GUIDE FOR BUYERS FROM LATIN AMERICA
Buying Property in Portugal from Latin America
A practical guide for buyers based across Latin America considering a home, second residence, investment property or resort unit in Portugal.
- For buyers based in Latin America
- Reviewed and current
QUICK ANSWER
Can buyers based in Latin America buy property in Portugal?
Yes. Portugal places no nationality or residence restriction on property ownership. A buyer living anywhere in Latin America follows the same Portuguese sequence as any other buyer: obtain a Portuguese tax identification number (NIF), agree terms, have the property and its documentation checked, sign the Portuguese contractual documents, settle Portuguese acquisition taxes and complete, after which the purchase is registered.
This guide covers the Portuguese side of the transaction in full. It is deliberately regional rather than country-specific, because tax, banking, currency-control and reporting requirements vary significantly between Latin American jurisdictions. Home-country rules are not described here and must be confirmed with a professional adviser and the relevant authority in the buyer's own country.
Purchases are priced and paid in euros. International transfers, currency conversion from the buyer's local currency, and home-country currency-control rules all need planning well before completion.
The Latin American buyer roadmap
Seven steps, each linked to the detailed Portuguese guidance rather than repeated here.
- 01
Define the purchase
Permanent home, second home, rental investment, off-plan or resort unit — the intended use shapes Portuguese taxes, documents and checks.
The buying process - 02
Set the real budget
Price plus Portuguese acquisition taxes, completion costs, registration and any financing costs — all in euros.
Estimate purchase costs - 03
Prepare Portuguese requirements
A Portuguese NIF for every buyer named on the deed, identification documents and payment arrangements.
About the NIF - 04
Plan the international transfers
Convert to euros and align transfers with the Portuguese payment dates, allowing for bank limits, correspondent-bank routing and processing time.
Costs and taxes - 05
Commission the property checks
Registration, charges, licensing, permitted use and construction documentation, verified before you commit money.
Due diligence - 06
Review the Portuguese contract
The CPCV is the Portuguese promissory purchase agreement and creates real obligations before completion.
The CPCV explained - 07
Complete and register
Completion through the appropriate Portuguese instrument, followed by Portuguese land registration.
See completion
Preparing to buy
Much of this can be arranged remotely, before an offer is accepted.
- A Portuguese NIF for every buyer who will appear on the deed
- Valid identification and proof of address, often needing certification or an apostille depending on the document and its origin
- Bank arrangements able to send the required euro amounts on the required dates
- Source-of-funds documentation prepared in advance, including evidence of how funds were accumulated and converted
- An early decision between cash and Portuguese financing
- Representation arrangements, such as a procuração (power of attorney), if you will not travel for every stage
- Independent legal review instructed on your side of the transaction
- Confirmation, in your own country, of any currency-control, reporting or tax-declaration steps that apply before or after sending funds abroad
None of this depends on holding, applying for or intending Portuguese residence.
Purchase budget and Portuguese taxes
Portuguese acquisition tax is mainly IMT and Imposto do Selo (stamp duty), calculated on the higher of the price or the taxable value of the property. These are Portuguese taxes only; this guide makes no claim about how any Latin American tax authority treats the same purchase.
Portuguese acquisition taxes
IMT and Imposto do Selo, driven by value, property type and intended use.
Completion and registration costs
The costs of the Portuguese completion instrument and of registering the purchase.
Professional costs
Independent legal review, and any technical survey you choose to commission.
Financing costs
Valuation, arrangement fees, insurance and stamp duty on credit where a Portuguese mortgage is used.
Currency conversion and transfer costs
Foreign-exchange spreads, correspondent-bank fees and transfer charges on moving funds into euros.
Ongoing ownership costs
IMI, condominium contributions, insurance, utilities and maintenance.
The calculator estimates Portuguese purchase taxes only. It never calculates home-country tax and does not take your country of residence into account.
