How to buy property in Portugal as a foreigner (2026): step by step, costs and taxes

Can foreigners buy property in Portugal?

Yes. Portugal places no restriction on nationality or residence: a British, American, Brazilian or Chinese citizen buys a flat in Lisbon on the same legal terms as a Portuguese one. You do not need a visa, a residence permit or a Portuguese address to own property.

Four things have changed, and many guides still get them wrong:

Myth	The 2026 position
“Buy a €500,000 home and get a Golden Visa”	The property route closed on 7 October 2023 (Lei 56/2023, the Mais Habitação law). Other investment routes remain, but buying a home no longer gives you residence.
“Everyone pays the same transfer tax”	Since 25 May 2026 buyers who are not tax resident in Portugal pay a flat 7.5% IMT (property transfer tax) on homes, with no exemptions (Decree-Law 97/2026).
“Every non-EU owner needs a fiscal representative”	Not since July 2022 (Decree-Law 44/2022). Non-EU owners can instead sign up for electronic notifications (article 19 of the General Tax Law).
“Move over and claim NHR”	The non-habitual resident regime is closed to newcomers. Its replacement, IFICI, covers qualifying science, technology and innovation jobs, not pensions.

The one limit worth knowing concerns small rural plots. Where two neighbouring pieces of rustic land are both below the regional minimum farming unit, the neighbour has a right of first refusal when one is sold to an outsider (Civil Code article 1380). It rarely affects a house or flat, but it matters for a quinta with separate land parcels.

Foreign demand is falling rather than rising: non-resident buyers bought 8,471 homes in 2025, 13.3% fewer than in 2024 and the third annual fall (INE).

Step by step: how does buying work?

Step	What happens	Typical timing
1. NIF	Get a Portuguese tax number	Days, before any offer
2. Notifications	Non-EU buyers: appoint a fiscal representative or join e-notifications	With the NIF
3. Bank account and mortgage	Optional for cash buyers; a mortgage needs one	Before you search seriously
4. Viewing and offer	Through the listing agent or your own buyer’s agent	Weeks to months
5. Due diligence	Your lawyer checks title, debts and licences	1–3 weeks
6. CPCV and deposit	Promissory contract; deposit usually 10–30%	Once checks are clean
7. IMT and stamp duty	Assessed and paid online	Days before the deed
8. Deed	Escritura at a notary, lawyer or Casa Pronta desk; balance paid	Date fixed in the CPCV
9. Registration	Purchase registered at the Land Registry	Within two months

1. Get a NIF (tax number)

The NIF (número de identificação fiscal) is needed to sign a CPCV, pay IMT, open a bank account and connect utilities. It is free. Since 1 July 2025 foreign citizens can apply in person at a tax office (by appointment) or online through the Portal das Finanças e-balcão. You cannot log in without a NIF, so the online request is filed by a representative holding your power of attorney, usually a lawyer or solicitor. You provide your passport and proof of your address abroad.

2. Do you need a fiscal representative?

Where you live	Rule
Portugal	No representative needed
EU or EEA	No representative needed
Elsewhere, including the UK and US	Appoint a representative living in Portugal, or sign up to the Portal das Finanças electronic notifications service (e-notificações / ViaCTT)

This comes from article 19 of the General Tax Law as changed in 2023. Whichever route you choose, someone must read the tax office’s letters: missed IMI or fine notices are the most common way foreign owners run into trouble.

3. Is a Portuguese bank account required?

Not by law. You can pay the deposit and price from a foreign account through your lawyer. In practice most buyers open one: a Portuguese mortgage requires it, and IMI, utilities and condominium fees are easier to pay by local direct debit. Banks ask for your passport, NIF, proof of address and proof of income, and must check where your money comes from under anti-money-laundering rules, so keep bank statements showing the source of funds.

4. Viewing and making an offer

The agency advertising a home is hired and paid by the seller, typically around 5% plus 23% VAT, and acts for the seller. An agency cannot be paid by both buyer and seller in the same deal (Lei 15/2013, article 17(2)(a)). Every agency must hold an AMI licence from IMPIC, which you can check on the IMPIC website. If you want someone on your side, see buyer’s agents in Portugal.

