🚗 Buying a car in Madeira: checks, registration and the real costs
Buying a car in Madeira is almost a rite of passage for newcomers. The buses work in Funchal, but a levada at dawn or a beach on the north coast needs your own wheels. If the car is already registered in Portugal, the paperwork is quick and the fees are fixed by law. This guide covers what to check before you pay, how to spot debts and liens, where to register the car in Funchal now that the Loja do Cidadão desk is closed, and who pays the road tax. Importing your own car from abroad is a different process, with its own guide.
Last updated: October 2026Buying a used car in Madeira that is already registered in Portugal means registering the ownership in your name within 60 days of the sale. It costs 65 euros at a registry counter or 55.30 euros on the official Automóvel Online portal, which is 15 percent cheaper. Before you pay, a 10 euro online certidão permanente shows the registered owner and any liens, and the seller’s insurance ends at midnight on the day of the sale, so insure the car before you drive it.
From our listings On MadeiraUsados there are 603 used cars for sale in Madeira today, and the median asking price in Funchal is 17,000 euros across 388 listings (5 November 2026).
Check the papers and the car before you pay
Ask for the certificado de matrícula (the registration certificate that replaced the old DUA), the last inspection sheet and the service invoices. The chassis number on the car must match the certificate, and the seller should be the registered owner. On gov.pt anyone can request the inspection report of a car with just the plate number: it shows whether it passed or failed each inspection and the mileage at the time, so falling mileage is a red flag. Then check for the island’s classic wear: salt air corrosion underneath and in the wheel arches, and a clutch and brakes worked hard on steep roads. Do the test drive on a real slope and take the car to a workshop if anything feels off. Since 1 March 2026, according to Renascença, an unresolved serious recall fails the inspection, and driving without a valid inspection costs a fine of 250 to 1,250 euros.
Check for debts and liens with a certidão permanente
The online certidão permanente do registo automóvel costs 10 euros, stays valid for six months and anyone can order it on Automóvel Online with a name, an email and the plate. It shows the registered owner, the registrations in force on the car, such as a penhora (seizure), a mortgage, a reserva de propriedade or a leasing contract, and any pending requests. A paper certificate with the full history costs 17 euros at a registry. If a reserva de propriedade appears, for example in favour of a bank, the car is not free yet: do not pay in full until it is cancelled.
Insure the car before you drive it
A car may only be driven with third party liability insurance, and the duty to insure falls on the owner (Decreto-Lei n.º 291/2007). The seller’s policy does not come with the car: it ends at midnight on the day of the sale. A dealer may only hand the car over after you show proof of the mandatory insurance, and the insurer asks for proof of the periodic inspection when you take out the policy. Driving without insurance means a fine of 500 to 2,500 euros.
Register the ownership within 60 days
Online, on Automóvel Online, you as the buyer start the request and the seller confirms it with the digital certificate of their Portuguese Citizen Card, so both of you need the card’s certificate and a card reader. You pay by Multibanco or homebanking within five days of the reference, and once the payment is confirmed the registration is done within two working days. The new certificado de matrícula is posted to the owner’s address. At a counter or by post you use the IRN Requerimento de Registo Automóvel, with the names and tax numbers (NIF) of buyer and seller, the seller’s signed sale declaration with the contract date and both signatures. Requests can go by post to any car registry. A dealer can file the registration in your name; ask for the receipt.
Know who pays the IUC road tax
The IUC is owed by the person registered as the owner. Until the end of 2026 it falls due on the anniversary of the car’s first registration and is paid by the end of that month, for the whole year, by whoever is registered on that day. Unpaid IUC from earlier years is owed by whoever was the registered owner then, but the State keeps a special lien on the car itself for unpaid tax and fines, so ask the seller for proof of the last payments. From 2027 the rules change (Decreto-Lei n.º 161/2026): one yearly bill per owner for all vehicles registered on 1 January, paid in April, or in instalments up to October above 100 euros.
Dealer or private seller: know your guarantee
From a dealer you get the legal guarantee: three years from delivery under article 12 of Decreto-Lei n.º 84/2021. For used goods it can be cut to 18 months, but only if you agree to it, and never for a car sold as reconditioned. A defect that shows up in the first two years is presumed to have existed at delivery (one year if the guarantee was cut), and within the first 30 days you can ask for a replacement or to cancel the sale. A private sale is not covered by this regime. Car listings on MadeiraUsados come from our partner Autonexa, where the full listing and the dealer contact live.
55.30 euros
65 euros
10 euros
17 euros
A surcharge equal to the fee (130 euros at the counter)
30 euros
Fine of 500 to 2,500 euros
Fine of 250 to 1,250 euros
Conservatória do Registo Comercial e de Automóveis do Funchal
Avenida Calouste Gulbenkian, Edifício 2000, 4.º andar, 9000-011 Funchal
🕒 Working days. The regional justice directorate announced temporary opening hours, so call before you go. The car registration desk at the Loja do Cidadão da Madeira has been temporarily closed since 8 August 2026.
📞 +351 291 231 970 (car registration counter)
✉️ comercial.funchal@irn.mj.pt
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Browse cars in Madeira Get help with the paperworkFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a used car into my name in Madeira?
The ownership registration costs 65 euros at a registry counter and 55.30 euros on Automóvel Online, which is 15 percent cheaper. If you file after the 60 day deadline, a surcharge equal to the fee is added, so 130 euros at the counter.
Do I need a Portuguese tax number (NIF) to buy a car?
Yes in practice: the registration request asks for the NIF of both buyer and seller. Get your NIF before you buy.
Where do I register a car in Funchal?
At the Conservatória do Registo Comercial e de Automóveis do Funchal, Avenida Calouste Gulbenkian, Edifício 2000, 4th floor (car counter +351 291 231 970), online on Automóvel Online, or by post to any car registry. The desk at the Loja do Cidadão da Madeira has been temporarily closed since 8 August 2026.
Can I drive the car on the seller’s insurance?
No. The policy does not transfer with the car and ends at midnight on the day of the sale (article 21 of Decreto-Lei n.º 291/2007). Insure the car before you drive it.
Who pays the IUC in the year I buy the car?
The registered owner. Until the end of 2026 it is whoever is registered on the anniversary of the car’s first registration, who pays the whole year. From 2027 there is one yearly bill per owner for every vehicle registered on 1 January.
Is car tax cheaper in Madeira?
We found no official source for a regional IUC discount in Madeira. The IUC code only says that in Madeira and the Azores the CO2 values used for the IUC are the same ones used for the ISV.