, with the COC data and the exact date the declaration is filed. You can also ask for an alternative calculation based on the car's market value, if that works out better for you.

Fully electric cars don't. Plug-in hybrids pay 25% with at least 50 km of electric range and less than 50 g/km of CO₂ (80 g/km under the Euro 6e-bis standard), or with 25 km if they were registered in the EU between 2015 and 2020. Hybrids that don't plug in pay the full ISV.