Buying in Lisbon: hills, palaces and the deed

About Buying in Lisbon: hills, palaces and the deed

By the ULTIMATE Lisbon Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Lisbon’s most sought-after homes are in its old hill districts: Lapa and Estrela, with their embassies and palaces; Príncipe Real and Chiado; and the grand early 20th-century blocks around the Avenida da Liberdade. The Parque das Nações, built for Expo 98, has newer riverside apartments, and many buyers look along the coast to Cascais and Estoril. In Portugal a sale is completed by a public deed (escritura) or the official Casa Pronta procedure.

Where people buy

Lapa and Estrela for palaces and quiet streets; Príncipe Real and Chiado for apartments in restored buildings; the Avenida and the Marquês for grand apartment blocks; the Parque das Nações for modern riverside homes; and Cascais and Estoril, by train along the coast.

How a sale works

A sale usually begins with a promissory contract (contrato-promessa de compra e venda) and a deposit, and is completed by the deed, signed before a notary or through the government’s Casa Pronta service (casapronta.pt). Every buyer needs a Portuguese tax number, the NIF, issued by the Autoridade Tributária (portaldasfinancas.gov.pt), which also collects the property transfer tax (IMT) and the annual municipal tax (IMI).

We never publish prices; ask an agent and your lawyer.

Our advice: appoint your own Portuguese lawyer, and confirm every step and tax with them.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Buying in Lisbon: hills, palaces and the deed before you go.