Driving licence medical certificate in Portugal
Your category, age and professional use determine the requirements. An appointment does not guarantee that a certificate can be issued.
Group 1 covers motorcycles, mopeds, light vehicles and agricultural tractors. Group 2 covers heavy vehicles and certain professional uses of B or BE. The doctor submits the certificate to IMT, but cannot guarantee its issuance. Some cases need an in-person assessment, further evidence or a psychological certificate.
Legal map
Which categories belong to Group 1 and Group 2?
Check your category and vehicle use before booking.
- Group 1: AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B and BE categories, mopeds and agricultural tractors.
- Group 2 by category: C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE.
- Professional B or BE: ambulances, fire-service vehicles, patient transport, school or child transport, and hire cars used for passenger transport fall under Group 2.
- If you are unsure: check the category and describe the driving activity. A B or BE licence does not always mean Group 1.
The group changes the medical criteria, renewal intervals and additional assessments.
Official category map: IMT — driving licence and the Justice portal — renew a driving licence.
Renewal
When are medical and psychological certificates required?
Deadlines depend on category, acquisition date and age.
Group 1 requires a medical certificate from age 60. A psychological fitness certificate does not become automatic after 70; it is required only where specifically indicated, such as restriction 138. Group 2 renewals require a medical certificate and, from age 50, a psychological certificate.
The psychotechnical test must be completed in person. When required, Global Health refers the patient to a trusted partner clinic and coordinates the next steps.
Assessment
What to prepare for the medical assessment
The appointment provides the evidence for a clinical decision.
Bring identification, your category, medication list and relevant reports. The doctor may need to check vision, mobility, chronic illness, loss of consciousness or treatment affecting alertness.
- Your driving licence, category and any notice from IMT.
- Your medication, relevant medical reports, glasses or contact lenses.
A remote assessment is not normally appropriate. The Portuguese Medical Association allows exceptions when the treating doctor knows the history or has all essential clinical information; otherwise an in-person assessment or further evidence is required.
Professional guidance: Portuguese Medical Association — driving-certificate assessments.
If the certificate cannot be issued, ask whether you need a report, examination, vision check, specialist opinion or psychological assessment before renewal.
Additional step
When a psychological assessment may be required
A psychological assessment is required only for certain profiles and licence categories.
In practice, a psychological assessment appears more often in Group 2 files and where the category, professional activity or clinical history requires confirmation of psychological abilities relevant to driving. It may also be considered when there are doubts about attention, behavioural control, problematic substance use or cognitive changes that deserve a closer review.
- It may follow from the category, not from a personal suspicion.
- It may be prompted by relevant clinical or behavioural history.
- It complements the medical assessment; it does not replace it.
- If it is needed, avoiding it only delays the correct closure of the file.
For the driver, this step can feel uncomfortable. For the system, its logic is clear: when road safety depends on specific psychological abilities, the process needs sufficient evidence, not an optimistic assumption.
Electronic route
How electronic submission to IMT works
Once issued, the doctor submits the certificate electronically to IMT.
You need not send a copy. Renewal is a separate online or in-person application. Add a psychological certificate or other document when required.
Keep the renewal confirmation and respond to IMT requests.
If the certificate is missing, contact the issuer and IMT. The clinic does not decide the renewal.
Honest limits
Why the certificate may not be issued at the same appointment
The doctor may need reports, tests or an in-person assessment before deciding.
The certificate may remain pending if reports are missing, after recent surgery, if an illness is not yet stable, if medication calls for a more careful analysis, if a psychological assessment is needed or if the situation requires an in-person examination. In some cases, the doctor may conclude that, on the current evidence, fitness for that category cannot yet be confirmed.
- Relevant reports or tests are missing.
- The illness is not controlled well enough for safe issuance.
- Medication raises reasonable doubts about alertness or reaction.
- The requested category demands a higher standard than the current documents can support.
The wait can be frustrating, but the certificate should be issued only when the available information supports a safe medical conclusion for the requested category.
Official sources
Check the rule that applies to your licence
Official procedure: IMT — licence renewal and the Justice portal — renew a driving licence.
Global Health Portugal
Next steps
The appointment covers your category, history and documents.
- Driving certificate consultation and psychotechnical referral
- Doctors in Portugal
- Contact Global Health Portugal
Do you need an assessment for the certificate?
Prepare your category, medication and reports. Issuance is not guaranteed.
Official sources
Where to check categories and renewal rules
Check your category, deadline and documents on official pages.
Issuance depends on individual assessment and the rules for the category and vehicle use.
FAQ
Common questions
Which licence categories belong to Group 1 and Group 2?
Group 1 covers AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE, mopeds and agricultural tractors. Group 2 covers C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE and specified professional uses of B or BE.
Does online renewal remove the need for a medical appointment?
No. The application can be online, but the certificate requires medical assessment. The doctor submits it electronically to IMT after issuance.
When is a psychological fitness certificate required?
It is not automatic after 70 in Group 1; it is required only where specifically indicated, such as restriction 138. It is required from age 50 for Group 2 renewals. Check your case with IMT.
Does an online appointment guarantee the certificate?
No. Remote assessment is a professional exception, limited to cases where the treating doctor knows the history or has all essential clinical information; otherwise an in-person assessment is required.
Who needs a medical certificate for a driving licence in Portugal?
It depends on the licence category, the stage of the procedure and IMT rules. Group 1 and Group 2 do not follow the same standard, and age or certain health conditions can require a new confirmation of fitness.
Is Group 2 stricter than Group 1?
Yes. In general, Group 2 has a stricter medical threshold because it includes professional or higher-responsibility categories.
