The Portuguese purchase process runs in an order that catches out buyers used to the American or British systems. The order itself is straightforward. Buyers get hurt by learning it halfway through a transaction.
Before you look at anything
You need a Portuguese tax number, the NIF, and in practice a Portuguese bank account. Both are routine. Both take longer than you want them to, and neither speeds up once an offer sits on the table. Your lawyer can arrange the NIF on your behalf before you fly over.
Engage an independent lawyer at this stage. Independent means acting for you alone. Do not use the lawyer the seller's agent recommends. Of everything on this page, that one decision protects you most.
The offer and the promissory contract
An accepted offer binds neither side. You commit at the contrato promessa de compra e venda, the promissory contract, where you place a deposit of ten to twenty percent and the terms become enforceable on both sides.
Buyers who thought they were still negotiating find out here that they have committed. Read it slowly. By this point your lawyer has run the searches: title, licensing, debts registered against the property, and whether anybody ever declared that lovely extension.
The deed
You sign the escritura in front of a notary, and the house is yours. Expect one to three months between the promissory contract and the deed, longer if a bank is involved.
What to budget beyond the price
Transfer tax (IMT), stamp duty, notary and registration fees, and your lawyer's fee. The percentages move with the price and with whether the house becomes your primary residence, so ask your advisors for your figures before you make an offer. The total is not small and it should not surprise you.
Where I fit
Across all of it, starting well before the first viewing. I am not your lawyer and I am not your tax advisor, and I will introduce you to both. What I do is keep you clear on which step you are standing on and what the next one costs.
