Housing

Renting, buying, lease pitfalls.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Renting a home in Portugal: lease, term, deposit, declaration to the Finanças and notice

In Portugal, the residential lease (contrato de arrendamento) must be in writing and, for your permanent residence, it lasts at least 1 year (5 years if the contract says nothing). The landlord (senhorio) can ask you for at most 2 months' rent in advance and a deposit (caução) of 2 months' rent at most, and it is up to them to declare the lease to the Finanças. To leave, you must give notice: 90 days before the end of a lease of 1 to 6 years, or at any time after one third of its term with 120 days' notice.

Costs: Rent advance: 2 months at most; deposit: 2 months' rent at most (Código Civil, art. 1076.º, in force in 2026); stamp duty of 10% of one monthly rent, borne by the landlord
Timeframes: Lease declared to the AT by the landlord by the end of the month following the start of the letting at the latest; tenant's notice of 60 to 120 days depending on the length of the lease

Steps

Prepare your file. The landlord will ask you for your NIF (sheet PT-NIF-TOUS-001), an identity document and often proof of income.
Check the home. A home can only be let if its use is authorised, generally by a licença de utilização (permit to inhabit) when one is required (Código Civil, art. 1070.º).
Read the term of the lease. A fixed-term lease (prazo certo) lasts from 1 to 30 years; if it is shorter, it is automatically extended to 1 year. Without a written term, it is deemed to have been concluded for 5 years. It renews itself at expiry, for the same term or for 3 years if it was shorter, unless there is a clause to the contrary.
Check the rent increase clause. If the lease says nothing, the rent can be increased once a year according to the official coefficient published each year, with a letter from the landlord at least 30 days before (art. 1077.º).
Pay the entry costs within the legal limits. Rent advance: 2 months at most, with a written agreement. Deposit: 2 months' rent at most, whatever its form (art. 1076.º).
Ask for proof that the lease is declared. The landlord declares the lease to the AT (Autoridade Tributária, the tax authority) by the end of the month following the start of the letting at the latest, and pays the stamp duty. They must also declare any change and the end of the lease within the same deadline.
Declare your new address to the Finanças and, if you are European, to the town hall for your residence certificate (sheets PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001 and PT-ADMINISTRATIONS-TOUS-001).
To leave, send your notice in writing, observing the deadlines below.

Documents

Identity document (identity card or passport) and NIF.
Proof of income or resources (depending on the landlord).
The written lease, signed by both parties, with the term, the rent and the update clause.
Rent receipts (recibos de renda) or invoices: they are used for your tax deduction.

Costs and timelines

Advance and deposit (rule in force in 2026): 2 months' advance at most, and a deposit of 2 months' rent at most.
Stamp duty: 10% of one monthly rent (10% of the increase in the case of an amendment), paid by the landlord when declaring the lease.
Tax deduction for you (IRS): 15% of the rent for your permanent residence, up to €900 for 2026 and €1,000 from 2027 (Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026). Low incomes have a higher ceiling (art. 78.º-E, n.º 4): Lei n.º 36/2024 raises it from €900 to €1,100 for taxable income in the 1st bracket (€8,342 or less in 2026), in stages (50% of the increase in 2025, 75% in 2026, 100% in 2027), i.e. €1,050 in 2026 according to this calculation; between the 1st bracket and €30,000, the ceiling decreases progressively according to a formula, without going below €900. The Portal das Finanças does the calculation in the simulation of your return. Only rents declared to the AT by the landlord count (electronic invoices or receipts).
Notice if you do not renew (art. 1098.º): 120 days before expiry for a lease of 6 years or more; 90 days for a lease of 1 to 6 years; 60 days for a lease of 6 months to 1 year.
Early departure: after one third of the initial term (or of the renewed period), you can leave at any time with 120 days' notice (lease of one year or more) or 60 days (lease of less than one year). Termination takes effect at the end of a calendar month.
Landlord's notice not to renew (art. 1097.º): 240 days (lease of 6 years or more), 120 days (1 to 6 years), 60 days (6 months to 1 year). Their refusal of the first renewal only takes effect after 3 years of lease, unless they take the home back to live in it or to house their children. If they refuse renewal, you can leave earlier with 30 days' notice.
Indefinite-term lease: the landlord can only end it to live in the home, for major works, or with 5 years' notice (art. 1101.º); in the first two cases, notice of at least 6 months.
Rent of a new lease (Lei n.º 56/2023, art. 34.º): if the home was let within the five years preceding 7 October 2023 and the rent exceeds the ceilings of Portaria n.º 176/2019, the new rent cannot exceed the old one multiplied by 1.02 (plus annual updates not applied). Duration: the law itself provides that article 34.º only takes effect until 31 December 2029 (art. 54.º, n.º 2). No more recent consolidated version could be re-read in the Diário da República (JavaScript page), and an announced reform could remove the rule earlier (see Pitfalls): check before signing.
Porta 65 Jovem rent aid: for 18-35-year-olds, a share of the rent is paid each month; since Decreto-Lei n.º 42/2024, you can apply before having signed a lease. Amounts and calendar on the Portal da Habitação.