A verbal or emailed offer does not bind either side. Some agents ask for a reservation agreement with a small payment to take the home off the market; read it before paying, and check whether and when that money is refundable.

5. Due diligence: what your lawyer checks

Instruct your own lawyer (advogado) or solicitor (solicitador), not one suggested by the seller’s agent. Before you sign the CPCV, they should obtain and check:

Document	What it tells you
Certidão permanente (land registry certificate, online, valid six months)	The registered owner, mortgages, liens, seizures and registered rights
Caderneta predial (tax record)	The tax value (VPT), the area and the use; these should match what you are buying
Licença de utilização (habitation licence)	That the home is licensed for living in, including extensions and pools. Buildings from before 7 August 1951 do not need one
Energy certificate (ADENE)	Compulsory for any sale; the seller provides it
Condominium debt declaration (flats)	Unpaid charges; the seller must provide it (Civil Code article 1424-A, added by Lei 8/2022)
Short-let (AL) registration	Whether a holiday-let licence exists and whether it can pass to you
Pre-emption rights	Tenants, the council (for example in parts of Lisbon), or neighbours on small rural plots

New from 1 October 2026: under Decree-Law 108/2026 (start date set by Decree-Law 155-B/2026), the deed must state whether the habitation licence was shown, declared to exist, or does not exist. If that statement is missing, either party can seek to annul the sale. Since January 2024 the licence has not had to be shown at the deed, and some sellers have relied on that; ask for it early. If the house has a pool or extension that is not on the approved plans, read unlicensed works.

6. The CPCV and the deposit

The CPCV (contrato-promessa de compra e venda, promissory contract) fixes the price, the deed date, what is included and any conditions. The buyer pays a deposit (sinal), usually 10–30% of the price. Its legal effect is strong:

• any money the buyer pays under a promise to sell is presumed to be a sinal (Civil Code article 441);
• if the buyer backs out, the seller keeps it; if the seller backs out, the buyer can demand double (article 442(2));
• signatures on a CPCV for a building must be certified in person, for example by a lawyer or notary (article 410(3)).

On a €400,000 purchase with a 20% deposit, that is €80,000 you lose if you withdraw, and €160,000 back if the seller does. Make the CPCV conditional on your mortgage offer if you need one.

7. Pay IMT and stamp duty

IMT and the 0.8% stamp duty are assessed on the Portal das Finanças (or by the notary or Casa Pronta desk for you) and must be paid on the day of assessment or within the following 30 days, or the assessment lapses (IMT Code article 36). The deed cannot be signed without proof of payment, so this is done a few days before.

8. Sign the deed

The escritura is signed at a notary, a lawyer’s or solicitor’s office, or a government Casa Pronta desk, which does the deed and registration in one appointment. The balance is paid at signing by bank transfer or banker’s draft. If you cannot attend, sign through a power of attorney (procuração), notarised and apostilled if signed abroad, or signed at a Portuguese consulate.

9. Register the purchase

The purchase must be registered at the Land Registry within two months of the deed (Land Registry Code, article 8-C). Notaries, lawyers and Casa Pronta normally file it for you. Until it is registered, your ownership is not protected against third parties. Then move the utilities and condominium account into your name.

How long does buying take?

These are typical timings, not legal deadlines:

Stage	Cash buyer	With a Portuguese mortgage
NIF and representation	A few days to two weeks	Same
Offer accepted to CPCV	1–3 weeks	2–4 weeks
CPCV to deed	4–8 weeks	6–12 weeks (valuation and loan offer)
Offer to keys	About 1–3 months	About 2–4 months

New-builds bought off-plan follow the construction schedule, often a year or more between CPCV and deed.

What does buying cost in total?

Worked example: a €400,000 home, 2026 IMT tables, with a lawyer at 1% plus 23% VAT (an illustration; lawyers’ fees are not regulated, and many quote 1–2% or a fixed fee).

