How to know the owner of a vehicle in Portugal ?
It may be easier than you think to identify the owner of a vehicle through his registration number. If you want, for example, to find the person who "hit" your car and who ran away, or who knows where his car is a little too close to yours, you just need to know the license plate of the car. vehicle and follow this guide. Indeed, in Portugal it is possible to obtain a Certificate of Registration which includes information about the vehicle, its owner and even its insurance. It is quite possible to check if a driver was well insured at a given time, information that can be crucial in case of accident and flight for example. How to know who owns a car in Portugal ? How to obtain the registration certificate ? Who does this car belong to ? Lisbob, the assistant of the expatriates in Portugal, tells you all about how to know who owns a car.
Find out who owns this car with this guide
1. Note the license plate number
The first thing to do when you want to know who owns a vehicle registered in Portugal and simply note the number plates. This is the only information and therefore the most important information you need to know who owns the vehicle in question. Once you have the registration number it will be quite simple to know who owns the car you are looking for when applying for a Certificate of Registration, either online or physically.
2. Apply online or at the IRN
There are 2 ways to get the Certificate of Registration and to know who owns a car in Portugal. Indeed it is possible to obtain it directly by visiting the IRN (Instituto do Registo dos Notarios), a Loja do Cidadão or an office of Automovel na Hora. It is also possible to apply simply online.
To apply in person, go to the counters of the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN), a loja do cidadão or the vehicle registration offices. The document that will be given to you contains the identification data of the car, the owner, as well as information on privileges and reservations (if any).
3. Pay the fees
As everywhere in Portugal, you will have to pay administrative fees to know who owns this car and get the registration certificate. If you make the request physically the certificate will cost you € 5 if you simply want to get information about the current owner or € 7 if you want information about the history of the vehicle registered in Portugal. If the application is online, the permanent registration certificate for a vehicle registered in Portugal will cost you € 10.
Means of payment accepted:
- ATM;
- Cash ;
- Visa or bank check in favor of IRN, I.P (in euros and drawn on accounts only domiciled in the Portuguese national territory);
- Postal money order, in euros, in favor of IRN, I.P.
Here are some exemples of Portuguese license plates
4. Consult the registration certificate
If you have made the request online and once the order has passed a code allowing you to access the download of the document will be provided. For 6 months, the certificate can be consulted whenever necessary.
If any changes are made to the registration of the vehicle within six months of validity in Portugal, the certificate will present updated data on the ownership of the vehicle, the identification of the vehicle and its owner and the existence of charges or loads on the vehicle.
You can also visit the website of the Pension and Insurance Fund Supervisory Authority (ASF), find the insurance associated with the registration and contact the insurer for more information on the vehicle and its owner.
You can also know a bit more about the insurance of a vehicle in Portugal
In order to know in a few seconds and at no cost the insurance of a particular vehicle in Portugal, go to the ASF consumer portal. Here, simply enter the registration number of the car and the date you want to know if the vehicle would be or will be