Buying a home in Portugal, step by step

Buying a home in Portugal is not harder than buying in the US or the UK. It is just different: the order of the steps, who does what and where the risks sit are not what you are used to. Once you see the whole map, it becomes very manageable.

This is our master guide. It walks through every stage in the order it usually happens, from setting a budget to paying your first IMI bill, and at each step it links to the detailed guide on that topic. Bookmark it, and come back to it as you move through the purchase.

The timeline at a glance

Every purchase is different, so treat these as typical ranges from our own experience of international purchases, not legal deadlines. Several steps run in parallel: you can search while your NIF and bank account are being set up, and the power of attorney is usually prepared while the bank works on the mortgage.

Step 1: Plan your budget and the costs on top

Start with the total you need, not just the price. On top of the price sit IMT (the transfer tax), stamp duty, notary and registry fees and, if you borrow, a bank valuation and a stamp duty on the loan. A resident buying a permanent home typically adds 6 to 8 percent, as we show line by line in our guide to the true cost of buying a house in Portugal.

Non-residents need to budget more. Under Decreto-Lei 97/2026, in force since 25 May 2026, a buyer who is not a Portuguese tax resident pays a flat 7.5 percent IMT on residential property, with no exempt band, according to Andersen. How it applies when only one of a couple is non-resident depends on the case, so ask the lawyer before you sign. The difference can be reclaimed if you become a Portuguese tax resident within two years. On a €300,000 home that is €22,500 of IMT on its own.

Two more things belong in the budget conversation from day one. First, nationality does not restrict you: as we explain in can foreigners buy property in Portugal, buyers from anywhere can purchase on the same terms. Second, think about the running costs too, especially the annual property tax, covered in our comparison of Portugal's IMI and US property tax.

If you are coming from a particular country, our country guides go deeper: buying property in Portugal as a UK citizen and buying property in Portugal as an American.

Step 2: Get a NIF

The NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) is your Portuguese tax number, and you need it for nearly everything: the bank account, the mortgage, the CPCV, paying IMT and the deed itself. It is free from the tax office. If your tax address is outside the EU or EEA, you will normally need a fiscal representative, or to sign up for the tax authority's electronic notifications instead. Our guide to getting a NIF and a bank account covers both routes.

Step 3: Open a Portuguese bank account

You will need a Portuguese account to pay the deposit, the taxes and, if you borrow, the mortgage. Some banks open accounts for non-residents remotely, others want you in a branch, so start early. The bank will ask for your NIF, passport, proof of address and proof of income. Again, the NIF and bank account guide has the details.

Step 4: Mortgage approval in principle

If you are borrowing, get an approval in principle before you make offers. It tells you what you can really spend and makes your offer more credible. As a non-resident, expect banks to lend around 60 to 70 percent of the price, and plan for roughly three months from application to signing. Our guide to mortgages for non-residents explains the rules, and there are dedicated guides for a Portuguese mortgage on UK income and a Portuguese mortgage on US income.

Step 5: Search and viewings

Now the enjoyable part. Narrow down the region first, then the town, then the street. Look across several portals and agencies, because the same home is often listed by more than one agency, and view as many as you can, in person or on live video.

Remember that most agents in Portugal work for the seller. That is normal, but it is worth understanding before you start, and our guide do I need a buyer's agent in Portugal explains the difference and how to check any agent's AMI licence. If you are buying from abroad, see how to buy a home in Portugal without flying over, and if you are looking at the islands, our guide to buying property in Madeira.

Step 6: Make an offer

Offers are usually made through the agent, often by email, and they are not binding on their own. Base your offer on recent sales nearby, not the asking price, and attach conditions that matter to you, such as a satisfactory survey, clean legal checks and mortgage approval. Agree the main terms at this stage: price, deposit, the date for the deed and what furniture or fittings are included.

Before you get excited about a bargain, read our list of common mistakes buyers make in Portugal. Several of them happen right here, in the rush to secure a home.

Step 7: Legal checks and documents

This is where an independent lawyer earns their fee. Before you sign anything binding, they check that the seller really owns the property, that there are no mortgages, liens or unpaid charges registered against it, that what is on the ground matches what is on paper, and that the works have the right licences. The key documents include the Caderneta Predial (the tax record), the Certidão Permanente from the land registry and the energy certificate.

One recent change is worth knowing: since the Simplex Urbanístico reform of 2024, the usage licence and the ficha técnica no longer have to be shown at the deed, according to Doutor Finanças. Since 1 October 2026, though, Decreto-Lei 108/2026 requires the deed to state the property's planning title situation: that it exists and is shown, that the seller declares having it, or that there is none. Leaving it out makes the sale open to challenge, per idealista. That makes your own checks more important, not less. Our guides to the documents to check before you buy and to avoiding property scams go into each one.

Step 8: Survey

Portugal has no tradition of buyer surveys, and the bank valuation is not one. An independent survey checks for damp, structural problems, roof and plumbing issues and works that do not match the plans. Do it before the CPCV, while you can still renegotiate or walk away without losing a deposit. Our guide on why a survey matters in Portugal explains what it covers.

Step 9: Sign the CPCV and pay the deposit

The CPCV (contrato-promessa de compra e venda) is the promissory contract. It is binding on both sides: if you walk away without a valid reason, the seller keeps your deposit, and if the seller walks away, they generally owe you double. The deposit, the sinal, is customarily around 10 percent of the price.

The CPCV sets the price, the deposit, the deadline for the deed, who pays what and what happens if the mortgage falls through. Have your lawyer draft or review it before you sign. Our guide to the CPCV covers the clauses to look for.

Step 10: Mortgage final offer

Once the CPCV is signed, the bank sends its own valuer, completes its checks and issues the final approval and loan contract. The bank lends against the lower of the price and its valuation, so a low valuation can shrink your loan, which is one reason the CPCV should cover what happens if the mortgage is not approved. The bank then attends the deed, or its documents do, so the loan is released on the day.

Step 11: Power of attorney if you are abroad

You do not need to fly over to sign. A power of attorney (procuração) lets your lawyer sign the CPCV and the deed on your behalf. If you sign it outside Portugal, it usually needs to be notarised and apostilled, and the exact wording matters. Our guide to power of attorney for buying property in Portugal explains how it works.

Step 12: Pay IMT and stamp duty

IMT and the deed stamp duty are paid before the deed, not after. Your lawyer or the notary generates the payment slips through the tax portal, you pay them, and the proof of payment is shown at the deed. Have the money in your Portuguese account in good time, since these taxes are not normally rolled into the mortgage. The rates and a worked example are in our IMT and fees guide.

Step 13: The deed (escritura)

The deed is the moment the home becomes yours. It can be signed before a notary, at the state Casa Pronta service or as an authenticated document prepared by a lawyer. The seller, the buyer (or their attorney) and, with a mortgage, the bank sign; the balance is paid, usually by bank cheque or transfer; and you get the keys. Our guide to deed day in Portugal walks through it, from what to bring to what happens in the room.

Step 14: Registration, utilities and IMI

After the deed, the purchase must be registered in your name at the land registry. With Casa Pronta this happens as part of the same service; otherwise your lawyer or notary files it. Then come the practical bits: transferring electricity, water, gas and internet into your name, home insurance, and making sure the tax office has the right address for you.

Finally, IMI, the annual municipal property tax. It is paid by whoever owns the property on 31 December, and billed the following year, so if you complete before the end of December you will receive that year's bill the next spring. Bills of up to €100 are due in May, and larger ones are split into instalments, as DECO PROteste explains. Our IMI guide shows how it compares with US property tax.