How to buy property in Portugal as a foreigner in 2026

Yes, a foreigner can buy property in Portugal, resident or not. The Tax Authority gives a tax number (NIF) to non-residents and treats owning property here as an ordinary tax relationship for them. The purchase runs in nine steps, from the NIF to the land registry, and several can be handled through a representative while you are abroad. One thing has changed: since October 7, 2023, buying a home no longer qualifies for a Golden Visa, so the property does not come with residency.

For the costs (IMT, stamp duty, notary and registration fees), read the real cost of buying property in Portugal in 2026.

Buying a home does not give you residency

Law 56/2023 revoked residence permits for real estate investment. Its article 42 stops new applications under those routes from the day the law came into force, the day after its publication on October 6, 2023. Permits granted before then can still be renewed, and the investment routes that remain cannot be directed, directly or indirectly, to real estate.

If you want to live in Portugal, residency comes from a visa or permit in its own right. Our Golden Visa 2026 status article lists the routes still open.

The steps, in order

1. Get a NIF. Ask for it at a tax office or Loja do Cidadão by appointment, or through a legal representative on the Portal das Finanças e-balcão, with your passport and proof of your address abroad. You do not need a tax representative to get the NIF. Once you own the property, you have 15 days to appoint one or sign up for the Tax Authority's electronic notifications. For residents of the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, this is optional.
2. Open a Portuguese bank account and document your funds. The Tax Authority lists the NIF as a condition for opening a bank account. Banks, real estate agencies, lawyers, solicitors and notaries all fall under the anti-money-laundering law (Law 83/2017): they must identify you and, when the risk or the transaction justifies it, ask where the money comes from. Keep the statements, sale deeds or payslips that show it.
3. Search and make an offer. IMPIC lists licensed real estate agencies on its portal. Agree the price and main conditions in writing before the CPCV.
4. Check the property. The government's buying guide lists the documents: the caderneta predial (tax record), the certidão do registo predial (land registry certificate, with owners, mortgages and other charges), the licença de utilização (habitation license), the energy certificate, the ficha técnica de habitação (technical sheet) and a statement that no condominium fees are owed. A sale cannot be signed without a valid energy certificate, because its number goes into the deed. Your lawyer should check them before the CPCV.
5. Sign the promissory contract (CPCV) and pay the deposit. The CPCV is not mandatory. For a building or apartment it must be written, with signatures recognized in person and the habitation or building license certified. Money the buyer pays at this stage is presumed to be a deposit (sinal). Under article 442 of the Civil Code, if the buyer backs out, the seller keeps the deposit; if the seller backs out, the buyer can claim double. The CPCV sets the price, payment terms, deposit and deadline for the deed.
6. Arrange financing, if needed. Banco de Portugal's Macroprudential Recommendation 1/2026 covers loans assessed from August 1, 2026. Banks should lend at most 90% of the lower of price and valuation for your own permanent home, and 80% for other purposes, such as a holiday home or a rental. The limits follow the purpose of the loan, not the borrower's nationality. Payments on all your loans should stay within 45% of net income, and the term within 40 years if you are 35 or younger, 35 years if older.
7. Pay IMT and stamp duty before the deed. The IMT is assessed before the transfer and must be paid the same day or within 30 days, or the assessment lapses. No notary, lawyer or registry officer can sign the deed without proof of payment. The buyer also pays stamp duty before signing. A buyer who is not a Portuguese tax resident, and never has been, pays IMT at a flat 7.5% on a home, with no exemptions or reductions. A buyer who becomes tax resident within two years, or who lets the home within six months of the purchase at a moderate rent for at least 36 months, can ask the Tax Authority to cancel the difference within six months of becoming resident or signing the lease. Amounts and the full rule are in our cost article.
8. Sign the deed. This can be a public deed (escritura) at a notary, a documento particular autenticado prepared by a lawyer or solicitor, or a Casa Pronta desk run by the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN), where purchase, taxes and registration are handled in one visit.
9. Register the property. Whoever signs or authenticates the deed must request the registration within two months. At Casa Pronta and other registry offices, it is filed on the spot.

How long it takes

No law sets a total. The pace depends on the NIF, the property's papers, the deed deadline in the CPCV and, with a mortgage, the bank's valuation and approval.

Notes by country

What Urbanis does

Urbanis is a licensed real estate agency in Porto (AMI 24596). We search for and vet properties, negotiate with sellers, and coordinate the purchase with independent lawyers, notaries and banks, including the NIF and bank account when you buy from abroad. We do not give legal or tax advice. The team works in Portuguese, English, Spanish and Hebrew.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner buy property in Portugal?

Yes. Any Portuguese or foreign person, resident or not, can get a NIF, and the Tax Authority treats owning property in Portugal as a normal tax relationship for a non-resident.

Source: Tax Authority, NIF for non-resident foreign citizens (July 2025)

Does buying a property in Portugal give me residency?

No. Law 56/2023 stopped new Golden Visa applications through real estate from October 7, 2023.

Source: Law 56/2023, article 42, Diário da República

Do I need a tax representative?

Not for the NIF. Once you own the property, a buyer living outside the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein must, within 15 days, appoint one or sign up for the Tax Authority's electronic notifications.

Source: Tax Authority, NIF for non-resident foreign citizens (July 2025)

How much can a non-resident borrow?

At most 80% of the lower of price and valuation for a home that will not be your permanent residence, or 90% for your own permanent home, with payments within 45% of net income. Banks may lend less.

Source: Banco de Portugal, Macroprudential Recommendation 1/2026

What happens to my deposit if the sale falls through?

If you withdraw, the seller keeps the deposit. If the seller withdraws, you can claim double.

Source: Civil Code, articles 441 and 442

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Last verified: October 29, 2026.