Cost	Non-resident	Resident, main home	Resident, second home
IMT	7.5% × €400,000 = €30,000	8% − €13,763.35 = €18,236.65	8% − €12,699.89 = €19,300.11
Stamp duty on the price (0.8%)	€3,200	€3,200	€3,200
Casa Pronta deed and registration (cash)	€375	€375	€375
Lawyer (€4,000 + 23% VAT)	€4,920	€4,920	€4,920
Total, cash purchase	€38,495 (9.6%)	€26,731.65 (6.7%)	€27,795.11 (6.9%)
Add with a €200,000 mortgage: loan stamp duty 0.6%	€1,200	€1,200	€1,200
Casa Pronta with a mortgage (€700 instead of €375)	+€325	+€325	+€325
Total with mortgage	€40,020 (10.0%)	€28,256.65 (7.1%)	€29,320.11 (7.3%)

On this price, being non-resident costs €11,763.35 more than a resident’s main-home purchase. Estate agent commission is paid by the seller.

A mortgage also brings the bank’s valuation and processing fees (set in each bank’s published price list, the preçário), the life and buildings insurance banks require, and 4% stamp duty on every interest payment (Stamp Duty Table item 17.3.1).

Two exceptions to the 7.5% rate matter:

Your situation	What you pay
You were Portuguese tax resident at any time before	The normal scale, not 7.5%
You become resident within two years, or let the home at a moderate rent (≤ €2,300 a month) within six months	7.5% at the deed, then the difference can be cancelled if you apply within six months (IMT Code article 17(10)–(12))

Above €1,150,853 residents pay 7.5% too, so the gap disappears. Whether to wait until you are resident is worked through in buy before or after residency. Check your own figures in the IMT calculator and the buying cost calculator.

Can non-residents get a mortgage in Portugal?

Yes. Portuguese banks lend to non-residents, and Banco de Portugal’s limits make no distinction by residence. Its Macroprudential Recommendation 1/2026 applies to credit assessments from 1 August 2026:

Limit	Own and permanent home	Any other home (holiday home, buy-to-let)
Maximum loan-to-value (loan ÷ the lower of price and valuation)	90%	80%
Maximum repayments as a share of net income (DSTI)	45%, down from 50%; banks may exceed it on up to 10% of lending	Same
Maximum term	40 years if the oldest borrower is 35 or under; 35 years otherwise	Same

The catch for most foreign buyers is the middle column. A holiday home is not your own and permanent home, so the ceiling is 80%. These are maximums: banks set their own policy within them and often lend a non-resident less, so plan for a deposit of 20–40% plus the costs above. Two more rules affect older buyers: repayments are tested against a higher interest rate, and if you will be over 70 when the loan ends, the bank must discount your income by at least 20% for those years unless you are already retired (article 4 of the Recommendation).

Do you need a lawyer or a buyer’s agent?

Portuguese law does not require a lawyer, and a Casa Pronta desk will complete a deed without one. But nobody else checks the title, the licence or the CPCV for you: the notary confirms identity and formalities, not whether you are getting a good deal. For a foreign buyer, your own lawyer is the one professional you should not skip. Get the fee, what it covers (NIF, CPCV, deed, registration, power of attorney) and VAT in writing.

A buyer’s agent is optional. It helps most if you live abroad, do not speak Portuguese or are buying a rural or renovation property. Ask who pays it: some are paid from the seller’s agent’s commission. Compare the options in buyer’s agents in Portugal, or for Lisbon, buyer’s agents in Lisbon.

Buying from the UK, the US or the EU: what differs?

