{"id":5717,"date":"2026-10-17T14:31:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T13:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/real-estate-law\/buying-selling-property\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T14:31:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T13:31:45","slug":"buying-selling-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/buying-selling-property\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying and Selling Property in Portugal &#8211; Process Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5717\" class=\"elementor elementor-5717 elementor-5716\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af42ef8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"af42ef8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a6b232 animated-slow elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a6b232\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInUp&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The purchase and sale of a property in Portugal involves a series of steps, documents and legal formalities, the correct completion of which is decisive for the legal certainty of the transaction, both for the buyer and for the seller. This article forms part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/\">Real Estate Law<\/a> area of Ara\u00fajo &amp; Associados.<\/p>\n<h2>Stages of the process, from preliminary contract to deed<\/h2>\n<p>The process of buying and selling a property typically unfolds in three phases: negotiation and prior checks (<em>due diligence<\/em>) on the status of the property; the possible signing of a preliminary contract of sale (<em>contrato-promessa<\/em>), with payment of a deposit (<em>sinal<\/em>); and, finally, the public deed or authenticated private document, followed by land registration of the acquisition in the buyer&#8217;s name. Although the preliminary contract is not legally mandatory, it is common practice whenever there is a gap in time between the initial agreement and the deed, for example, to allow the buyer to obtain bank financing. We develop the regime of the preliminary contract and the deposit in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/preliminary-contract-sale\/\">Preliminary contract of sale &#8211; what you need to know<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Documents required for the deed<\/h2>\n<p>The completion of the purchase and sale deed depends on the presentation of a set of documents relating to the property and the parties involved. On the property side, the following are typically required:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Permanent land registry certificate (or certificate of contents), which identifies the owner and any encumbrances or charges, such as mortgages or attachments, valid for six months;<\/li>\n<li>Property tax record (<em>caderneta predial<\/em>), issued by the Tax Authority, with the tax identification of the property and its Taxable Property Value (<em>Valor Patrimonial Tribut\u00e1rio<\/em>, VPT);<\/li>\n<li>Use licence (or proof of exemption, where applicable), which proves that the property was licensed and complies with the approved project;<\/li>\n<li>Energy certificate, issued by a qualified expert and registered with the Energy Agency (<em>Ag\u00eancia para a Energia<\/em>, ADENE), mandatory for most properties placed on the market;<\/li>\n<li>Housing technical file (<em>ficha t\u00e9cnica da habita\u00e7\u00e3o<\/em>), mandatory for properties built or renovated after 31 March 2004;<\/li>\n<li>Declaration of no debt to the condominium, where the property forms part of a condominium.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On the parties&#8217; side, identification documents (citizen card, residence permit or passport), Tax Identification Number (NIF) and, where applicable, a marriage certificate indicating the matrimonial property regime, are required.<\/p>\n<h2>Checking the registry and planning status<\/h2>\n<p>Before entering into any commitment, a careful check of the status of the property is recommended, cross-referencing the information in the different documents &#8211; the land registry certificate does not replace the property tax record, nor does the latter replace analysis of the planning status of the property. This check makes it possible to identify situations such as discrepancies between the registered area and the real area, unresolved encumbrances, mortgages or attachments, or non-conformities between the property as built and the licensed project, which can compromise the transaction or bank financing if not identified in good time.<\/p>\n<h2>The deed &#8211; notary, Casa Pronta or lawyer<\/h2>\n<p>The public deed of purchase and sale may be executed before a notary, through the <em>Casa Pronta<\/em> counter (a public service that allows several procedures associated with the acquisition and registration of the property to be brought together in a single moment), or by authenticated private document, depending on the case and the nature of the property.<\/p>\n<h2>Land registration and costs associated with the purchase<\/h2>\n<p>Once the deed has been executed, the acquisition must be registered with the Land Registry Office (<em>Conservat\u00f3ria do Registo Predial<\/em>), a registration that, when carried out through the Casa Pronta counter, can be effected immediately, at the time of the deed itself. In addition to the price of the property, the purchase involves other costs, in particular Municipal Property Transfer Tax (IMT), Stamp Duty, the costs of the deed and registration, and, where applicable, the costs associated with bank financing. For non-resident investors, the tax framework applicable to these costs has relevant specificities, developed in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/foreign-investor-property\/\">Foreign investor &#8211; buying property in Portugal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Buying and selling property and other related matters<\/h2>\n<p>The process of buying and selling a property may also involve other relevant legal issues, such as construction defects detected after the acquisition of a new property, dealt with in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/construction-defects\/\">Construction defects &#8211; guarantees and time limits for claims<\/a>, or situations of breach of the preliminary contract, described in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/preliminary-contract-sale\/\">Preliminary contract of sale &#8211; what you need to know<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>About Ara\u00fajo &amp; Associados<\/h2>\n<p>Established in 1980, with offices in Porto and Lisbon, Ara\u00fajo &amp; Associados supports buyers and sellers in real estate transactions throughout the country, providing legal advice in Portuguese, English, French, German and Spanish.