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Getting an Energy Certificate (Certificado Energético)

When you need an energy certificate to sell, let, or advertise a home in Portugal, who issues it, what it costs, how long it lasts, and the fines.

Getting an Energy Certificate (Certificado Energético)

Last verified: September 2026.

Who this is for

  • Owners about to sell or let a home in Portugal, whether or not you live here.
  • Buyers and tenants who want to read the rating before signing anything.
  • Anyone finishing a new build or a major renovation who needs the certificate registered.

Not for you if: you want the deed, tax, or contract side of a sale or tenancy. Read "Using Casa Pronta to Buy or Sell a Home in Portugal", "Selling Your House in Portugal", or "Renting a Home in Portugal" instead.

Updated September 2026. The full EU buildings directive has still not been transposed, so the rules and the A+ to F scale below are unchanged. The Vale Eficiência voucher scheme closed to new applications in February 2026.

The energy certificate (certificado energético) is an official document that rates how energy-efficient a building is, from A+ down to F. You must have one before you advertise, sell, or let a home in Portugal. Only a qualified expert registered with ADENE, the national energy agency, can issue it. Expect to pay a fixed registration fee of €28 to €65 plus VAT for a home, plus the expert's own fee, usually €120 to €300. The certificate arrives two to three days after the site visit and is valid for ten years.

When you need a certificate

The law requires a valid certificate in these situations:

  • Selling a home, new or existing. The certificate must exist before the property is advertised, and you hand it to the buyer at the deed.
  • Letting a home on a new lease. The tenant receives it when the contract is signed.
  • Transferring a property to settle a debt (dação em cumprimento) or transferring a business premises (trespasse).
  • Building a new home. A pre-certificate is issued at the project stage and the final certificate when the building is finished.
  • Major renovations. The law defines these as works costing more than 25% of the building's value, calculated using the tax authority's construction values.
  • Applying for public funding or a tax benefit that requires a certificate, such as an energy-efficiency grant.

Two rules trip people up. First, the energy class must appear in every advertisement, whether you list privately, through an agency, or on a portal. Second, the certificate must be shown to prospective buyers or tenants on request, not just produced at closing.

Large commercial and service buildings, and public buildings over 250 m² that the public uses regularly, must also hold a certificate and display it. If you manage commercial space, confirm the thresholds with ADENE.

A gift or an inheritance is not a sale or a lease, so on its own it does not trigger the requirement. You will still need a certificate the day you sell or let the property.

Which buildings are exempt

The law lists a short set of exemptions. The main ones for private owners are:

  • Single-family homes with a usable floor area of 50 m² or less.
  • Industrial, livestock, and non-residential agricultural buildings without heating or cooling for human comfort.
  • Places of worship.
  • Car parks and garages without climate control.
  • Warehouses where people are present for very short periods.
  • Protected heritage buildings, where meeting the requirements would unacceptably change their character.

Any normal flat or house is not exempt. If you think an exemption applies, ask a qualified expert to confirm it in writing before you rely on it.

Who issues it

You cannot produce the certificate yourself, and neither can your estate agent or your builder. Only a qualified expert (perito qualificado, usually shortened to PQ) holding a professional title and registered with ADENE can issue one.

The certificate is issued under the Building Energy Certification System (Sistema de Certificação Energética dos Edifícios, or SCE), which ADENE runs on behalf of the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology. The expert visits the property, enters the data into the SCE portal, and registers the certificate there. Every certificate carries a unique registration number that anyone can check online.

ADENE keeps a public directory of qualified experts on the SCE portal (sce.pt). Use it to find and compare experts in your area rather than relying only on whoever your agent suggests.

How to read the scale

Residential certificates use an eight-step scale: A+, A, B, B-, C, D, E, and F. A+ is the most efficient and F the least.

The class compares the building's estimated energy needs for heating, cooling, hot water, and ventilation with a reference value for a building of the same type. The lower your predicted demand against that benchmark, the higher your letter.

Be realistic. Much of Portugal's housing stock is rated C or below, and older flats often sit in the D to F range. A modest rating on an older home is normal, not a red flag. Treat it as a signal about winter comfort and bills, and read the improvement recommendations that come with it.

What it costs

The price has two parts.

1. The ADENE registration fee. This is fixed by law and identical whoever you use. For homes it is banded by typology, and VAT is added at the mainland rate of 23%:

Home sizeFee excluding VATFee including VAT
T0 or T1€28.00€34.44
T2 or T3€40.50€49.82
T4 or T5€55.00€67.65
T6 or larger€65.00€79.95

The second column uses the mainland VAT rate of 23%. VAT is 22% in Madeira and 16% in the Azores, so the total there is slightly lower.

