Where to get property documents in Portugal

Most Portuguese property papers come from four places: the land registry (IRN), the Tax Authority (Portal das Finanças), the energy certification system (SCE, run by ADENE) and the municipality. This guide says which one issues what, and what the official pages state about cost and validity.

Land registry papers

The land registry is run by the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN). Its online service is Predial Online.

Certidão permanente do registo predial: 15 euros online, 20 euros in person, valid for 6 months. It shows every registration and pending request on the property.
Informação predial simplificada: 1 euro online per property, 5 euros in person. It is not a certificate, and its access code lasts 1 year.
Casa Pronta: one counter for the sale contract and the registration, from 375 euros.
Preference-right notice: 15 euros, needed for listed properties and those in protected or urban rehabilitation areas.

Tax papers

These come from the Portal das Finanças. A foreign citizen needs a Portuguese tax number (NIF) first, which is issued at a tax office or Loja do Cidadão by appointment.

Caderneta predial: valid for 12 months, lists the property, owners and tax value.
Certidão de dívida e não dívida: issued at once as a PDF, valid for 3 months.
Modelo 1 IMT declaration: filed before the deed; proof of IMT and stamp duty payment is needed on the day of the deed.
Rental contract notice: the landlord reports a lease by the end of the month after it starts. Stamp duty is 10% of one month's rent.

Energy certificates

An energy certificate (certificado energético) is needed to sell or rent most buildings and flats, and it must be made by a qualified expert listed on sce.pt. The expert's fee is not fixed. The SCE registration fee for a home is 28 to 65 euros plus VAT, depending on size, and the certificate is valid for 10 years. A few sales are exempt, such as sales to a co-owner or tenant.

Use licence, technical file and condominium

Since 1 January 2024, Decree-Law 10/2024 means the use licence and the housing technical file (ficha técnica da habitação) no longer have to be shown at the deed. The RJUE as republished by Decree-Law 108/2026 (art 4-A, n. 14) now requires the deed to state whether a planning title exists, or the sale can be annulled. The technical file rules do not cover buildings built before 7 August 1951.

A flat seller must ask the condominium administrator for a written declaration of charges and debts. The administrator has 10 days to issue it, and the deed must refer to it.

Building and planning papers

Planning applications are filed with the municipality, and the list of documents is set nationally by Portaria 71-A/2024. It includes a location plan, extracts of the zoning plans, a descriptive report and responsibility statements. Municipalities may not ask for a caderneta predial. Zoning plans and local forms differ between municipalities, so check with the one where the property is.

Before you start

Check the date of each document: certificates and codes expire after 3 months to 10 years.
Keep the access codes: the code of a certidão permanente can be handed to anyone who needs to see it.
Ask a lawyer or notary for the wording of the deed, as practice can differ.

This guide gives general information from official sources, checked on 5 November 2026. It is not legal advice.