How to buy a home in Portugal

Decide what you are buying and where

First decide not only on your budget but on how you want to live: for yourself or to let out, city or suburbs, flat or house, whether you need a school, transport, parking, quiet, the ocean, a renovation project or something ready to move into. In Portugal the same budget gets you very different options in different areas.

Don't rely only on online listings. Some properties go through networks of agents and acquaintances and may never reach the big portals. If you have a lot of strict criteria, the search can take months.

“You're hardly going to buy much cheaper, of course, but IMHO not everything makes it onto Idealista. It's not just about buying cheaper, it's about actually getting what you want. You might have 5-6 must-haves, like: south-facing windows, at least x sq m, such-and-such area, metro nearby... A friend of mine spent 11 months going round viewing flats at weekends. Got to know pretty much every agency in the city, I reckon. And he had 11 of these points. He even gave estate agents a list of buildings he was looking in, marked ‘don't offer anything else’. In the end he bought a flat slightly below market price that was never online.”

Translated from Russian; the original is at the link

remont_pt24.09.2024

Lay the groundwork for the deal: NIF, a bank account and knowing where the money comes from

To buy, you need at the very least a NIF (tax number) and usually a bank account, especially if payment is made with a Portuguese cheque bancário (banker's cheque). If you are buying without a mortgage, a Portuguese account is not always formally required for the deal itself, but in practice it is often needed to make payments, taxes and proof of funds easier.

The bank may ask you to prove the origem dos fundos / SOF (source of funds). This matters especially if a large sum has come into the account, if the CPCV deposit is large, or if the amount of the deal is noticeably bigger than what the bank saw when you opened the account. It is best to gather documents on where the money came from in advance: tax returns, sale contracts, statements, an employment contract, tax documents.

Check the property and the seller before paying anything upfront

Before signing the CPCV (Contrato-Promessa de Compra e Venda, the preliminary contract of sale), check exactly what you are buying. At the very least you need: the Certidão Permanente do Registo Predial (extract from the land registry), the Caderneta Predial Urbana (the property's tax record), the Licença de Utilização (occupancy licence; older properties may have special cases) and the Certificado Energético (energy certificate).

If it is a flat, it is worth asking for the condomínio (owners' association) documents: the monthly fees, debts, minutes of meetings, major works planned. If it is a house or a plot, check the boundaries, access, whether the actual layout matches the documents and whether there are any encumbrances.

This is especially important if there have been changes to the layout, extensions, walls knocked down, bathrooms moved or unauthorised alterations. Buying a property where reality and the documents don't match can later hit your mortgage, insurance, resale and getting the works legalised.

“Client [nickname] Subject Estate agent, Lisbon. Hello, I'd like to leave a review for estate agent Tatyana Kauppi [nickname] ‘I want to thank Tatyana for her help buying a flat in Setúbal. At first we wanted to buy in the Caparica area,but prices there are higher and there's less choice. Tatyana helped us find a flat even a bit below market, there were some problems with the documents for the flat, but the Remax lawyers together with the agent sorted the problem out.”

Translated from Russian; the original is at the link

proflistpt03.10.2025

Agree the price and terms, and don't rush the deposit

Once the property is found, you discuss the price, the timing of the deal, what stays in the flat, who pays which costs, whether a loan is needed, and by what date the parties go to the escritura (the main deal at a notary or at Casa Pronta).

At this stage it is important not to look only at the price. Sometimes you manage to bring the cost down, but then problems with the documents or the contract terms come up. It is better to put all the essential agreements in writing in advance.

“Then just picture me. ) I bought my first flat in 2019, having come on a Schengen visa and not speaking a word of Portuguese at the time. All the negotiations, including fitting out the flat and agreeing the final price, I did with the developer through Google Translate. ) I only found a real translator for the CPCV, and took him with me to sign the contract. Yes, having a law degree and previous experience of buying and managing property came in very handy, but I'm not the only one.”

Translated from Russian; the original is at the link

myptaxes15.11.2025

Sign the CPCV and check its wording carefully

A purchase usually goes in two stages: first the CPCV, then the escritura pública / DPA (the final deed of sale). The CPCV sets out the parties, the property, the price, the amount of the sinal (deposit), the time until the main deal, the loan conditions, the consequences of pulling out and other important clauses.