For commercial and service buildings the fee scales with usable floor area, excluding VAT: €135 up to 250 m², €350 up to 500 m², €750 up to 5,000 m², and €950 above 5,000 m².

2. The expert's fee. This is not regulated. For a typical urban flat, expect €120 to €300 on top of the registration fee. Large houses, unusual buildings, and remote rural properties cost more, and some firms quote around €400 all-in with a fast turnaround.

Because only the expert's fee varies, getting two or three quotes is the easiest way to save money. Ask each expert for an all-in price that includes the ADENE fee and VAT.

How to get one, step by step

  1. Find a qualified expert. Search the directory on the SCE portal, or ask your agent for names, and request written quotes.
  2. Gather your documents. The expert will usually ask for: - the urban property tax record (caderneta predial urbana), downloadable from the Portal das Finanças - the land-registry certificate (certidão permanente do registo predial), available online - floor plans (plantas), if you have them - for newer homes, any technical file on materials, insulation, and installed systems
  3. Book the site visit. The expert inspects the property in person: walls, roof, windows, insulation, orientation, and the heating, cooling, and hot-water systems.
  4. Wait for registration. The expert enters the data into the SCE, calculates the class, and registers the certificate. It normally arrives as a PDF with its registration number two to three days after the visit.
  5. Use it. Put the class in the advert, show the certificate to interested buyers or tenants, and hand it over at the deed or lease signing.
  6. Keep it. Store the PDF and the registration number with your property papers. You will need them again at the next sale or letting, and for any efficiency grant.

How long it lasts

  • Homes and small commercial or service buildings: 10 years.
  • Pre-certificates for new builds: 10 years.
  • Large commercial and service buildings: 8 years, and the first certificate for such a building runs for 3 years only.
  • Buildings sold or let as a shell, or without the required maintenance plan: 1 year.

You can, and sometimes must, get a new certificate earlier. If you replace the windows, add insulation, or install a heat pump, a fresh certificate is the only way to capture the better class before you sell or let.

How to check a certificate

Anyone can confirm that a certificate is genuine and still valid. Go to the certificate search on the SCE portal (sce.pt/pesquisa-certificados), identify the property, and the portal returns the registered certificate and its class.

Do this before you buy or rent. A certificate in an advert can be out of date, or belong to a different unit in the same building. If a seller or landlord cannot give you a registration number that checks out, ask why.

The fines for skipping it

Selling or letting without a certificate, or advertising a property without its energy class, is an administrative offence. The fines are:

  • Individuals: €250 to €3,740.
  • Companies: €2,500 to €44,890.

Fines are halved where the offence was negligent rather than deliberate. Estate agents and advertising portals can be fined as well as owners, which is why agencies will not normally list a home without the class.

The most common trap for private landlords and sellers is the advert. Listing a flat without the class showing is enough to expose you to a penalty, even if you plan to commission the certificate later.

What a better rating is worth

A good class does more than tick a legal box:

  • Price and appeal. Buyers and tenants increasingly compare classes, and some banks now offer better mortgage terms on A and B homes and tougher conditions on E and F homes.
  • Running costs. The certificate's recommendations are a ready-made improvement list, with indicative payback for each measure.
  • Grants. Efficiency grants use the certificate to decide what work qualifies. The Vale Eficiência vouchers for vulnerable households closed to new applications in February 2026, with a successor scheme, Famílias + Sustentáveis, planned under the national Social Climate Plan. Check the current scheme before starting works.
  • Local tax. Some councils grant an IMI discount for high-efficiency or improved buildings. Ask your Câmara.

What is changing

The current system dates from 2020. Portugal has so far transposed only a small part of the revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. A decree in February 2025 ended public financial incentives for standalone fossil-fuel boilers from 1 January 2025 but left the certificate rules untouched.

The full transposition was due by 29 May 2026 and had not been published by September 2026. When it comes, expect a reworked scale with zero-emission buildings at the top, a standard EU certificate template, minimum performance standards for the worst-rated buildings, and a renovation passport alongside the certificate. A certificate you get now stays valid for its full term.

The rental reform the government approved in July 2026 is still before Parliament. It deals with rent, deposits, and eviction for non-payment. It does not change the energy certificate requirement for letting.

What this means for you

  • Buying: read the class before you fall for a place. D and E are common and fine, but they mean higher bills and a longer improvement list. Factor that into your offer.
  • Selling: commission the certificate before the listing goes live and put the class in the advert. It is the cheapest way to avoid a fine and a stalled sale.
  • Letting: the same advert rule applies. The certificate is valid for ten years, so one document covers several tenancies unless you renovate.
  • Renting: ask to see the certificate and check its number on the SCE portal. A poor class in a cold, damp older building is worth weighing against the rent.

Sources

Last verified September 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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