Calculate costsMoving funds from Latin America to Portugal
Purchase funds must reach Portugal in euros, converted from the buyer's local currency where applicable. International transfers from Latin American countries can involve currency-control approvals, documentation requirements and correspondent-bank routing that vary by country and by bank, so plan the transfer chain well ahead of contractual deadlines.
- Currency conversion into euros, and the exchange-rate risk between agreeing a price and completing payment
- Currency-control or reporting requirements that may apply in the buyer's own country before funds can be sent abroad
- Payment timing against the reservation, CPCV and completion dates
- Transfer limits and documentation requirements applied by the sending bank
- Correspondent-bank routing, which can add time and cost to international transfers
- Source-of-funds and source-of-wealth documentation prepared before the first payment is due
- International account details — IBAN and BIC — confirmed accurately
- Anti-money-laundering checks on both the sending and receiving side, which can pause a transfer already instructed
- Transaction deadlines in the Portuguese contract, which do not move because a transfer is delayed
Missing a contractual payment date can have consequences under the CPCV, so plan the transfer chain backwards from those dates, allowing extra time for cross-continental transfers.
Confirm receiving bank details through a channel you have verified independently. Fraudulent changes to payment instructions are a known risk in international property transactions.
This guide does not recommend a bank, currency broker or payment provider, and does not describe the currency-control or reporting rules of any specific Latin American country.
Financing from Latin America
Portuguese banks lend to non-resident buyers, but the terms offered differ from those offered to residents, and each institution applies its own policy and its own view of a given country of residence.
- Availability and terms can differ between residents and non-residents, and between countries of residence
- Maximum loan-to-value and maximum age at the end of the term vary between banks
- A valuation of the property is normally required
- Income and asset documentation from Latin America may need certification, an apostille and a certified Portuguese translation
- Financing a Portuguese property through a lender in your home country is a separate question, to be raised with that lender
- Any financing condition needs to be negotiated and drafted into the Portuguese CPCV; it is not automatic
- Financing should be explored before binding deadlines are agreed in the CPCV
This site does not publish current mortgage rates and cannot confirm eligibility with any bank.
Read the non-resident mortgage guideBuying remotely from Latin America
Given the distances involved, many Latin American buyers complete some or all of the transaction through representation rather than travelling for every stage.
- Remote viewings and an independent inspection of the property
- A procuração (power of attorney) prepared with the formalities the Portuguese transaction requires — typically certification and, where executed abroad, an apostille and a certified Portuguese translation
- Secure exchange of identification and documents across the time difference
- Due diligence carried out in Portugal and reported to you
- Signature and completion carried out by your representative where legally appropriate
The exact formalities depend on the transaction, on where the power of attorney is executed, and on the documents being signed.
Learn about buying remotelyWhat is checked before you commit money
In Portugal, several important verifications are commissioned by the buyer rather than provided automatically, so it is worth understanding what to ask for and when.
Property registration
What is registered, in whose name, and whether any charges, mortgages or burdens are recorded against the property.
Licensing
Whether the property holds the licences it needs for the use intended, including a use licence where applicable.
Permitted use
What the property may lawfully be used for, which is not always what it is currently used for.
Construction documentation
Approved plans, works carried out, and whether alterations were authorised and documented.
Condominium matters
Rules, contributions, arrears and decisions of the condominium that will bind you as owner.
Seller and developer documentation
Who is selling, their authority to sell, and the documentation supporting the transaction.
Project-specific restrictions
Development rules, tourist-use obligations or contractual restrictions attached to a particular project.
None of this is unusual or difficult when it is planned for. It becomes a problem only when it is assumed to happen automatically.
Owning a property in Portugal is not the same as becoming Portuguese tax resident
A permanent home, a second home and a tax residence are three different things, and none of them is decided by the purchase itself.
Property ownership
A matter of Portuguese property law. You buy, complete and register. Ownership says nothing about where you live.
Habitual residence
Where you actually live. Whether the Portuguese property is a main home or a second home affects how you use, insure and maintain it.
