Foreign Buyers
Explore our guides on foreign buyers: essential information for anyone buying, selling or renovating property in Portugal.
Portugal vs Europe: Mandatory Property Diagnostics Compared (2026)
France's DDT and Spain's ITE force a technical check of the building before sale. Portugal mandates no condition diagnostic, so the one technical check is the one you commission.
Direito de preferência: how a third party can legally claim the property you agreed to buy
In Portugal, tenants, municipalities and heritage bodies can buy a property at your agreed price. How the right works and how to guard against it.
Lawyer, notary, agent: who actually protects the buyer in Portugal?
Three professionals are present in every Portuguese property purchase. None of them is responsible for the physical condition of the building. Here is what each one does, and does not do.
CPCV vs. reserva: how Portugal's pre-contract structure differs from Spain
Portugal uses a CPCV with a 10–20% deposit at risk from signing. Spain uses a reserva followed by arras. Here is what each system means for buyers, and which protects more.
Buyer protection in Portugal: why the system works against you
Portugal's property market has no MLS, no buyer's agent profession and no mandatory inspection. How each gap exposes buyers, and what to do about it.
How real estate agency works in Portugal: what every buyer needs to know
In Portugal, the mediador is paid by the seller. No MLS, no buyer protection by default. Here's how AMI licensing, open mandates, and commission structure actually work.
Why Portugal has no buyer's agents: what that means for your purchase
Portugal has no licensed buyer's agent profession. The mediador works for the seller. Here's why the profession never developed and what fills the gap.
Buying Property in Portugal: Risks and Pitfalls
The 7.5% non-resident IMT now in force, the four documents to verify before signing, and the pitfalls that no document reveals. Updated September 2026.