How to buy property in Portugal, step by step
To buy a home in Portugal you get a NIF, budget for the taxes, arrange the mortgage, choose the area and the home, check the documents, sign the promissory contract and then the deed. After that comes IMI, every year.
NIF and tax representative
Without a Portuguese tax number (NIF) you cannot open an account with a Portuguese bank or sign the promissory contract or the deed. You apply at a tax office, in person or through a representative, and it does not depend on a visa or residency.
If you live outside the European Union and the European Economic Area, you need a tax representative once you own property in Portugal, within 15 days; the obligation falls away if you sign up for electronic notifications on the Portal das Finanças (Ofício Circulado n.º 90057/2022). Buying a home does not by itself give you the right to live here.
Budget: taxes and costs on top of the price
On top of the price come IMT (property transfer tax), stamp duty of 0,8 %, and the notary and registration fees. IMT is banded: for a permanent home the zero band runs up to 106 346 €, and buyers of their first permanent home aged up to 35 have their own table, tax free up to 330 539 €, known as IMT Jovem.
In that case stamp duty drops too: up to 2 644,31 € is deducted if the price does not exceed 660 982 € (artigo 7.º-A do Código do Imposto do Selo). A buyer who has never been tax resident in Portugal pays IMT at a flat 7,5 % with no exemptions (artigo 17.º, n.º 10, do Código do IMT); the difference can be cancelled on request if you become tax resident within two years.
IMT is paid on the day of assessment or within the 30 days after it (artigo 36.º do CIMT). The IMT calculator works out your case with the right table.
Mortgage
For a permanent home a bank lends at most 90% of the property's value; for a second home, 80% (Recomendação Macroprudencial n.º 1/2026). The deposit and the taxes come from your own money, so get the bank's answer before you sign the promissory contract.
You apply to a bank directly or through a mortgage broker. For the mortgage, we bring in the best mortgage brokers. The calculator shows the monthly payment for the price, deposit and term you choose.
Choosing where to live
The area sets the price per square metre, the transport and the commute. The city guides rate each area with a source for every number, and the map compares the cities side by side.
IMI also varies by municipality. Each one has a page on the site with the rate in force.
Finding the home
The catalogue lists new-build developments across the country, with prices by typology and where each price comes from.
If you want help with the purchase, flatin.pt is a licensed real estate agency (AMI 28163): we arrange viewings, prepare the promissory contract, book the notary and stay with you until the deed. For buyers, the services of flatin.pt are free.
Checks before you sign
Ask for the land registry certificate (certidão permanente): it shows the owner and any mortgages or liens. On a new-build, the developer's mortgage has to be released in the same act as the deed, and your unit has to exist in the registry before a date is set.
For an off-plan home, check the building permit and the council case number. The seller hands over the energy certificate before the promissory contract (artigo 29.º do Decreto-Lei n.º 101-D/2020). Check the AMI licence of anyone acting as intermediary on the public list kept by IMPIC.
Promissory contract and deposit
The promissory contract (CPCV) fixes the price, the deposit and the deadline for the deed. For a unit that is built, under construction or still to be built, the signatures are certified in person and the existence of the building or occupancy licence is certified (artigo 410.º, n.º 3, do Código Civil).
Money paid under the promissory contract is presumed to be a deposit (sinal): if the buyer backs out, it is lost; if the seller fails, the buyer can claim double (artigos 441.º e 442.º do Código Civil). If the contract lets you assign your position to a third party, IMT is due on signing (artigo 2.º do Código do IMT); if you do not plan to resell, ask for that clause to be removed.
Deed and registration
The deed (escritura) is where the home passes into your name. It is signed at a notary, at a Casa Pronta desk, or as a private document certified by a lawyer or solicitor; with a mortgage, the bank signs in the same act.
After the deed the purchase is entered in the land registry, and a fresh certidão permanente shows the home in your name.
After the purchase: IMI and yearly costs
IMI is a yearly property tax. Each municipality sets its rate between 0,3 % and 0,45 % of the tax value (artigo 112.º do CIMI); it is assessed the following year and paid in May, August and November, depending on the amount.
Add the condominium fees and insurance, and AIMI if your property holdings are large. If you buy to live in the home, you may get a temporary IMI exemption (artigo 46.º do Estatuto dos Benefícios Fiscais), provided the taxable value and your household income stay within the limits and your tax address moves to the home within six months.
Can a foreigner buy property in Portugal?
Yes. You need a NIF, and a buyer who has never been tax resident in Portugal pays IMT at a flat 7,5 % (artigo 17.º, n.º 10, do Código do IMT). Buying a home does not by itself give you the right to live here.
How much does buying cost on top of the price?
IMT on the banded table, stamp duty of 0,8 %, and the notary and registration fees. The IMT calculator gives the figure for your case.
Can I lose the deposit?
Yes, if the buyer backs out. If the seller fails, the buyer can claim double (artigos 441.º e 442.º do Código Civil).