Portuguese tax residence
Determined by Portuguese rules applied to your actual circumstances, such as where you live and the time you spend in Portugal. It is not created by owning property, and this website never determines it for you.
Home-country tax residence
Determined by the rules of your own country and assessed there. Owning property abroad does not by itself settle the question, and this varies significantly between Latin American jurisdictions, so it should be discussed with a qualified adviser in your own country.
Nothing on this site determines your tax residence in any country. Where the purchase cost calculator asks about Portuguese tax residence, you answer it yourself, and the answer is used only for that estimate.
Home-country and Portuguese tax considerations
This guide describes Portuguese taxes only. Tax, reporting and currency-control obligations in the buyer's home country vary significantly across Latin America and are not generalised here.
PORTUGUESE PURCHASE AND OWNERSHIP TAXES
- Acquisition: IMT and Imposto do Selo arise when the property is bought
- Ownership: IMI is charged annually, with other charges possible depending on the property
- Rental: letting the property can create Portuguese tax obligations
- Disposal: a future sale can have Portuguese tax consequences
HOME-COUNTRY CONSIDERATIONS
- Owning a property abroad, receiving rental income from it, its disposal, and your personal circumstances can each have consequences in your own country
- Reporting obligations on foreign assets and foreign income vary significantly between Latin American countries
- Currency-control and foreign-exchange declaration requirements also vary and should be confirmed before funds are sent
- How your home-country position and the Portuguese position interact in a specific case depends on facts and rules this website does not hold and cannot generalise
- These questions belong with a licensed professional adviser and the competent authority in your own country
This guide does not calculate any home-country tax, does not describe any specific Latin American country's rules, and does not determine any double-taxation outcome. Use the purchase cost calculator for Portuguese acquisition taxes only.
Ownership and succession considerations
Cross-border ownership can make succession and estate planning relevant in a way that a purely domestic purchase does not. It is raised here so that it is considered in time.
Two or more legal systems can be engaged
A property in Portugal owned by someone living in Latin America can involve rules from both Portugal and the buyer's home country.
How the property is held
Sole ownership, joint ownership and ownership through a structure are different arrangements with different consequences.
Existing arrangements
Wills, matrimonial arrangements and planning already in place may interact with a Portuguese property.
Documentation in Portugal
Portuguese registration records what is registered; planning intentions are a separate matter.
Timing
These questions are easier to address before completion than afterwards.
This guide provides no inheritance-tax calculations and does not recommend any ownership structure. The appropriate approach depends on the buyer's family, residence and ownership circumstances, and on the rules of their own country.
Explore Portuguese locations
Contextual starting points rather than a ranking. This site does not claim which regions Latin American buyers choose most often.
Lisbon Region
Capital-city and coastal living with the widest range of property types and services.
Lisbon Region guideAlgarve
The southern coast, with strong second-home, resort and rental activity.
Algarve guidePorto & North
A northern city and region with a distinct character and property market.
Porto & North guideSilver Coast
The central Atlantic coast between Lisbon and Porto. A dedicated guide is in preparation.
See all locationsMadeira
An Atlantic island with its own market, logistics and practical considerations.
Madeira guideProperty types
The type of property changes the documents, the checks and sometimes the tax treatment.
Existing property
Resale homes and apartments, where checks focus on ownership, registration, licensing and condition.
Due diligenceOff-plan
Staged payments, specifications and completion milestones that a resale purchase does not involve.
Buying off-planTourist resort unit
Licensing, management arrangements and contractual structures specific to tourist developments.
Resort unitsAny property type
The Portuguese purchase process in full, from search to registration.
How to buyCommon misunderstandings
Assuming a single 'Latin American' rulebook applies
Tax, banking, currency-control and reporting rules vary significantly between countries in the region and must be confirmed locally, not assumed from this guide.
Treating Portuguese registration as equivalent to a home-country registry
Portuguese registration follows Portuguese rules and should be understood on its own terms.