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about buying and selling property<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20fa045 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"20fa045\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cecb04 elementor-widget elementor-widget-eael-adv-accordion\" data-id=\"7cecb04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"eael-adv-accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t            <div class=\"eael-adv-accordion\" id=\"eael-adv-accordion-7cecb04\" data-scroll-on-click=\"yes\" data-scroll-speed=\"300\" data-custom-id-offset=\"120\" data-accordion-id=\"7cecb04\" data-accordion-type=\"accordion\" data-toogle-speed=\"300\">\n            <div class=\"eael-accordion-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"faq-1\" class=\"elementor-tab-title eael-accordion-header\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tab=\"1\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1301\"><h3 class=\"eael-accordion-tab-title\">How long does the process of buying a property in Portugal generally take?<\/h3><span class=\"fa-toggle fa-toggle-svg eaa-svg\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"#000000\" width=\"800px\" height=\"800px\" viewBox=\"0 0 256 256\" id=\"Flat\"><path d=\"M128,180a3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1-2.82861-1.17139l-80-80.00024a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722-5.65674L128,170.34326l77.17139-77.17163a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722,5.65674l-80,80.00024A3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1,128,180Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1301\" class=\"eael-accordion-content clearfix\" data-tab=\"1\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-1\"><p>Without bank financing, the process can take between one and three months, from negotiation to the deed. Where a mortgage is used, this period tends to extend by a further four to six weeks, depending on the bank&#8217;s approval times.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"eael-accordion-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"faq-2\" class=\"elementor-tab-title eael-accordion-header\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tab=\"2\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1302\"><h3 class=\"eael-accordion-tab-title\">Is it safe to buy a property without a preliminary contract, going directly to the deed?<\/h3><span class=\"fa-toggle fa-toggle-svg eaa-svg\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"#000000\" width=\"800px\" height=\"800px\" viewBox=\"0 0 256 256\" id=\"Flat\"><path d=\"M128,180a3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1-2.82861-1.17139l-80-80.00024a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722-5.65674L128,170.34326l77.17139-77.17163a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722,5.65674l-80,80.00024A3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1,128,180Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1302\" class=\"eael-accordion-content clearfix\" data-tab=\"2\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-2\"><p>It is possible, especially where there is no significant gap between the agreement and the deed, but you thereby forgo the additional legal certainty of the deposit and the contractual clauses that the preliminary contract allows to be fixed in advance.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"eael-accordion-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"faq-3\" class=\"elementor-tab-title eael-accordion-header\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tab=\"3\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1303\"><h3 class=\"eael-accordion-tab-title\">Which documents should I check before signing a preliminary contract?<\/h3><span class=\"fa-toggle fa-toggle-svg eaa-svg\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"#000000\" width=\"800px\" height=\"800px\" viewBox=\"0 0 256 256\" id=\"Flat\"><path d=\"M128,180a3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1-2.82861-1.17139l-80-80.00024a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722-5.65674L128,170.34326l77.17139-77.17163a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722,5.65674l-80,80.00024A3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1,128,180Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1303\" class=\"eael-accordion-content clearfix\" data-tab=\"3\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-3\"><p>As a minimum, it is recommended to check the permanent land registry certificate (to confirm ownership and the absence of encumbrances), the property tax record, the energy certificate and, where applicable, the status of the condominium and the property&#8217;s use licence.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"eael-accordion-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"faq-4\" class=\"elementor-tab-title eael-accordion-header\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tab=\"4\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1304\"><h3 class=\"eael-accordion-tab-title\">Who pays for the energy certificate and the use licence, the buyer or the seller?<\/h3><span class=\"fa-toggle fa-toggle-svg eaa-svg\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"#000000\" width=\"800px\" height=\"800px\" viewBox=\"0 0 256 256\" id=\"Flat\"><path d=\"M128,180a3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1-2.82861-1.17139l-80-80.00024a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722-5.65674L128,170.34326l77.17139-77.17163a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722,5.65674l-80,80.00024A3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1,128,180Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1304\" class=\"eael-accordion-content clearfix\" data-tab=\"4\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-4\"><p>As a rule, it is for the seller to obtain and present these documents, since they are a legal precondition for the deed and for placing the property on the market.