Common pitfalls

Paying more than the law allows. More than 2 months' advance or a deposit above 2 months' rent is contrary to art. 1076.º of the Código Civil. The law covers the deposit "in all the forms provided for by law": if you are also asked for a guarantor (fiador), have the legality of the request checked (reading of the text, to be validated by a lawyer).
Lease not in writing or not declared. You lose your tax deduction and proof is harder. If the lack of a written lease is not your fault, you can prove the lease by showing that you occupy the home without objection from the landlord and that you have paid the rent for 6 months (art. 1069.º).
Signing a "temporary" lease for your main residence. Leases for non-permanent habitation or for a transitory reason (work, study, tourism) have no minimum term and do not renew automatically. They do not protect you like a permanent residential lease.
Leaving without observing the notice. You then owe the rent for the missing period, except in the case of involuntary unemployment, permanent incapacity for work or the death of the tenant or of a close relative who has lived with them for more than a year.
A reform under discussion. Rule in force on 23/10/2026: 2 months' advance and a deposit of 2 months' rent at most (Código Civil, art. 1076.º, unchanged in the consolidated version up to date with Lei n.º 29/2026 of 23/06/2026). Announced bill: the press reported in July 2026 a government text (no official source read confirms it) that would raise the advance to 3 months' rent, remove the ceiling on the deposit and the 1.02 limit on new leases; it will only apply if it is adopted and published. Check just before signing.
Azores and Madeira. The lease rules (Código Civil) are the same. Housing aid in those regions comes under their regional governments and is not covered here: ask your region's housing service what exists.

What changes by country of origin

All countries: the lease rules are the same for everyone. You need a Portuguese NIF to sign and for the lease to be declared.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: once settled, have your residence registered at the town hall (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001); the lease often serves as proof of address.
British citizens (Scots included): same lease, but your residence comes under AIMA, the migration agency (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001); a lease is often requested in that file.

Official sources (8) ›

Checked on 23 October 2026

Buying a home in Portugal when you come from abroad: steps, preliminary contract (CPCV), deed, taxes and costs

Buying in Portugal happens in two stages: a contrato-promessa de compra e venda (CPCV, the preliminary sale agreement) with a deposit (sinal), then the deed of sale at a notary, a lawyer, a solicitador or at the public Casa Pronta counter. Before the deed, you pay the IMT (property transfer tax) and the 0.8% stamp duty, calculated on the price or on the tax value of the property if it is higher. You need a NIF. Note: according to the Código do IMT up to date with Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026 (20 May 2026), a buyer who is not a tax resident in Portugal pays the IMT at 7.5% on a home, with no exemption or reduction, except for exceptions (see Costs and timelines).

Costs: Casa Pronta counter: €375 (without a loan) or €700 (with a loan), plus taxes; IMT and stamp duty of 0.8% (2026 scales in PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003); IMT of 7.5% for a buyer who is not a tax resident, with exceptions
Timeframes: IMT and stamp duty paid before the deed; at the Casa Pronta, deed and land registry entry on the same day

Steps

Get your NIF and open an account (sheets PT-NIF-TOUS-001 and PT-BANQUE-TOUS-001). If you need a loan, have it simulated early: the bank gives you a FINE sheet and remains committed for 30 days (sheet PT-BANQUE-TOUS-001).
Check the property before committing. Ask for the land registry extract (certidão permanente do registo predial: owner, mortgages, charges), the technical sheet of the home, the use licence (licença de utilização), the energy certificate and, for an apartment, the statement from the building manager (administrador do condomínio) on the charges due.
Sign the CPCV. It must be in writing and signed. For a home, the signatures must be authenticated in the presence of a professional, who also certifies the existence of the use or construction licence (Código Civil, art. 410.º). Any sum paid to the seller is presumed to be a sinal (art. 441.º).
Allow for the right of pre-emption. Certain public bodies can buy first; the seller publishes the sale once on the Casa Pronta site (€15) and it is checked that none of them exercises this right.
Have the IMT and stamp duty calculated and pay them. The tax is assessed before the deed (Código do IMT, art. 22.º); the notary or the counter cannot sign the deed without proof of payment (art. 49.º). At the Casa Pronta, you can pay these taxes directly at the counter. If you are not a tax resident in Portugal, the IMT rate is 7.5% (see Costs and timelines).
Sign the deed. At the Casa Pronta, the deed, the taxes and the land registry entry are all done at the same counter: you leave with a copy of the deed and an access code to the up-to-date register.
After the purchase: update your tax address if it is your main residence (move in within 6 months to keep the exemptions, sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003), and plan for the IMI every year.

