Renewing your TVDE driver certificate
Published 1 October 2026 · Ler em português
The TVDE driver certificate lasts five years. Renewal is simple and cheap if you do it in time, and expensive if you do not: a lapsed certificate is not renewed, it is redone.
When to deal with it
Start when there are 6 months left on the certificate. The request is made exclusively on the IMT Online platform, before the current certificate expires.
The refresher course
Renewal requires completing, with a pass, an 8-hour continuing training course at an entity recognised by the IMT. It is the same list of entities as the initial course, and it is here.
What happens if you let it lapse
A certificate not renewed before the end of its validity lapses for all legal purposes. To drive again you have to take the 50-hour initial course once more and obtain a new certificate. Eight hours become fifty, and the cost follows. It is the most expensive and most avoidable mistake in a driver's calendar.
While the certificate is being renewed
The business carries on, and so do the tax obligations: receipts to the fleet, quarterly Social Security declarations and VAT thresholds do not pause because a card is being renewed.
Quick questions
How far in advance should I renew?
Start when 6 months remain. The request is made on IMT Online, before the certificate expires.
How long is the renewal course?
8 hours of continuing training at an entity recognised by the IMT.
What if my certificate has already expired?
A lapsed certificate cannot be renewed. You have to take the 50-hour initial course again for a new certificate to be issued.
After the certificate comes the paperwork: registering at the tax office, receipts to the fleet, VAT and Social Security. Zeelity handles that on autopilot, with a certified accountant behind it, from 16.90 euros a month.
Get early accessThis guide is informational and does not replace personalised advice. Legal requirements can change, so always confirm with the IMT.