This is exactly where people often go wrong. If the buyer pulls out without a reason provided for in the contract, they usually lose the deposit. If the seller pulls out, they usually pay it back twice over. But the details depend on the wording. Vague clauses about endless extensions ‘due to circumstances beyond their control’ are dangerous.

Separately: a CPCV com eficácia real (preliminary contract with effect in rem) is a stronger arrangement, but it is not drawn up like an ordinary ‘piece of paper between the parties’ and requires extra formalities and costs. It is not a one-size-fits-all option; you discuss it with a lawyer for the specific deal.

“When we were buying a plot, we did the CPCV and the escritura at a notary and it was nowhere near 25 EUR each time. It was several hundred EUR each time.”

Translated from Russian; the original is at the link

ru_Portugal_pt20.05.2026

If you are taking out a mortgage, get it agreed before any firm commitments

If you are buying with a mortgage, it is best to get at least the bank's pre-approval before signing the CPCV and to include a cláusula de financiamento (finance clause) in the contract if you are not prepared to buy without a loan.

Without such a clause you can end up in a situation where the loan is not approved and the deposit is already at risk. With foreign buyers, banks usually look at income, tax status, the down payment, the country the funds come from and the condition of the property itself.

Have the money for the deal ready in advance and order the banker's cheque

In Portugal people very often come to the deal itself with a cheque bancário (banker's cheque). Don't leave this until the day of signing. It is better to go to the bank 1–⁠3 days ahead, especially if the bank is small or has its own internal procedures.

By the CPCV stage you usually already have the account details and know the amount. Some banks issue the cheque straight away, at others you have to wait. It is important to check this in advance so the escritura doesn't fall through at the last minute.

A separate risk is the bank's compliance checks on the day the money goes out. If the sum is large or doesn't square with what the bank knows about your income and savings, they may ask for extra proof of the source of funds right before issuing the cheque.

“better to go to a big branch and not on the day of the deal but 1-2-3 days before, so you've got time if anything comes up. once the cheque's in your hands you're not risking anything except the cost of issuing it, usually 20-40 euros. and if you've got a slightly odd bank like ctt you can pop in beforehand and ask, like, we've signed a cpcv, do you issue the cheque same day or do we need to order it in advance.”

Translated from Russian; the original is at the link

banksdeportugal13.08.2026

“You bring the CPCV, it usually already has the account number in it. Then they either give you the cheque straight away or tell you when to come and collect it (at CTT for example all cheques are done in Lisbon and you have to wait up to two days)”

Translated from Russian; the original is at the link

banksdeportugal13.08.2026

On the day of the deal, sign the escritura or complete the purchase through Casa Pronta

The final deal takes place at a Notário (notary), with an Advogado/solicitador (if a private document is used) or at Casa Pronta (a government service for handling a property purchase in one place), if the situation fits that format. Before signing, you usually pay IMT (property transfer tax), Imposto do Selo (stamp duty) and the registration fees.

At the deal, the identities of the parties, their powers, the property and the payment are checked, and the final document is signed. After that, ownership is registered at the Registo Predial (land registry). If the purchase is with a loan, the bank and the mortgage are part of the same set of documents.

After the purchase, update your address and check the registration

After the deal, check that ownership really has been registered, and keep all the documents: the escritura, tax receipts, land registry extracts, cadastral details. If you live in the home, update your address with the Autoridade Tributária (tax authority), your bank and anywhere else you need to.

If you are planning renovation, letting, resale or applying for a residence permit, having the full set of documents on the property will save you a lot of time later.

“D7 visa 77.1 I've attached the list of documents for the Portuguese embassy in Moscow below List of documents to apply for a residence permit after getting the D7 (article 77.1): 1. passport with visa 2. statement from a Portuguese bank (extratos) with your name and account number in the header recommended balance on the account on the latest statement from 12x705 euros — that's the minimum 3. rental agreement/ ownership deed (escritura) 4. NIF 5. if you've already got it, número de utente (SNS) — registration number in the state health system (if not - international insurance) and NISS All documents as originals, they'll give them back to you, they won't keep them. 6. Payment”

Translated from Russian; the original is at the link

portugalpages19.08.2022