Buying property in Portugal as a foreigner: yes, outright. Property no longer buys a golden visa.

By Stan Brinkman · independent property analyst

Can foreigners buy property in Portugal?

Yes. Foreigners can buy residential property in Portugal, land and building, on the same terms as Portuguese citizens. No nationality or residency test, approval or quota for private residential purchases was found. The only buyer-based difference in the tax code is tax-haven residence, not nationality.

The positive rule is reported by a market source, not stated on a single government page. It follows from the absence of any restriction in the purchase-tax and registration rules. Zone rules such as military or coastal servitudes apply to all owners and were not verified here. Detail: foreign ownership in Portugal, explained.

What do you need before buying property in Portugal?

A Portuguese tax number, the NIF. Any person, Portuguese or foreign, resident or not, can request one from the tax authority (AT). A non-resident owner also either signs up for electronic tax notifications or appoints a fiscal representative in Portugal.

A non-resident must appoint a tax representative resident in Portugal, unless they sign up for electronic notifications through the Portal das Finanças, the digital single address or the electronic mailbox. Older official guidance also named property owners outside the EU as needing a representative, and the current statute has no such exception. The safe line: a non-EU owner either signs up for electronic tax notifications or appoints a fiscal representative. Confirm which applies with a lawyer.

How does buying property in Portugal work, step by step?

Get a NIF, sign a promissory contract (CPCV) with a deposit, check the registry for ownership and charges, arrange finance, then sign the deed before a notary or at the Casa Pronta counter and register. A market source puts it at about one to three months from accepted offer.

1. NIF: the tax number. See the caderneta predial and certidão permanente, explained.
2. CPCV: the deposit is reported as typically 5% to 10%. If the buyer withdraws without legal cause the seller keeps it; if the seller withdraws, the seller returns double.
3. Registry checks: the certidão permanente shows the owner and charges such as mortgages.
4. Deed: before a notary, or in one sitting at the IRN's Casa Pronta counter.
5. Registration: at the Land Registry (Registo Predial).

Hiring a lawyer is common. Whether it is legally required was not confirmed.

What does it cost to buy property in Portugal?

Mainly IMT, the municipal transfer tax, plus 0.8% stamp duty. For a second home or investment in 2026, IMT runs in marginal bands from 1% to 8%, then a flat 6% on the whole price from EUR 633,931 and 7.5% above EUR 1,150,853. There is no VAT on a resale or new-build home. Since 25 May 2026 a non-resident buying a home pays a flat 7.5% instead, with no exemption or reduction; the difference down to these bands is refunded if the buyer becomes tax-resident in Portugal within two years, or lets the home at a moderate rent for at least 36 months in the first five years (Decree-Law 97/2026).

A buyer resident in a listed tax haven pays a flat 10% IMT. Full band table: Portugal property buying costs.

What taxes does a foreign owner pay in Portugal each year?

IMI, the municipal property tax, at 0.3% to 0.45% of the tax value (VPT) for urban property, set each year by the municipality. AIMI adds 0.7% for individuals on residential tax value above a EUR 600,000 deduction. Residential rent is taxed at a flat 25% for non-residents.

Portugal has no net wealth tax apart from AIMI. Detail: Portugal property tax for foreigners.

Does buying property in Portugal still give a golden visa?

No. Since 7 October 2023, buying or rehabilitating real estate no longer qualifies for a new golden visa (ARI). The programme itself continues through other routes, such as EUR 500,000 in qualifying non-real-estate investment funds or company investment creating jobs. Existing holders can renew.

On renewal an existing ARI converts into a residence permit for entrepreneur-immigrants. Holders must spend at least 7 days in Portugal in the first year and 14 days in each later two-year period.

Can a foreigner get a mortgage in Portugal?

Yes. Under Banco de Portugal limits applying from 1 August 2026, banks can lend up to 80% of value for a second home or investment and 90% for the borrower's own permanent home. Debt service is capped at 45% of income, with limited exceptions.

A market source reports non-resident mortgages at 70% to 80% loan-to-value and up to about 30 years, usually after opening a Portuguese bank account. Those are not a lender's published terms; confirm with the bank.

What happens when a foreigner sells property in Portugal?

Since 2023, only 50% of a non-resident's gain is counted, and that half is taxed at the progressive rates of 12.5% to 48%, with the band set by the seller's worldwide income. Keep the purchase deed and receipts. Step by step in the selling guide.

See selling property in Portugal as a foreigner.

Header photo: Dale Cruse, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.