	UK citizens	US citizens	EU/EEA citizens
Right to buy	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fiscal representative	Representative or e-notifications if living outside the EU	Same as UK	Not needed
Visits	90 days in any 180 across Schengen; entries and exits recorded by the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), fully operational since 10 April 2026	Same as UK	No limit
Living there	Residence visa, e.g. D7 or D8	Same as UK	Register with the council after three months
Banking	Standard checks	FATCA: banks ask for a W-9 and report accounts to the IRS	Standard checks

Owning a home in Portugal does not let you stay longer than 90 days in 180. To live there as a non-EU citizen you need a residence visa, applied for at a Portuguese consulate:

• D7 (retirement or passive income): your regular income is measured against the Portuguese minimum wage, €920 a month in 2026 for the main applicant, plus 50% for a second adult and 30% per child (Portaria 1563/2007).
• D8 (remote work): average monthly income of at least four times the minimum wage, €3,680 in 2026.

Americans also keep US reporting duties on Portuguese accounts and any later sale; see estate agents for Americans.

What does owning cost each year?

Cost	Rule	Example
IMI (municipal property tax)	0.3%–0.45% of the tax value (VPT) for urban property, set by each council; 0.8% for rustic land (IMI Code article 112)	VPT €180,000 at 0.3% = €540 a year
AIMI (additional IMI)	0.7% on residential tax value above €600,000 per person; 1% above €1 million, 1.5% above €2 million. Couples can opt for joint taxation, doubling the allowance to €1.2 million (IMI Code articles 135-C, 135-D and 135-F)	Only large holdings; VPT is usually well below market price
Condominium fees (flats)	Set by the owners’ meeting; ask for the last minutes and budget	Varies with the building
Utilities and insurance	Buildings insurance is compulsory for flats and with a mortgage	–

The VPT is on the caderneta predial, so your lawyer can tell you the IMI before you buy. If you let the home, rental income is taxed in Portugal even as a non-resident. When you sell, see capital gains tax for non-residents.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Paying a deposit before your lawyer has seen the land registry certificate and licence. Under the double-deposit rule the money is at risk from the moment you sign.
• Treating the listing agent as your adviser. They are paid by the seller.
• Buying an unlicensed extension or pool. The price may assume floor space the council never approved, and from 1 October 2026 the deed must record the licence position.
• Assuming a holiday-let licence comes with the house. Councils now control new AL registrations; Lisbon allows none in six central parishes.
• Missing the six-month window to reclaim the extra IMT after becoming resident. Nothing is refunded automatically.
• Leaving tax letters unread. Without a representative or e-notifications, IMI bills and fines go unanswered.
• Expecting an 80–90% mortgage on a holiday home. The legal ceiling is 80%, and banks often lend less to non-residents.

Where to buy on the Lisbon coast

INE medians of prices paid, 12 months to June 2026 (INE database):

Area	INE median paid	Buyer guide
Lisbon	€5,192/m²	Buying in Lisbon
Cascais and Estoril	€4,889/m² (Cascais e Estoril parish €5,623/m²)	Buying in Cascais
Oeiras and Carcavelos	Oeiras €4,438/m²	Buying in Oeiras and Carcavelos
Almada and Costa da Caparica	€3,387/m²	Buying in Almada and Costa da Caparica
Ericeira and Mafra	Mafra €3,006/m² (Ericeira parish €4,033/m²)	Buying in Ericeira
Sintra	€3,068/m², mostly suburbs (Sintra town parish €3,509/m²)	Buying in Sintra

Weighing two towns? See Sintra or Cascais, Cascais or Lisbon and Ericeira or Cascais.

Key points

• Foreigners can buy on the same terms as Portuguese citizens, with no nationality or residence restriction; buying does not give you residence, and the Golden Visa property route closed on 7 October 2023.
• The route is NIF → due diligence → CPCV with a 10–30% deposit (lost if you withdraw, doubled if the seller does) → IMT and stamp duty → deed → registration within two months; allow one to three months, longer with a mortgage.
• Since 25 May 2026 non-residents pay 7.5% IMT on homes: on €400,000, total costs are about €38,500 (9.6%) against €26,700 for a resident’s main home.
• Non-EU buyers living outside the EU need a fiscal representative or e-notifications.
• Mortgages for a holiday home are capped at 80% loan-to-value by Banco de Portugal from 1 August 2026, and banks often lend non-residents less.
• From 1 October 2026 the deed must state the habitation licence position; check it before you sign the CPCV.