Driving licenses issued in the member states of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will now be allowed in Portugal as of August 1.

"Freedom of movement is an essential element for the full exercise of citizenship. To this end, Portugal has sought to strengthen the rights of foreign citizens who travel to our country, whether for temporary travel for tourism purposes or for work or investment in our country," according to the decree-law published today in the Official Gazette and quoted by the newspaper Económico.

"With a view to strengthening and improving mobility between citizens of Member States of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and Member States of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an amendment is being made to the Highway Code. As a result, the exemption of driving license exchanges is promoted, enabling driving in the national territory with titles issued in those States, through the recognition of foreign driving licenses," according to the document.

"The present decree-law enables the driving of motor vehicles by holders of driving licenses issued by member states of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development," one can read.

But these documents will only be allowed in Portugal if "their holders have the minimum age required by Portuguese law for the respective qualification, and they are valid and not seized, suspended, expired, or revoked by force of law, administrative decision, or judicial sentence applied to their holder in Portugal or in the issuing State.

This decree-law comes into effect on the first business day of the month following its publication.

As members, the CPLP includes Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor.

The OECD has these 36 members: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.