What buying a house in Portugal actually involves.
The paperwork, the order it happens in, and how long each step takes in practice. We put this page together because we answer the same questions by email most weeks, and it seemed more useful to write them down once.
Two questions that people keep merging into one.
Can you buy?
Yes, and there is less to it than most people expect. Portugal puts no restriction on foreign ownership of property, whatever passport you hold and wherever you happen to live. There is no minimum amount and nobody has to approve the sale. What you do need is a Portuguese tax number, and realistically a Portuguese bank account as well.
Can you live here?
A separate question, and it depends on your passport rather than on the house. If you are an EU or EEA citizen you already have the right and there is nothing to apply for. Everyone else needs a residence visa, and since 2023 buying a house is no longer one of the ways to get one.
Visas and residency, explainedFrom first email to keys.
Six to twelve weeks is normal. The two things that stretch it are the paperwork at the beginning and whether you need a mortgage.
- A few days
Portuguese tax number (NIF)
You need it for the deed, for the electricity contract, for the bank, for everything. If you live outside the EU you also need a fiscal representative, usually the same lawyer or accountant who obtains the number for you. Start with this one, because the rest of the list waits on it.
- 1 to 3 weeks
Portuguese bank account
No law obliges you to have one, but the deposit, the payment at the deed, the utility bills and the annual property tax all become much simpler once you do. Banks ask for the tax number, your passport and proof of address. How fast it goes depends a great deal on the branch.
- Same week
Choose the house and reserve it
If you cannot travel yet we film a walkthrough of the actual house and send it with the plans, the energy certificate and photographs of how far the building has got.
- Then 30 to 90 days
Promissory contract and deposit
The CPCV is the pre-contract, and it binds both sides. You pay a deposit, commonly between 10 and 30 per cent, and the contract fixes the deadline for the deed. It also sets out what happens if either party walks away, which is the part people skim and later wish they had not. Have your own lawyer read it.
- One appointment
Deed and registration
Signed in front of a notary, then registered in your name. If you cannot be in Portugal that day, a power of attorney lets your lawyer sign for you.
What changes when there is nobody in the middle.
Most foreign buyers in Portugal end up buying a resale through an agency. Buying a new house straight from the company that built it works differently in a few ways that are easy to miss when you are comparing prices.
No agency commission in the price
There is no intermediary to pay. You negotiate with the company that owns the house and built it, so the price you are quoted is the price the seller receives.
Construction warranties
New construction sold by a builder comes with defect warranties under Portuguese law that you do not get when two private individuals sell to each other. Ask your lawyer to confirm which periods apply to your contract and to make sure they appear in it.
You can still change things
While the house is unfinished, the finishes and some of the layout are often still open. That window closes once the work passes a certain stage, so it pays to ask early.
You talk to the people who built it
Ask about the insulation, the orientation or why a wall sits where it does, and the answer comes from someone who was on site while it went up.
One named person, from the first email to the keys.
Buying in a country you do not live in tends to go wrong in the handovers. The agent passes you to the lawyer, the lawyer to the bank, and somewhere along the way nobody is holding the file any more. Here you get one contact who knows your case, replies in writing and stays on it until the deed is signed. We are small enough that this is easy to promise and easy to check.
We are a family construction firm registered in Portugal, building around Torres Vedras since 1989. If you want to verify us before writing, ask for our company number and construction licence and we will send them over.
What two of our foreign buyers said
“The whole process was much faster and simpler than we expected. From the very first contact, Hélio was with us at every stage and helped us whenever we had a question. For us, coming from Sweden and not knowing how any of this works in Portugal, it was an enormous relief to have someone so available and so willing. Everything went well and we are very happy with our house.”
“We are retired and, to be honest, we had little patience for bureaucracy and complicated procedures. Coming from Australia, we were a little apprehensive about buying a house in Portugal. Fortunately Hélio guided us through everything and was always available to clear up our doubts. The process was far simpler and faster than we expected. We felt looked after from beginning to end, and it was a very calm experience.”
From our own clients, published with their permission. Originally written in Portuguese.
Questions we are asked every week
Can foreigners buy property in Portugal?
Yes. Nationality and residence make no difference to your right to buy. You will need a Portuguese tax number and, in practice, a Portuguese bank account. There is no minimum investment and no approval process for the purchase itself.
How do I get a NIF if I am not in Portugal?
Through a lawyer or an accountant acting as your representative. If you live outside the EU a fiscal representative is obligatory rather than optional. It normally takes a few days and it should be the first thing you arrange.
Can I buy without travelling to Portugal?
Yes. A power of attorney lets your lawyer sign the promissory contract and the deed on your behalf. We would still push you to come once before committing. Photographs are good at showing you a kitchen and useless at telling you what the street sounds like on a Tuesday morning.
Send us the questions this page did not answer.
Write in English and tell us what you are looking for. We reply with the plans, a video of the house and a written breakdown of what it would cost you. Nobody will telephone you unless you ask us to.