Buying in Portugal as a UK citizen after Brexit

Brexit changed a lot for Britons in Portugal, but it did not change the thing most people ask first. You can still buy a home here, in your own name, with no special permission. What changed is everything around the purchase: how long you can stay, what you pay in tax as a non-resident, and the paperwork for living here.

This guide is for UK citizens buying in Portugal from 2026 onwards, whether it is a holiday home, a place to retire, or the first step of a move. It covers the border rules (including the new Entry/Exit System), the visa routes if you want to live here, the extra tax a non-resident buyer now pays, and a few practical things like your tax number, your driving licence and the new, longer road to Portuguese citizenship.

Can you still buy? Yes

Portugal does not restrict foreign ownership of residential property, and that did not change when the UK left the EU. A British buyer can own a flat, a townhouse or a farmhouse outright, in their own name or jointly, and the purchase follows exactly the same steps as for anyone else: a tax number, a promissory contract, the deed and registration. We cover the general picture in can foreigners buy property in Portugal, and the full process in buying a home in Portugal, step by step.

What Brexit did remove is free movement. Before 2021, a Briton could buy a home and simply move in. Now, buying and living here are two separate questions, and the second one needs a visa.

The 90/180 rule, the EES and ETIAS

As a UK passport holder you 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 a week in Spain and a fortnight in France come out of the same allowance. Overstaying can lead to a ban on entering Schengen countries of up to three years, per GOV.UK.

Owning a home in Portugal does not extend that allowance. Plenty of British second-home owners plan their year around it: two or three long stays, with time back in the UK in between.

The Entry/Exit System (EES)

The EU's Entry/Exit System replaced passport stamps for non-EU short-stay visitors. It started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, per the European Commission. The first time you cross a Schengen border under it, your fingerprints and a facial image are recorded, and every entry and exit after that is logged. The practical effect is that the 90/180 count is now automatic and precise. The early weeks of full operation also brought long queues at some airports, per EY, so leave extra time at the border.

ETIAS

ETIAS is a separate, online travel authorisation that visa-free visitors, including Britons, will need before travelling to the Schengen area. As of November 2026 it is not yet running and no applications are being taken. The EU had targeted the last quarter of 2026 but has since removed that date, and a 2027 start is now widely expected, per iVisa and The Points Guy. The EU has said it will announce the start date several months in advance, so check the official ETIAS site before you travel.

Living here: D7, D8 and the golden visa

If you want to spend more than 90 days in 180 in Portugal, or move here, you need a residence visa, applied for at a Portuguese consulate before you come, followed by a residence permit. The routes most British buyers look at are:

• The D7, for people with stable passive income such as pensions, rental income or investments. The minimum is tied to the Portuguese minimum wage, which is €920 a month in 2026 per Santander, with more required for a spouse and children. See our D7 visa guide.
• The D8, for remote workers employed or self-employed outside Portugal. The income requirement is four times the minimum wage, €3,680 a month in 2026, per The Portugal News.
• The golden visa, which still exists but no longer accepts property purchases. Since 2023 the main route is investment, typically €500,000 in a qualifying fund. See our golden visa guide.

Britons who were already legally living in Portugal before the end of 2020 are in a different position, with rights protected under the Withdrawal Agreement. If that is you, your residence card is what matters, not the visa routes above.

One useful point for buyers: a home you own (or a long rental) is often part of a D7 or D8 application, because you need to show where you will live. Buying first and applying afterwards is common.

What a non-resident pays in tax

This is the change in 2026 that matters most for British buyers. Under Decreto-Lei 97/2026, since 25 May 2026 a buyer who is not tax resident in Portugal at the date of the deed pays a flat 7.5 percent IMT (the property transfer tax) on residential property, with no exempt band and no progressive scale, 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 €400,000 home that is €30,000 in IMT, on top of the 0.8 percent stamp duty and the usual fees. There is relief if your plans change: if you become a Portuguese tax resident within two years of the purchase, or let the property at a moderate rent, you can reclaim the difference between 7.5 percent and the normal rates. Buyers domiciled in a tax haven can pay up to 10 percent. Our guide to buying costs has the full breakdown.

Once you own the home, you pay IMI, the annual municipal property tax, like any other owner. If you let it out, Portuguese tax applies to the rent.

Your NIF and fiscal representative

Before you can make an offer stick, open a bank account or sign a contract, you need a Portuguese tax number, the NIF. A non-resident can get one from abroad through a representative. See how to get a NIF and a Portuguese bank account.

Because the UK is now outside the EU, British non-residents used to have to appoint a fiscal representative in Portugal, a person or company the tax office could deal with. Since 2022, non-residents can be exempt from that if they sign up to electronic notifications on the Portal das Finanças, per gov.pt and the Portal das Finanças. In practice, a temporary fiscal representative is still the usual way to obtain the NIF quickly from the UK, and you can switch to electronic notifications afterwards.

Money: pounds, mortgages and the tax treaty

Most British buyers earn, save or draw a pension in pounds and pay for the home in euros. A few practical points:

• Exchange rates move. A 3 percent swing on a €400,000 purchase is €12,000. Many buyers use a specialist currency provider and agree a rate in advance for the deposit and the completion payment, rather than sending a large sum through a high-street bank on the day.
• Portuguese banks lend to UK residents, using income earned in the UK, though usually at a lower loan-to-value than for residents. See getting a Portuguese mortgage with UK income.
• Source of funds. Banks, notaries and your lawyer will ask where the money comes from. Have statements ready for savings, a house sale in the UK or a pension lump sum.

On tax, the UK and Portugal signed a new double taxation convention in September 2025. It entered into force on 29 December 2025 and replaced the 1968 treaty, taking effect in Portugal from 1 January 2026 and in the UK from 6 April 2026 for income tax and capital gains tax, per GOV.UK and KPMG. Which country taxes your pension, rent or gains depends on your situation and the treaty, so take advice from a tax adviser who works on both sides. If you become resident, our guide to tax for new residents is a good starting point.

Once you move: driving licence and citizenship

Your UK driving licence

As a visitor, you can drive in Portugal on your UK licence. Once you become resident it is different. Under the UK-Portugal arrangement in place since the end of 2023, new residents can drive on their UK licence for the first 90 days of residence and should exchange it for a Portuguese one at the IMT (the transport authority, not the tax). Between 90 days and two years you can still exchange it without a test, but you should not drive on the UK licence in the meantime, and after two years an exchange is no longer possible without taking a Portuguese test, per the IMT Madeira FAQ (January 2026) and LVP Advogados. A medical certificate is part of the application.

The longer road to citizenship

Portugal used to be known for one of the fastest routes to an EU passport: five years of legal residence. That changed with the new nationality law, Lei Orgânica 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026. Naturalisation by residence now requires 7 years for EU and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) nationals and 10 years for everyone else, including UK citizens, per O Mirante and Europe Simple. Under the new rules the period is counted from the issue of your first residence permit, not from your visa application, per Sovereign Group, and applications already filed before 19 May 2026 keep the old rules. Read more in from residency to citizenship.

For most British buyers, the honest summary is this: buying is easy, living here takes a visa, and a Portuguese passport is now a long-term project rather than a five-year plan.