Selling property in Portugal: what documents are needed

Before selling a property in Portugal, it is very important that you have all the necessary documents in order. What do you need to sell a property in Portugal? There are two types of documents: those that are not mandatory to close the sale, but that the buyer can ask for and it is advisable to have ready (plans, invoices for possible work done in recent years, tax invoices such as IMI, condominium fees, etc.), and those that are mandatory (energy certificate, the land registry certificate etc.). We explain everything about the documents needed when selling property in Portugal. 

Documents for selling property in Portugal

• Identification of the Owner: this can be a photocopy of your citizen's card if you are a resident in Portugal or your passport.
• Land Registry Certificate: known in Portugal as the "Certidão de Registo Predial", this document can be consulted and requested online or in person. You can see the entire history of the property, namely how many entries have been made, who the owner of the house is and if there are any pending charges. If the certificate is requested in person at a Land Registry Office (Conservatória do Registo Predial), it costs 20 euros. On the other hand, if it is requested at the online Land Registry it will cost 15 euros. Both certificates, once issued, are valid for 6 months.

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• Caderneta Predial: this is considered to be a property identification document, where it is possible, through its consultation, to obtain the fiscal information of a property, as well as its characteristics: location, areas, description, owners, among other information. It is valid for 12 months and can be requested free of charge on Portugal's Portal das Finanças or at an Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT) office, with an associated cost. It also allows you to determine the Municipal Property Tax (IMI) to be paid.
• Licença de utilização:this document is a habitation license, is also mandatory and can be requested at your council. It allows you to know the purpose for which the property is being used, for example, if it has a residential, commercial, service or industrial purpose.
• Plan of the property: while this document isn't compulsory, many buyers ask for it and it's a good idea to have it prepared. This can also be requested from the council and defines the layout and areas of the property. If there are "extra" spaces such as a garage, storage rooms or annexes, they should also be included in this document. 

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• Energy efficiency certification: this document is mandatory for selling a property in Portugal and has been since 2013. It assesses the energy efficiency of a house and has information about some components of the property such as insulation, water, air conditioning and ventilation. It also indicates what improvements can be made to make the property more efficient. It can bring tax benefits and increases the value of your home. The classification is obtained through a scale ranging from A+ (very efficient) to F (very inefficient). The registration fee can be between 28 and 65 euros, depending on the size and type of property involved. If you put your house up for sale in Portugal without having this document available, you may face a fine between 250 and 3740 euros.
• Ficha Técnica da Habitação: this is the technical file of the property and is a document that lists the properties of a residential building, with regards to technical and functional aspects of the same, after construction or after some type of renovation. Properties whose construction is prior to 30th March 2004 or whose habitation license was requested prior to this date, do not need this document.
• Condominium Declaration: currently when selling a property in Portugal, you have to inform the administration of the condominium. This procedure must be done 15 days before the deed, by registered mail. After receiving this information, the administration of the condominium should issue, in 10 days maximum, a declaration that the owner has no debts.

Real estate agencies in Portugal can also be very important in this phase, as they know better than anyone else what documents are necessary to market the property in a safe and effective way. This is especially the case if you live abroad and have limited knowledge of the Portuguese real estate market.