Other registers and searches

Home / European Land Registry Network / Portugal / Other registers and searches

Are there any other registers or sources of information that it is usual to search when buying a property or lending money on mortgage?

Besides the land register there are other registers or sources of information that it is usual to search when buying a property or lending money on mortgage. For example:

 

OTHER REGISTERS AND SEARCHES What the buyer or mortgagee can discover from these sources
The cadastre The geometrical cadastre in Portugal covers the rural properties of 134 municipalities throughout the country and aims to identify physically those properties. Running the cadastre is still in progress and is still scarce in urban areas so that, at present, available information is limited. However, they can obtain information about the properties (area and physical characteristics) in cgpr.igeo.pt:8080/IGPSC/index.jsp.
Business Register In the business register can be obtained information about the seller, if it is a legal person.
Portuguese business register certificates are available online and can be obtained in English at www.portaldaempresa.pt/CVE/
Services/Online/Pedidos.aspx?service=CP&lang=EN
Insolvency registers The electronic register of insolvencies www.citius.mj.pt/Portal/consultas/ConsultasCire.aspx contains the following information:

Number of insolvency proceedings
Identity of insolvent
Insolvency administrator
Deadlines to lodge claims
Identification Curator
Date of declaration of insolvency.
The electronic register provides detailed information relating only to proceedings initiated after its inauguration (see below).

Currently, registration is informational only. This situation should be changed soon, as a result of a review that is currently underway.

Note, however, that the insolvency is compulsorily registered in the commercial register, when relating to entities subject to it, and the registration of immovable property of the insolvent.

Registers or information held by municipalities or other local authorities Municipalities have important information related to the land.
Namely, municipalities provide the following documents, required to the deed: 

  • The use permit for the urban immovable property;
  • Certificate stating provisional permission for construction work, issued by the municipality, or that the transfer contract as referred to in Article 54. Statutory Order No. 555/99, 16/12, is sufficient to serve as a performance bond for the urbanization works (required on the first transmission);

This information may be requested help from professionals (lawyers and solicitors) to obtain this information locally.

Flood risk registers The Portuguese Agency for Environment (APA) helds information on environmental impact assessment requests www2.apambiente.pt/IPAMB_DPP, and information on water resources where you can obtain some information on flood risk areas. However, it is not usual to ask this agency form information.
Tax authorities On one hand, to buy an immovable in Portugal it is needed a Portuguese Tax Number, which can be obtained at a tax office.
On the other hand, the tax administration has information necessary to perform deeds of transmission or mortgage on real estate. For these deeds it is required to proof the number of registration(in Portuguese artigo da matriz) of the property at the tax administration. This information can be obtained online but only for those who are registered users and have Portuguese NIF see www.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt
Landlord/commonhold association/management company/community of owners (especially in the case of apartments) It is unusual in Portugal will ask for information to the administration of the community of owners about the payment of due contributions, because they only burden the buyer from the date of acquisition.
Pre-emption To avoid the risk of existence of pre-emption right which belong
right announcement to the State or to any public bodies, the buyer or the seller can make a public announcement through the internet on www.predialonline.pt. After 10 days of this announcement being publish, if those entities do not express their will to exercise its pre-emptive right, they lose the opportunity to do so later.
This procedure is not required, nor mandatory, but it can provide more certainty to the contract.

This site uses cookies to offer your a better browsing experience. Find out more on how we use cookies and how you can change your settings.