Reading the CPCV as a routine formality
The CPCV is a promissory agreement with its own obligations, deadlines and default consequences.
Assuming licensing is confirmed
Licensing and permitted use are verified during due diligence, not assumed from how the property is presented.
Treating a reservation as a formality
A reservation is a contract, and the amount paid is not always refundable.
Underestimating transfer timelines
Currency conversion, correspondent-bank routing and source-of-funds checks can take longer for intercontinental transfers than expected.
Confusing ownership with tax residence
Buying a property in Portugal does not make you Portuguese tax resident, and does not by itself change your home-country position.
Budgeting from the asking price
IMT, Imposto do Selo, completion, registration and currency-conversion costs are all part of the real budget.
Already found a property in Portugal?
If you have received a reservation document, a CPCV or property documentation, the transaction has moved from general planning to a specific purchase.
Portuguese legal services are provided by Valente Veiga & Associados.
Latin American buyer FAQs
Can buyers from Latin American countries buy property in Portugal?
Yes. Portugal does not restrict property ownership by nationality, and no special authorisation is needed for a buyer living anywhere in Latin America.
Do I need to live in Portugal?
No. Ownership and residence are separate matters. Many owners never become Portuguese residents.
Do I need a Portuguese NIF?
In practice, yes. Each buyer named on the deed needs a Portuguese tax identification number, which is used to settle taxes and complete the purchase.
Will my home country's tax or currency-control rules affect this purchase?
Possibly, and these vary significantly across Latin America. This guide covers the Portuguese side of the transaction only; confirm your own country's rules with a licensed local adviser before sending funds.
Is a CPCV mandatory?
It is not legally required in every transaction, but it is used in most, and where it is used it creates real obligations. Whether one is appropriate depends on the transaction.
Can I complete remotely?
Often yes, through representation under a procuração (power of attorney), typically with certification, an apostille where the document is executed abroad, and a certified Portuguese translation.
How much Portuguese purchase tax will I pay?
Portuguese acquisition tax is mainly IMT and Imposto do Selo, based on the higher of the price or the taxable value and influenced by property type and intended use. The purchase cost calculator gives an estimate; it does not calculate home-country tax.
Can I finance the property through a Portuguese bank?
Portuguese banks do lend to buyers living abroad, usually at a lower loan-to-value than for residents, and always subject to their own assessment, which can vary by country of residence.
Does owning property change my tax residence?
No. Portuguese tax residence depends on your circumstances under Portuguese rules, and your home-country position is determined under your own country's rules.
How do I move money from my country to Portugal?
Through an international bank transfer converted into euros. Plan for currency conversion, transfer limits, correspondent-bank routing, source-of-funds documentation and any currency-control or reporting steps required in your own country, and confirm these with your bank and a local adviser.
What should be checked before signing?
Registration and ownership, charges and burdens, licensing and permitted use, construction documentation, condominium matters, the seller's or developer's documentation, and any project-specific restrictions.
How does an off-plan purchase work?
Through staged payments tied to construction milestones, with specifications, developer documentation and completion conditions that a resale purchase does not involve.
Estimate your Portuguese purchase taxes
The purchase cost calculator estimates IMT, stamp duty and typical transaction costs from the figures you enter. Your country of origin does not change the calculation — the calculator asks about your actual circumstances, including Portuguese tax residence.
Official sources
The statements on this page are written against official government, tax authority and regulator sources. Always check the current position before acting.
PORTUGAL
Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira
Portal das Finanças — taxes and tax obligations
PORTUGAL
Government of Portugal
ePortugal — public services for citizens and businesses
PORTUGAL
Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado
Registries and notaries — property registration
PORTUGAL
AIMA — Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum
Residence and immigration information
PORTUGAL
Banco de Portugal
Bank customer website — credit and banking information
Last verified 14 August 2026. Check the official authority websites for the current position.
This page provides general information about buying property in Portugal. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice, and it does not address the circumstances of a specific transaction.