The licence, the dog, the electricity contract. None of it is hard once you know the sequence — and most of it is easier than the horror stories suggest. No driving test required, no pet quarantine.
Figures verified 2 July 2026US and Canadian licences are exchangeable for a Portuguese one without a driving test — both countries are on the OECD list under Decreto-Lei 46/2022. The exchange costs €30 (10% off online via the IMT portal) and requires a medical certificate plus a certificate of authenticity for your licence from your state DMV or province (or your consulate).
No quarantine, no blood-titer test — the US and Canada are EU-listed countries. The sequence matters:
Everything hangs off two numbers: your NIF and a Portuguese IBAN (utilities bill by direct debit). Electricity and gas are a liberalised market — EDP Comercial, Galp, Endesa, and Iberdrola are the big suppliers, and the regulator ERSE publishes tariff comparisons. You'll need the property's meter codes (CPE for electricity, CUI for gas) from the landlord or seller. Water is municipal — contract with the local câmara or its water company. Internet bundles (MEO, NOS, Vodafone) run roughly €30–45/month. A couple's total utilities typically land around €100–150/month — with the winter-heating caveat every newcomer learns in January.
The IMT portal walkthrough, the authenticity-certificate problem, and state-by-state notes.
Cabin vs cargo rules, summer embargoes, and the routes American pet owners actually use.
NIF, bank, utente number, utilities — the right order, with documents for each.