The caderneta predial and certidão permanente, explained: one proves title, one sets the tax.
// Short answer
Two records describe a Portuguese property. The certidão permanente is the online Land Registry certificate: it shows the owner, the description and charges such as mortgages. The caderneta predial is the tax authority's property card: it shows the tax value (VPT) that sets IMI and a floor for purchase tax. You also need a NIF, the tax number, to buy.
Rules and rates as of September 2026. Short-term letting rules are set by each municipality and change often, so check the dated items again before you sign. Every figure links to its source.
On this page
What is a certidão permanente in Portugal?
An online certificate of the Land Registry (Registo Predial) entry. It stays updated and carries the legal value of a certificate. It shows the owner, the property description and charges such as mortgages. It is the record buyers and banks check before a purchase.
The registry is run by the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN), under the Ministry of Justice. Banks can request and consult the certificate through Casa Pronta.
What is a caderneta predial?
The property tax card issued by the tax authority (AT). It shows the tax registration value, the valor patrimonial tributário (VPT). The VPT is the base for annual IMI and a floor for purchase tax, because IMT and stamp duty are charged on the higher of the declared price and the VPT.
It is a tax record, not proof of ownership. Ownership is proved by the Land Registry certificate. The AT's own page on property certificates did not load for this research, so this description rests on market and bank sources.
Sources
What is a NIF and who can get one?
The NIF is the Portuguese tax number. Any person, Portuguese or foreign, resident or non-resident, can request one, and a buyer needs one before the purchase. The service is run by the tax authority (AT). A lawyer can request it for you under power of attorney.
Once you have a NIF as a non-resident, either sign up for electronic tax notifications or appoint a fiscal representative in Portugal.
Sources
What is Casa Pronta?
A one-stop counter of the IRN, the Ministry of Justice registry body. It completes every formality for a purchase, gift or exchange of property in one sitting, with or without a bank loan, including mortgage registration. It is an alternative to a notary deed followed by separate registration.
Sellers post a EUR 15 online notice so that public bodies with a legal right of first refusal can say whether they will use it. That replaces separate waiver certificates from each body. The Casa Pronta fee itself was not found.
Sources
What should a buyer check on the registry before signing?
That the seller is the registered owner, that the description matches the property, and what charges, such as mortgages, are registered against it. The certidão permanente shows all three. Do the check before the deed.
The CPCV deposit is at risk once paid: if the buyer withdraws without legal cause, the seller keeps it. Next step: Portugal property buying costs.
Sources
// Buying in Portugal?
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See the $499 report, page by pageFrequently Asked Questions
Is the caderneta predial proof of ownership?
What does the certidão permanente show?
Can a non-resident get a NIF?
What is the VPT?
Do I need a notary in Portugal?
Header photo: Pedro Ribeiro Simões, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.