Documents

Identity document and NIF of each buyer and seller.
Technical sheet of the home (if there is one).
Use licence, or deed of a previous sale that mentions it (if there is one).
Energy certificate (sale of an urban property).
Statement from the building manager on the charges (sale of an apartment).
The service may ask for other documents depending on the case.

Costs and timelines

Casa Pronta counter (IRN price, page modified on 16/05/2023): €375 plus taxes when a single registration is enough (most purchases without a loan); €700 plus taxes when there are several (purchase with a loan); €500 (with a loan) or €255 (without a loan) when a Conta Poupança-Habitação (housing savings account) has been used.
IMT and stamp duty: 2026 scales in sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003 (main-residence exemption up to €106,346 on the mainland; exemption up to €330,539 for the first purchase of a home by people aged 35 or under, regime in force since 01/08/2024, 2026 thresholds). The taxes are the same at the Casa Pronta as at a notary or a lawyer.
Buyer who is not a tax resident (Código do IMT, art. 17.º, n.os 10 to 12, added by Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026 of 20/05/2026): for a home, the IMT is always 7.5%, with no exemption or reduction (so without the main-residence exemption or the one for young people), unless you have already been considered a tax resident in Portugal, you become one within two years after the purchase, or you let the property at a capped rent (under the limits of art. 2.º of the same decree-law, letting within six months, at least 36 months of letting during the first five years). In the last two cases, the AT cancels the difference with the normal rates on request, an application to be filed within six months after the date you become a resident or the date of the letting contract. The exact date from which this rule applies could not be verified in the text of the decree-law: ask the notary or the AT before signing the preliminary contract.
Calculation base: the price in the deed or the valor patrimonial tributário (tax value), whichever is higher (Código do IMT, art. 12.º).
IMT payment deadline: on the day of the assessment or within the following 30 days, otherwise the assessment lapses (art. 36.º, wording from Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026); in all cases, before the deed.
Announcement for the right of pre-emption: €15.
Notary, lawyer or solicitador: freely set fees, to be asked for beforehand.
State guarantee for 18-35-year-olds: for a first main residence of €450,000 at most, with tax domicile in Portugal and income that does not exceed the 8th IRS bracket, the bank can lend up to 100%; contracts signed up to 31/12/2026 (Banco de Portugal page not re-read on 23/10/2026: confirm the conditions with your bank). The bank is never obliged to grant the loan.

Common pitfalls

Losing the deposit. If you withdraw without a reason, the seller keeps the sinal; if it is the seller who withdraws, they owe you double (Código Civil, art. 442.º). Read the conditions precedent (loan granted, for example) carefully before signing.
A badly formed CPCV. Without authenticated signatures or certification of the licence, the preliminary contract for a home is fragile. Have it reviewed by a lawyer or a solicitador.
Believing that the IMT is calculated on the price. If the tax value is higher than the price, it is the tax value that counts.
Buying a property without a licence or with undeclared works. Check the use licence and the land registry before the preliminary contract.
Buying before being a tax resident. You first pay the IMT at 7.5%. If you become a tax resident within two years, ask the AT to cancel the difference within the following six months (see Costs and timelines).
Missing the 6 months. For the main-residence exemption from IMT and IMI, the home must become your tax domicile (sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003).
Fake sites. The IRN warns against fraudulent payment requests from unofficial sites: go through irn.justica.gov.pt or casapronta.pt.
Azores and Madeira. The IMT brackets there are multiplied by 1.25 (sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003); the purchase procedure is the same.

