How to spot and avoid property scams in Portugal

Most property purchases in Portugal go smoothly. But a small number of buyers, often overseas and moving quickly, do get caught out, and the mistakes that let it happen are almost always the same few.

This is not a piece meant to scare you off buying here. It is the checklist we actually use with clients: how to confirm an agent is real, what documents a genuine seller can always produce, and where in the process a deposit becomes dangerous to send. None of it takes long, and most of it is free.

How to verify an agent is actually licensed

To legally mediate a property sale in Portugal, a company needs an AMI licence from IMPIC, the national regulator, and must hold civil liability insurance or an equivalent guarantee of at least €150,000, valid across the country. Ask any agent for their AMI number. A real one will give it to you without hesitation.

Then check it yourself. IMPIC's public registry lets anyone look up a company's licence number, whether it is currently in force or suspended, and who its legal representatives are, free of charge. This single step catches most fake or unlicensed "agents" before you ever get near a contract.

It is worth doing even when things feel legitimate. Portugal has a large, low-barrier mediation market, with several thousand valid AMI licences on record (an industry estimate, not an official IMPIC figure, but broadly indicative of the scale). In a market that size, a business card and a confident manner are not enough on their own.

The documents a genuine seller can always produce

A real seller, with a real property, can hand over a small set of documents without delay. If any of these are missing, delayed for no reason, or oddly hard to pin down, slow down.

• Caderneta Predial. The property's tax "ID card": physical description, registered owner and taxable value. Any seller can request it free online, and it is valid for 12 months. It is required for any promissory contract or deed.
• Registo Predial (Certidão Permanente). Issued by the Conservatória do Registo Predial, this shows who legally owns the property and any mortgages, liens or seizures against it. It is a different document from the Caderneta Predial, and buyers should check both: a scammer can sometimes produce the tax document but not a clean ownership record that matches their identity.
• Energy Performance Certificate (SCE). Since Decree-Law 101-D/2020, the full certificate legally has to be handed to the buyer before the promissory contract is signed, not just at the final deed, a rule confirmed by idealista/news. A listing with no valid SCE number is a flag worth asking about.

The promissory contract and deposit

The CPCV, or promissory purchase-and-sale contract, is where most deposits change hands, and where the biggest financial exposure sits. The deposit (sinal) typically runs 10% to 20% of the sale price. Under Article 442 of the Civil Code, if the seller pulls out unjustifiably, the buyer is legally entitled to double the sinal back; if the buyer pulls out, the seller keeps it.

That protection only means something if the seller is real and identifiable. It is precisely why you should never wire a deposit before an independent lawyer, one you hire yourself rather than one the agent recommends, has confirmed title at the Registo Predial. In Portugal, the notary's role at the final deed is largely formal: it does not verify planning legality or check for hidden debts against the property. That due diligence is on you, or on the lawyer working for you.

It is also worth commissioning an independent technical inspection before signing the CPCV, not after. A visual, non-intrusive survey by a civil engineer or architect typically costs €250 to €600 and takes an hour or two on-site, with a report back within a couple of days.

A real case: the €7 million Algarve fraud

This is not a hypothetical risk. In May 2025, Portugal's Polícia Judiciária arrested five women in the Algarve suspected of running a real-estate fraud scheme that caused losses of more than €7 million to around 30 victims. Investigators say the group forged sale contracts and powers of attorney using real owners' identity documents, had promissory contracts signed at local solicitors' offices without the actual owners knowing, and produced fake bank transfer receipts to make payments look legitimate.

The case is a useful, sobering reminder of why the checks in this guide exist. A scammer can forge a contract. What is far harder to fake is a clean ownership record at the Conservatória do Registo Predial that actually matches the person standing in front of you.

Golden Visa offers: a route that no longer exists

One scam pattern worth flagging on its own: listings or agents that market a property as "Golden Visa eligible." As of 2026, that is not accurate for a straightforward property purchase. Real-estate investment, including residential and commercial purchase and rehabilitation projects, was removed as a Golden Visa route by the "Mais Habitação" law in October 2023. The remaining routes are things like capital or fund investment and cultural donations, not buying a home.

Immigration administration in this area also keeps changing: AIMA has been rolling out an online portal for Golden Visa renewals, phased in by expiry date rather than available to everyone at once. Because the rules shift often and the stakes are high, always confirm the current position directly with AIMA or a licensed immigration lawyer rather than relying on what a seller or agent tells you.

Your pre-purchase checklist

None of this is complicated. It is mostly about sequence: verify first, pay later.

• Get the AMI number and check it on IMPIC's registry before you engage further with any agent.
• Ask for the Caderneta Predial and Registo Predial and compare the named owner against who you are actually dealing with.
• Confirm the SCE energy certificate exists and matches the property being sold.
• Hire your own lawyer, not one suggested by the selling agent, before signing the CPCV or sending any deposit.
• Commission an independent survey before you sign, not after.
• Be sceptical of "Golden Visa eligible" property listings, and verify visa claims directly with AIMA or a licensed immigration lawyer.
• Never wire funds based on urgency alone. A genuine seller with real ownership is not harmed by a short delay while you verify.