Discover the Essential Documents for Selling Your House in Portugal | Casas do Barlavento

Mandatory documents for selling a house in Portugal (2024):

1. Identity documents of the owners
2. Energy certificate of the property
3. Caderneta Predial Urbana (Property Unique Certificate)
4. Licence to use (Licença de utilização)
5. Land registry certificate Housing Technical Data Sheet
6. The legal right of Priority
7. Declaration of condominium fees

Ready to sell your house in 2024?

Sell your home swiftly without wasting time gathering all the necessary documentation. It is essential to ensure all necessary paperwork is in order before listing a house on the property market. Preparing these documents in advance can make all the difference in the buyer's choice. When in doubt, a potential buyer between two properties will opt for the one without obstacles and with up-to-date documentation, ready to be verified.

This article outlines the necessary documents for both the property buyer and seller during a transaction. Follow our checklist and succeed in the quick sale of your home.

Photo by Romain Dancre – Unsplash

There are two groups of documents for selling a house in Portugal (2024). The first group consists of optional documents. When selling a house, having optional documents ready is important in case the buyer requests them. The second includes mandatory documents for the property sale.

The list of non-mandatory documents includes:

• House plan;
• Invoices for previous property renovations;
• Invoices related to taxes, such as IMI (Municipal Property Tax);
• Invoices related to condominium payments.

In 2022, there were changes regarding the mandatory documents required for selling a house in Portugal. These documents are usually requested on the day of the deed, but banks may also require them in advance if the buyer is applying for a housing loan. Keep them organized and ready to avoid setbacks in the process.

Learn the list of mandatory documents for selling a house in Portugal:

1. Identity documents of the owners

Present all owners' valid identification documents. A consent form must be presented for inheritance or unmarried purchase where the spouse later becomes the owner. You must bring a photocopy of your ID or passport.

2. Energy certificate of the property

An energy performance certificate has been mandatory for property sales since December 2013. It demonstrates the property's energy efficiency and can only be produced by accredited companies. This document contains information about some property components such as insulation, air conditioning/ventilation or water. This document also includes suggestions for improving the property's energy efficiency. There is a scale that ranges from A+ (very efficient) to F (not very efficient).

For residential properties, the cost of issuing an Energy Performance Certificate is:

• Studios and one-bedroom flats - €28.00
• 2 and 3-bedroom apartments - €40.50
• 4 and 5-bedroom flats - €55.00
• 6-bedroom flats and above - €65.00

These figures do not include qualified expert fees, which are variable and not fixed. Fees, are calculated depending on several factors, such as the complexity of the building.

Did you know that?

Residential energy performance certificates are valid for ten years for small commercial and service buildings. For ten years, to large commercial and service buildings. For six years (SCE certificates issued by 30 April 2015), and for large commercial and service buildings for eight years (SCE certificates issued after 30 April 2015).

Also read: What are Energy Performance Certificates, and how are they used?

Photo by Jcomp – Freepik

3. Caderneta Predial Urbana (Property Unique Certificate)

Also known as certidão matricial (land registry certificate), it allows you to obtain all the fiscal information about the property. It is a document identifying the property that can be obtained online (through the Portal das Finanças) or physically at any public office for a one-time fee. Once acquired, this document is valid for 12 months.

In this document, you will find various information about the property, such as:

• Address or location of the property;
• For homeowners, this information includes tax identification, name and tax address;
• Identification of the building, such as district, municipality, parish and cadastral register (it is the number that the finances assign to the property);
• Description of the building, including the type of building and whether it is a horizontal property;
• Area of the building, i.e., the total area of the plot and the planting;
• Façade (whether it faces south, north, east or west);
• Identification of the autonomous part (indicate the floor or number/letter of your part and the location);
• Number of bedrooms, fraction, number of floors or even the purpose for which it is intended;
• Fractional areas, such as the gross private area and the dependent gross area;
• Valuation data of the dwelling, such as the year of registration in the land register, the updated Taxable Asset Value (VPT-Valor Patrimonial Tributário), the date of the update and finally, the calculation formula for the VPT.

With this document, the seller can prove the absence of debts related to the property or even understand if he is paying the correct amount to IMI (Municipal Property Tax). As previously mentioned, if the VPT in this document is not up-to-date, the owner may end up paying more than necessary. You can use the simulator on the Finance Portal to find out if the amount of Municipal Property Tax is correct.

4. Licence to use (Licença de utilização)

This document certifies that the property meets all conditions for habitation and complies with legal standards. Obtain a property certificate from the Municipal Council to determine its purpose, such as residential, commercial, services, or industrial.

The obligation to present this document at the time of the property deed ceased with the measures implemented on March 4, 2024, under the new Simplex Urbanístico. It is recommended that you keep this document with you at all times. However, if the property was built before 1951, it is not required under the General Regulation of Urban Buildings (RGEU).

5. Land registry certificate

The Land Registry Certificate can be obtained digitally for €15 through the online Land Registry or in person for €20 at a Land Registry Office. This document provides a complete property history, including previous entries, the current owner's name, and any debts.

6. ​Housing Technical Data Sheet

This document describes the technical and functional characteristics of an urban building for residential purposes, reported after the completion of construction, reconstruction, expansion, or alteration works. If the dwelling was built before March 30, 2004, or the building permit was requested before that date, you don't need this document for property sale. If you do not have an original copy, you can request an authenticated copy from the Municipal Council.

Photo by Daniel Mccullough – Unsplash

7. The legal right of Priority

If you intend to sell a property in an urban pressure area, you must comply with the latest housing legislation. Since November 21, 2021, this simple procedure has become mandatory before any transaction. The legal right of priority allows Municipalities, Autonomous Regions, or the government to have preference in buying the property. In addition, tenants and housing and construction cooperatives have preferential rights too over the property, as previously known. This measure aims to increase the housing supply to families in urban pressure areas.

To notify the intention to sell and fulfil the preferential right, you must use the IRN's Casa Pronta platform. The public entities mentioned above have ten days to exercise their preferential right. If there is no response within this timeframe, the transaction may be awarded to other interested parties.

8. Declaration of condominium fees

When you sell a home after April 1, 2022, you must file a declaration of condominium charges. The house deed must include this document. The property owner must request this document in writing to the condominium manager at least 15 days before the house deed, and the manager must respond within 10 days.

In this document, the manager must declare that the current owner has no debts to the condominium association. If the owner has debts, it should be specified who is responsible for paying them. It must also include the current condominium value and payment deadlines.

Prepare a list and identify the necessary documents to sell a house. There are eight mandatory documents and four non-mandatory documents for selling a home, but it's crucial to have them ready in case the buyer requests them. With the documents organized, the property sale will be swift and hassle-free. It's advisable to seek assistance from a real estate professional to avoid setbacks in the selling.

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