What changes by country of origin

All countries: same procedure whatever your nationality; what matters is the property, the use you make of it and your tax residence (the IMT rate for a home differs for a non-resident).
Non-residents: if you buy before you move, check in sheet PT-NIF-TOUS-001 whether you need a tax representative for your NIF; the IMT is 7.5% as long as you are not a tax resident, with the difference possibly cancelled if you become one within two years (see Costs and timelines).
British citizens (Scots included) and Swiss citizens: buying gives no right of residence; residence follows its own procedure (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).

Official sources (7) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Renting a home in Portugal: lease, term, deposit, declaration to the Finanças and notice

Costs: Rent advance: 2 months at most; deposit: 2 months' rent at most (Código Civil, art. 1076.º, in force in 2026); stamp duty of 10% of one monthly rent, borne by the landlord
Timeframes: Lease declared to the AT by the landlord by the end of the month following the start of the letting at the latest; tenant's notice of 60 to 120 days depending on the length of the lease

Steps

Prepare your file. The landlord will ask you for your NIF (sheet PT-NIF-TOUS-001), an identity document and often proof of income.
Check the home. A home can only be let if its use is authorised, generally by a licença de utilização (permit to inhabit) when one is required (Código Civil, art. 1070.º).
Read the term of the lease. A fixed-term lease (prazo certo) lasts from 1 to 30 years; if it is shorter, it is automatically extended to 1 year. Without a written term, it is deemed to have been concluded for 5 years. It renews itself at expiry, for the same term or for 3 years if it was shorter, unless there is a clause to the contrary.
Check the rent increase clause. If the lease says nothing, the rent can be increased once a year according to the official coefficient published each year, with a letter from the landlord at least 30 days before (art. 1077.º).
Pay the entry costs within the legal limits. Rent advance: 2 months at most, with a written agreement. Deposit: 2 months' rent at most, whatever its form (art. 1076.º).
Ask for proof that the lease is declared. The landlord declares the lease to the AT (Autoridade Tributária, the tax authority) by the end of the month following the start of the letting at the latest, and pays the stamp duty. They must also declare any change and the end of the lease within the same deadline.
Declare your new address to the Finanças and, if you are European, to the town hall for your residence certificate (sheets PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001 and PT-ADMINISTRATIONS-TOUS-001).
To leave, send your notice in writing, observing the deadlines below.

Documents

Identity document (identity card or passport) and NIF.
Proof of income or resources (depending on the landlord).
The written lease, signed by both parties, with the term, the rent and the update clause.
Rent receipts (recibos de renda) or invoices: they are used for your tax deduction.

Costs and timelines

Advance and deposit (rule in force in 2026): 2 months' advance at most, and a deposit of 2 months' rent at most.
Stamp duty: 10% of one monthly rent (10% of the increase in the case of an amendment), paid by the landlord when declaring the lease.
Tax deduction for you (IRS): 15% of the rent for your permanent residence, up to €900 for 2026 and €1,000 from 2027 (Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026). Low incomes have a higher ceiling (art. 78.º-E, n.º 4): Lei n.º 36/2024 raises it from €900 to €1,100 for taxable income in the 1st bracket (€8,342 or less in 2026), in stages (50% of the increase in 2025, 75% in 2026, 100% in 2027), i.e. €1,050 in 2026 according to this calculation; between the 1st bracket and €30,000, the ceiling decreases progressively according to a formula, without going below €900. The Portal das Finanças does the calculation in the simulation of your return. Only rents declared to the AT by the landlord count (electronic invoices or receipts).
Notice if you do not renew (art. 1098.º): 120 days before expiry for a lease of 6 years or more; 90 days for a lease of 1 to 6 years; 60 days for a lease of 6 months to 1 year.
Early departure: after one third of the initial term (or of the renewed period), you can leave at any time with 120 days' notice (lease of one year or more) or 60 days (lease of less than one year). Termination takes effect at the end of a calendar month.
Landlord's notice not to renew (art. 1097.º): 240 days (lease of 6 years or more), 120 days (1 to 6 years), 60 days (6 months to 1 year). Their refusal of the first renewal only takes effect after 3 years of lease, unless they take the home back to live in it or to house their children. If they refuse renewal, you can leave earlier with 30 days' notice.
Indefinite-term lease: the landlord can only end it to live in the home, for major works, or with 5 years' notice (art. 1101.º); in the first two cases, notice of at least 6 months.
Rent of a new lease (Lei n.º 56/2023, art. 34.º): if the home was let within the five years preceding 7 October 2023 and the rent exceeds the ceilings of Portaria n.º 176/2019, the new rent cannot exceed the old one multiplied by 1.02 (plus annual updates not applied). Duration: the law itself provides that article 34.º only takes effect until 31 December 2029 (art. 54.º, n.º 2). No more recent consolidated version could be re-read in the Diário da República (JavaScript page), and an announced reform could remove the rule earlier (see Pitfalls): check before signing.
Porta 65 Jovem rent aid: for 18-35-year-olds, a share of the rent is paid each month; since Decreto-Lei n.º 42/2024, you can apply before having signed a lease. Amounts and calendar on the Portal da Habitação.

