🇵🇹 Portugal news, in English, every morning. Free. Subscribe
Sign in Subscribe

Property

A residential street of azulejo-tiled apartment buildings in Lisbon, Portugal

The Contrato-Promessa de Compra e Venda (CPCV) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the Sinal Deposit, the Double-Back Penalty, Execução Específica, the Reconhecimento Presencial Rule and the Checks to Run Before the Escritura

The Contrato-Promessa de Compra e Venda is where a Portuguese property deal is really won or lost. Our 2026 guide explains the sinal deposit and its double-back penalty, when a court can force a sale (execucao especifica), the reconhecimento-presencial rule and the checks to run before you sign.
The Portugal Brief
A multi-storey building under construction behind a tall crane, next to an older apartment block, on a street in Lisbon, Portugal

Building Your Own Home in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to Autoconstrução, Buying Building Land, Câmara Licensing Under the Reformed RJUE, and the New Partial VAT Refund on Construction

Thinking of buying a plot and building in Portugal? A practical 2026 guide to self-building (autoconstrução): confirming what a plot allows before you buy, licensing through the câmara under the reformed RJUE, the architect and engineers you must hire, and the new partial VAT refund that cuts constr
The Portugal Brief