海角乱伦

Well, it seems to me rather difficult to make any generalizations, even when it comes to the same procedure at different times or places.聽 One thing I can say, though, is that in Portugal, functionaries do use computer interfaces with keyboards, and they type with at most two fingers.

At present, I am still waiting for a drivers license card per the foreign license exchange process.聽 I say "waiting" though I don't really expect it, after nearly 6 months.聽 Contact attempts have been fruitless, so I'm going to have to go back to the IMT office and spend most of the day waiting to get to someone who could perhaps give me another 辫谤辞惫颈蝉贸谤颈辞 and perhaps do something about whatever the hangup is.聽 Other people go to other IMT offices and get their licenses in several weeks.聽 Just depends.聽 聽This office is clearly in over their heads - you can't get an appointment online until over a month out, where with other offices it's only a couple weeks (which is still a little kind of pathetic.)聽 This has a lot to do with the general problem with Portugal - the bureaucracy was already creaking under the load, and then in recent years people have been pouring in from Brazil, from all over the world, and the extra load on practically all offices means that nothing gets done as fast as it's supposed to - it was already slow, now it's "on its knees" as we say in the computer room.

The above mentioned issue regarding the driver's license can be a real show stopper. If a person needs the driver's license outside of Portugal (where the temporary license is not accepted) might end up in deep trouble e.g. when trying to rent a car.

Otherwise my experience is simlar to donn25. This can take long or not. And government employees may or may not be competent. It all depends on time and location.

@TGCampo The IMT office in Coimbra, where I exchanged my foreign driving licence last year, told me that IMT would 鈥漧end鈥� my foreign licence back to me temporarily if I needed to use it abroad while awaiting delivery of my Portuguese licence.

(As it turned out, I didn鈥檛 need to use the foreign licence, so I can鈥檛 comment on how smoothly this 鈥渓oan鈥� process would have worked in practice.)

(As it turned out, I didn鈥檛 need to use the foreign licence, so I can鈥檛 comment on how smoothly this 鈥渓oan鈥� process would have worked in practice.)聽 聽 -@James in Portugal

That is unfortunate, because I heard that keeping your license while qaiting for the new one isn't possible.

Overall I find this very bad, because it causes lots of trouble for people that only stay in Portugal for a limited period of time (work expats or project staff). In my opinion Portugal should simply check the existing license and issue an additional one. The latter is done by many countries I know. I am aware that I cannot change this situation and it is solved for me personally. But still, ...

Obs it's not correct to get a second copy of British licence (fish assumes other juristictions may have similar schemes) for 20 British Pounds to cover fish being stopped by Police/Hiring car etc. whilst first copy is unavailable which is why I would never do such a thing.

@TGCampo聽 The IMT employee in Coimbra told me that the 鈥渓icence loan鈥� process would work like this:

If I needed to travel outside Portugal while awaiting my permanent Portuguese licence, I could deliver a written note to the IMT office stating that I needed to borrow my foreign licence for travel abroad and providing the dates of the travel. IMT would then lend me my foreign licence for the duration of the travel, and I would have to return it to IMT upon my return to Portugal.

If you find yourself needing your foreign licence for travel while awaiting delivery of your Portuguese licence, it might be worth visiting the IMT office that has your licence and asking whether they will do this for you. No guarantees, though. This might be one of those practices that varies over time and between IMT offices.

I agree that there should be no reason for Portugal to take away your foreign licence.

Bearing in mind that the start of this subject was an observation about something IMT was supposed to deliver to me, that hasn't arrived after 6 months ... I wouldn't bet my life on this "write a note to IMT" process.

Regarding Strontium's somewhat oblique reference to getting a copy of your license - this is probably a more expedient way to get one:聽 have it mailed from abroad.聽 This seems like it ought to be against the rules, but not really - if inferred rules are nonsensical, then the infererence is not to be trusted.聽 I'm glad this came up, actually, because I just got back from a visit to Spain this last weekend, and I was reminded here to bring my US license.