What are the basic procedures and legal acts involved in acquiring a property in Portugal?
Having chosen a property, your Lawyer should search the local Land Registry (Conservatora do Registo Predial) to confirm that the vendor has clear title of ownership, charges or mortgages over the property and actual building and plot size being sold. A fiscal number (numero de contribuinte), obtained at the local Tax (Finanças) office, is mandatory. This number will come in the form of a card, which you will need for payment of annual property taxes, supply of services to the property or to open a Portuguese Bank Account. Your Lawyer will obtain the official tax document (caderneta predial) relating to the property from the vendor and check that the description of the property (number of rooms, area of house, area of land, etc) is the same as in the land registry. A copy of the usage licence (licença de utilizaçao) will be obtained from the local town hall (Camera Municipal). For residential property, you will need a Habitation Licence (licence de habitçao). Non-residential licences n
