How to choose a driving school

Checked on 31/10/2026

Guide

Machine translation. The Portuguese version is the one that counts.

What to ask before signing, and the red flags.

You will have to enrol in a driving school — there is no alternative. And it is probably the largest expense of the entire process, so it is worth choosing carefully instead of going to the first one that appears.

This page does not recommend any schools. It tells you what to ask before signing, which is what makes the difference.

Confirm that the school is licensed

Only schools licensed by IMT can provide training and propose candidates for the exam. If the school is not licensed, the money you put there won't get you any licence. Ask for the license and confirm with IMT if you have any doubt.

Ask for the total price in writing, itemised

This is the most important question, and the one most people forget to ask: what does this price include, and what is excluded? Ask for the answer in writing, with the values separated.

Things that are sometimes included and sometimes not:

• the theoretical and practical exam fees;
• the study material;
• the practical hours above the legal minimum;
• retake an exam, if you fail;
• the medical certificate and the bureaucratic part.

Two schools with the same advertised price can end up with a difference of hundreds of euros. The price that matters is the total.

Ask how much each extra hour costs

The legal minimum number of practice hours rarely suffices for someone who has never driven. You will almost certainly need additional hours — and the price of those hours is where the cost increases. Ask how much each one costs, before signing, not after.

If you do not speak Portuguese, ask this

For those who have come from abroad, these three questions are worth more than the price:

• Is there an instructor who speaks a language I understand? You will spend hours inside a car with that person giving you instructions in critical seconds. It is not a detail.
• Does the school handle the translation request for the theory exam? And do they have experience doing this, or will it be the first time?
• In which language do you propose I take the exam? The answer is usually English. If it is, confirm that you are comfortable with that — check the page about the language of the exam.

Schedules and location

If you work, ask if there are classes outside of normal hours and on Saturdays. A cheaper school with classes only on Tuesday mornings ends up being expensive due to lost workdays.

Also ask where the practical lessons take place and where the exam is. Having lessons in one area and the exam in another, which you do not know, is an avoidable disadvantage.

The contract

Training is done with a written contract. Read it before you sign, even if they tell you it is a mere formality — especially the part about what happens if you withdraw halfway through or if you change schools.

Keep a copy and keep the receipts for everything you pay.

Warning signs

• Refusing to provide a written price. There is no reason for this.
• Demanding full payment in advance, in cash, without a receipt.
• Promising guaranteed approval, or implying that they know someone. No one guarantees exams, and whoever tells you this is lying or proposing something illegal.
• Pressuring you to sign today because of a promotion that ends tomorrow.
• Not having a written contract.

Before deciding

Ask two or three schools for a quote, with the details above. Go there in person — how they treat you during the first visit tells you a lot about how they will treat you for months.

And ask someone who has already obtained their driving licence in the area where you live. A recommendation from someone who has gone through the process is worth more than any advertisement.