BUYING PROCESS

Can foreigners buy property in Portugal?

Yes. Portugal places no restrictions on foreign ownership of property: buyers of any nationality, resident or not, may acquire real estate with exactly the same ownership rights as Portuguese citizens. A villa at Apaulinha can therefore be held directly and in full by an international buyer.

Two administrative requirements apply before any purchase. First, every buyer needs a Portuguese tax identification number, the NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal), which is issued by the Portuguese tax authority and is required for signing contracts, opening a bank account and paying purchase taxes. Second, buyers who are resident outside the European Union must appoint a fiscal representative in Portugal — a person or firm, commonly the buyer's lawyer, who acts as the official point of contact with the tax authority. EU residents may obtain a NIF without one.

In practice, obtaining a NIF is straightforward and is usually handled by the buyer's Portuguese lawyer under power of attorney, often within days and without the buyer needing to travel. It is typically the very first step in the process, well before any contract is signed.

For international buyers considering Apaulinha — a nine-villa estate near Grândola in the Alentejo — this openness matters. It means the purchase can be structured simply, in the buyer's own name or through a vehicle of their choosing, and that the full-ownership title offered on each villa is available to non-Portuguese buyers without qualification. The Comporta–Melides–Grândola market has long attracted international owners precisely because Portuguese law makes cross-border ownership uncomplicated.

The rules on residency and taxation, by contrast, are personal to each buyer's situation. As with any cross-border acquisition, we recommend engaging an independent Portuguese lawyer and tax adviser before committing to a purchase.