Common pitfalls

Paying more than the law allows. More than 2 months' advance or a deposit above 2 months' rent is contrary to art. 1076.º of the Código Civil. The law covers the deposit "in all the forms provided for by law": if you are also asked for a guarantor (fiador), have the legality of the request checked (reading of the text, to be validated by a lawyer).
Lease not in writing or not declared. You lose your tax deduction and proof is harder. If the lack of a written lease is not your fault, you can prove the lease by showing that you occupy the home without objection from the landlord and that you have paid the rent for 6 months (art. 1069.º).
Signing a "temporary" lease for your main residence. Leases for non-permanent habitation or for a transitory reason (work, study, tourism) have no minimum term and do not renew automatically. They do not protect you like a permanent residential lease.
Leaving without observing the notice. You then owe the rent for the missing period, except in the case of involuntary unemployment, permanent incapacity for work or the death of the tenant or of a close relative who has lived with them for more than a year.
A reform under discussion. Rule in force on 23/10/2026: 2 months' advance and a deposit of 2 months' rent at most (Código Civil, art. 1076.º, unchanged in the consolidated version up to date with Lei n.º 29/2026 of 23/06/2026). Announced bill: the press reported in July 2026 a government text (no official source read confirms it) that would raise the advance to 3 months' rent, remove the ceiling on the deposit and the 1.02 limit on new leases; it will only apply if it is adopted and published. Check just before signing.
Azores and Madeira. The lease rules (Código Civil) are the same. Housing aid in those regions comes under their regional governments and is not covered here: ask your region's housing service what exists.

What changes by country of origin

All countries: the lease rules are the same for everyone. You need a Portuguese NIF to sign and for the lease to be declared.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: once settled, have your residence registered at the town hall (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001); the lease often serves as proof of address.
British citizens (Scots included): same lease, but your residence comes under AIMA, the migration agency (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001); a lease is often requested in that file.

Official sources (8) ›

Checked on 23 October 2026

Buying a home in Portugal when you come from abroad: steps, preliminary contract (CPCV), deed, taxes and costs

Costs: Casa Pronta counter: €375 (without a loan) or €700 (with a loan), plus taxes; IMT and stamp duty of 0.8% (2026 scales in PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003); IMT of 7.5% for a buyer who is not a tax resident, with exceptions
Timeframes: IMT and stamp duty paid before the deed; at the Casa Pronta, deed and land registry entry on the same day

Steps

Get your NIF and open an account (sheets PT-NIF-TOUS-001 and PT-BANQUE-TOUS-001). If you need a loan, have it simulated early: the bank gives you a FINE sheet and remains committed for 30 days (sheet PT-BANQUE-TOUS-001).
Check the property before committing. Ask for the land registry extract (certidão permanente do registo predial: owner, mortgages, charges), the technical sheet of the home, the use licence (licença de utilização), the energy certificate and, for an apartment, the statement from the building manager (administrador do condomínio) on the charges due.
Sign the CPCV. It must be in writing and signed. For a home, the signatures must be authenticated in the presence of a professional, who also certifies the existence of the use or construction licence (Código Civil, art. 410.º). Any sum paid to the seller is presumed to be a sinal (art. 441.º).
Allow for the right of pre-emption. Certain public bodies can buy first; the seller publishes the sale once on the Casa Pronta site (€15) and it is checked that none of them exercises this right.
Have the IMT and stamp duty calculated and pay them. The tax is assessed before the deed (Código do IMT, art. 22.º); the notary or the counter cannot sign the deed without proof of payment (art. 49.º). At the Casa Pronta, you can pay these taxes directly at the counter. If you are not a tax resident in Portugal, the IMT rate is 7.5% (see Costs and timelines).
Sign the deed. At the Casa Pronta, the deed, the taxes and the land registry entry are all done at the same counter: you leave with a copy of the deed and an access code to the up-to-date register.
After the purchase: update your tax address if it is your main residence (move in within 6 months to keep the exemptions, sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003), and plan for the IMI every year.

