Buying in Portugal as an American

Americans have become one of the biggest groups of foreign buyers in Portugal, and for good reason: the rules for buying are open, the process is well trodden, and your money goes a long way compared with most of the US. But a few things work differently for a US citizen, from the border rules to how Portuguese banks handle American clients.

This guide covers what an American buyer needs to know in 2026: whether there are any restrictions (there are not), how long you can stay without a visa, the visa routes if you want to live here, what a non-resident pays in tax, banking under FATCA, moving dollars, the US-Portugal tax treaty, inheritance basics and the new, longer route to citizenship. It is general information to help you plan, not tax or legal advice.

Can Americans buy property in Portugal?

Yes, with no restrictions. Portugal does not limit foreign ownership of homes, and you do not need residency, a visa or any special permission to buy. You can own a property outright in your own name, jointly with a spouse, or through a company if your advisers recommend it. The legal steps are the same for everyone: a Portuguese tax number, a promissory contract (the CPCV), the deed and registration. Our step-by-step guide walks through the whole process.

What a home does not give you is the right to live here. Buying and residency are separate questions, and it helps to plan both from the start.

Visiting: 90/180, the EES and ETIAS

US passport holders can visit Portugal and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. All Schengen countries count together, so time in Spain, France or Italy uses the same allowance. Owning property in Portugal does not extend it.

Since the EU's Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026, after a gradual start on 12 October 2025, your entries and exits are recorded electronically with fingerprints and a facial image instead of passport stamps, per the European Commission. The count is now exact, so plan longer stays carefully. The first weeks of full operation also brought long border queues at some airports, per EY.

ETIAS, the online travel authorisation that Americans and other visa-free visitors will need before travelling, is not yet running as of November 2026. The EU dropped its earlier target of late 2026 and a 2027 start is now widely expected, per iVisa and The Points Guy. The EU has said it will announce the date several months in advance.

Living here: D7, D8 and the golden visa

To stay longer than 90 days, or to move, you need a residence visa from a Portuguese consulate in the US, then a residence permit in Portugal. The common routes for Americans are:

• The D7, for retirees and others with steady passive income such as Social Security, pensions, dividends or rent. The minimum is linked to the Portuguese minimum wage, €920 a month in 2026 per Santander, with more for a spouse and children. See our D7 visa guide.
• The D8, for remote workers paid from outside Portugal, with an income requirement of four times the minimum wage, €3,680 a month in 2026, per The Portugal News. See our D8 guide.
• The golden visa, still open but no longer through property. The main route is now an investment of €500,000 in a qualifying fund. See our golden visa guide.

A home you have already bought, or a long-term rental, is often part of the application, since consulates want to see where you will live.

What a non-resident pays in tax

Most Americans buy before they move, which means they buy as non-residents. Under Decreto-Lei 97/2026, since 25 May 2026 a buyer who is not tax resident in Portugal at the deed pays a flat 7.5 percent IMT (the property transfer tax) on residential property, with no exempt band, per Andersen and idealista. How it applies when only one of a couple is non-resident depends on the case, so ask the lawyer before you sign. On a €500,000 home that is €37,500 in IMT, plus 0.8 percent stamp duty and the usual fees.

The good news for people planning to move is that you can reclaim the difference between the flat 7.5 percent and the normal progressive rates if you become a Portuguese tax resident within two years of buying, or let the home at a moderate rent. Our guide to buying costs sets out every line. After that, you pay IMI, the annual property tax, which is usually far lower than US property taxes; see IMI vs US property tax.

You also need a NIF, the Portuguese tax number, before you can do almost anything. As a non-EU non-resident you can either appoint a fiscal representative or, since 2022, sign up to electronic notifications on the Portal das Finanças instead, per gov.pt. A temporary representative is the usual way to get the NIF quickly from the US. See NIF and bank account.

Banking, FATCA and moving dollars

FATCA, the US law that requires foreign banks to report accounts held by US persons, is the reason some Americans find Portuguese banking harder than they expected. Banks identify US clients, ask for a W-9 form and report the account through the Portuguese tax authority, which passes the data to the IRS. Some banks accept Americans readily, others ask for more documents or take longer, and a few decline new US clients, per Fresh Legal and MCS. It is solvable, but it is worth choosing a bank that is used to American clients rather than finding out at the counter.

Holding money abroad can also add US reporting duties of your own. Ask your US tax preparer what applies to you before you open accounts.

On moving dollars into euros:

• Exchange rates matter. A 3 percent move on a €500,000 purchase is €15,000. Specialist currency providers often beat a bank wire on the rate and the fees, and some let you lock in a rate for the completion date.
• Plan the timing. International wires can take a few days and banks may hold large incoming transfers for compliance checks. Send funds well before the deed, not the day before.
• Keep the paper trail. Your lawyer, the notary and the bank will all ask where the money came from.

Portuguese banks also lend to Americans using US income, usually at a lower loan-to-value than for residents. See getting a Portuguese mortgage with US income.

The US-Portugal tax treaty

The US and Portugal have an income tax treaty, signed on 6 September 1994, per the US Treasury. It decides which country has the first right to tax different kinds of income and helps prevent the same income being taxed twice. Because the US taxes its citizens wherever they live, the treaty includes a "saving clause", so US citizens still file US returns even after moving to Portugal, per Greenback.

How your Social Security, pensions, IRAs, rental income or a future sale are treated depends on the details, and getting it wrong can be expensive. This is one area where a cross-border tax adviser who works with both systems is worth paying for. For the Portuguese side, our guide to tax for new residents explains the basics.

Inheritance basics

Portugal does not have an inheritance tax in the American sense. What it has is a stamp duty on inheritances and gifts: heirs outside the close family, such as siblings, nephews or friends, pay 10 percent on their share, while spouses, children, grandchildren and parents are exempt, per CRN Contabilidade and idealista. Some sources note that a separate 0.8 percent stamp duty on property received may still apply even to close family, so check this for your own case.

The US side does not go away: US estate and gift tax rules still apply to US citizens worldwide. And Portuguese succession law has its own rules on who inherits. Many American owners make a Portuguese will covering their Portuguese property, in coordination with their US estate plan. Raise it with your lawyer at the time of purchase, when it is easiest.

Residency and citizenship

Portugal's nationality law changed on 19 May 2026. Under Lei Orgânica 1/2026, naturalisation by residence now needs 7 years for EU and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) nationals and 10 years for everyone else, including Americans, up from five, per O Mirante and Europe Simple. The period is counted from the issue of your first residence permit, per Sovereign Group, and applications filed before 19 May 2026 keep the old rules. See from residency to citizenship for the full picture.

Flights, time zones and buying from the US

Portugal is the closest part of continental Europe to the US East Coast, and there are direct flights to Lisbon from several US cities, with Porto and the Azores also connected. Mainland Portugal is usually five hours ahead of New York and eight ahead of Los Angeles, which makes morning calls in the US and afternoon calls in Portugal easy to line up.

That distance is also why many Americans buy without flying back and forth: video viewings, a power of attorney so a lawyer can sign for you, and one trip once you have a shortlist, or none at all. The legal checks and the independent survey do not need you on site to be done properly.