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"eael-accordion-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"faq-5\" class=\"elementor-tab-title eael-accordion-header\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tab=\"5\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1305\"><h3 class=\"eael-accordion-tab-title\">What is the Casa Pronta counter?<\/h3><span class=\"fa-toggle fa-toggle-svg eaa-svg\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"#000000\" width=\"800px\" height=\"800px\" viewBox=\"0 0 256 256\" id=\"Flat\"><path d=\"M128,180a3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1-2.82861-1.17139l-80-80.00024a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722-5.65674L128,170.34326l77.17139-77.17163a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722,5.65674l-80,80.00024A3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1,128,180Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1305\" class=\"eael-accordion-content clearfix\" data-tab=\"5\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-5\"><p>It is a public service that allows several procedures associated with the purchase and sale of a property to be brought together at a single counter and in a single moment, including execution of the deed and the corresponding immediate land registration.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"eael-accordion-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"faq-6\" class=\"elementor-tab-title eael-accordion-header\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tab=\"6\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1306\"><h3 class=\"eael-accordion-tab-title\">Can I buy property in Portugal as a foreigner?<\/h3><span class=\"fa-toggle fa-toggle-svg eaa-svg\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"#000000\" width=\"800px\" height=\"800px\" viewBox=\"0 0 256 256\" id=\"Flat\"><path d=\"M128,180a3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1-2.82861-1.17139l-80-80.00024a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722-5.65674L128,170.34326l77.17139-77.17163a4.00009,4.00009,0,0,1,5.65722,5.65674l-80,80.00024A3.98881,3.98881,0,0,1,128,180Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1306\" class=\"eael-accordion-content clearfix\" data-tab=\"6\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-6\"><p>Yes, there are no general restrictions on the acquisition of property in Portugal by foreign nationals, although the tax framework applicable to non-residents has relevant specificities, in particular as regards IMT.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0814dc e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f0814dc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-09fe3d4 animated-slow elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"09fe3d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInUp&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Contact us<\/h2>\n<p>For more information on property purchase and sale transactions, or to book a legal consultation, you can contact us through our Porto or Lisbon offices, by telephone, email or via the form on the website. We provide legal advice in Portuguese, English, French, German and Spanish.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bddb229 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bddb229\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ca7ea0 elementor-mobile-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"1ca7ea0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">contact by email<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d49ac2 elementor-mobile-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"1d49ac2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send\/?phone=351938604316&#038;text&#038;type=phone_number&#038;app_absent=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Contact by WhatsApp<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17c5be5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"17c5be5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69cb843 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"69cb843\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"LegalService\",\n            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/#organization\",\n            \"name\": \"Ara\u00fajo & Associados\",\n            \"url\": \"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/\",\n            \"foundingDate\": \"1980\",\n            \"description\": \"Law firm with offices in Porto and Lisbon, providing legal advice on property purchase and sale transactions.\",\n            \"knowsLanguage\": [\n                \"pt\",\n                \"en\",\n                \"fr\",\n                \"de\",\n                \"es\"\n            ],\n            \"areaServed\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Country\",\n                \"name\": \"Portugal\"\n            },\n            \"location\": [\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Place\",\n                    \"name\": \"Porto office\",\n                    \"address\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\",\n                        \"addressLocality\": \"Porto\",\n                        \"addressCountry\": \"PT\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Place\",\n                    \"name\": \"Lisbon office\",\n                    \"address\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\",\n                        \"addressLocality\": \"Lisbon\",\n                        \"addressCountry\": \"PT\"\n                    }\n                }\n            ]\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/#website\",\n            \"url\": \"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/\",\n            \"name\": \"Ara\u00fajo & Associados\",\n            \"inLanguage\": [\n                \"pt-PT\",\n                \"en-GB\",\n                \"fr-FR\"\n            ],\n            \"publisher\": {\n                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/#organization\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/buying-selling-property\/#webpage\",\n            \"url\": \"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/real-estate-law\/buying-selling-property\/\",\n            \"name\": \"Buying and Selling Property in Portugal - Process Guide\",\n            \"description\": \"Buying and selling property in Portugal: stages of the process, documents for the deed, land registration and associated costs. 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