Documents

Identity document and NIF of each buyer and seller.
Technical sheet of the home (if there is one).
Use licence, or deed of a previous sale that mentions it (if there is one).
Energy certificate (sale of an urban property).
Statement from the building manager on the charges (sale of an apartment).
The service may ask for other documents depending on the case.

Costs and timelines

Casa Pronta counter (IRN price, page modified on 16/05/2023): €375 plus taxes when a single registration is enough (most purchases without a loan); €700 plus taxes when there are several (purchase with a loan); €500 (with a loan) or €255 (without a loan) when a Conta Poupança-Habitação (housing savings account) has been used.
IMT and stamp duty: 2026 scales in sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003 (main-residence exemption up to €106,346 on the mainland; exemption up to €330,539 for the first purchase of a home by people aged 35 or under, regime in force since 01/08/2024, 2026 thresholds). The taxes are the same at the Casa Pronta as at a notary or a lawyer.
Buyer who is not a tax resident (Código do IMT, art. 17.º, n.os 10 to 12, added by Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026 of 20/05/2026): for a home, the IMT is always 7.5%, with no exemption or reduction (so without the main-residence exemption or the one for young people), unless you have already been considered a tax resident in Portugal, you become one within two years after the purchase, or you let the property at a capped rent (under the limits of art. 2.º of the same decree-law, letting within six months, at least 36 months of letting during the first five years). In the last two cases, the AT cancels the difference with the normal rates on request, an application to be filed within six months after the date you become a resident or the date of the letting contract. The exact date from which this rule applies could not be verified in the text of the decree-law: ask the notary or the AT before signing the preliminary contract.
Calculation base: the price in the deed or the valor patrimonial tributário (tax value), whichever is higher (Código do IMT, art. 12.º).
IMT payment deadline: on the day of the assessment or within the following 30 days, otherwise the assessment lapses (art. 36.º, wording from Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026); in all cases, before the deed.
Announcement for the right of pre-emption: €15.
Notary, lawyer or solicitador: freely set fees, to be asked for beforehand.
State guarantee for 18-35-year-olds: for a first main residence of €450,000 at most, with tax domicile in Portugal and income that does not exceed the 8th IRS bracket, the bank can lend up to 100%; contracts signed up to 31/12/2026 (Banco de Portugal page not re-read on 23/10/2026: confirm the conditions with your bank). The bank is never obliged to grant the loan.

Common pitfalls

Losing the deposit. If you withdraw without a reason, the seller keeps the sinal; if it is the seller who withdraws, they owe you double (Código Civil, art. 442.º). Read the conditions precedent (loan granted, for example) carefully before signing.
A badly formed CPCV. Without authenticated signatures or certification of the licence, the preliminary contract for a home is fragile. Have it reviewed by a lawyer or a solicitador.
Believing that the IMT is calculated on the price. If the tax value is higher than the price, it is the tax value that counts.
Buying a property without a licence or with undeclared works. Check the use licence and the land registry before the preliminary contract.
Buying before being a tax resident. You first pay the IMT at 7.5%. If you become a tax resident within two years, ask the AT to cancel the difference within the following six months (see Costs and timelines).
Missing the 6 months. For the main-residence exemption from IMT and IMI, the home must become your tax domicile (sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003).
Fake sites. The IRN warns against fraudulent payment requests from unofficial sites: go through irn.justica.gov.pt or casapronta.pt.
Azores and Madeira. The IMT brackets there are multiplied by 1.25 (sheet PT-IMPOTS-TOUS-003); the purchase procedure is the same.

What changes by country of origin

All countries: same procedure whatever your nationality; what matters is the property, the use you make of it and your tax residence (the IMT rate for a home differs for a non-resident).
Non-residents: if you buy before you move, check in sheet PT-NIF-TOUS-001 whether you need a tax representative for your NIF; the IMT is 7.5% as long as you are not a tax resident, with the difference possibly cancelled if you become one within two years (see Costs and timelines).
British citizens (Scots included) and Swiss citizens: buying gives no right of residence; residence follows its own procedure (sheet PT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).

Official sources (7) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Housing

Renting a home in Portugal: lease, term, deposit, declaration to the Finanças and notice

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Buying a home in Portugal when you come from abroad: steps, preliminary contract (CPCV), deed, taxes and costs

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Other topics

Housing

Renting a home in Portugal: lease, term, deposit, declaration to the Finanças and notice

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Buying a home in Portugal when you come from abroad: steps, preliminary contract (CPCV), deed, taxes and costs

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Other topics