Thinking of investing in Portugal? Talk to a local first.

By Pedro Correia · Last checked: 2026-10-19

Free 30-minute call. No commission from anyone, ever. Book a free call

Why me, not an agent

Agents, developers and visa firms earn when you buy. I don't.
I live here, I invest across Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and Dubai, and I run my own 15 rental apartments, long-term and short-term.
I tell you when Portugal is not the right fit, because nothing in it pays me either way.

What you get on the call

What your goal and budget can realistically do here: a long-term let, a short-term rental, a home to live in later, or not Portugal at all.
The headline costs of owning: purchase taxes, yearly property tax, tax on the rent, running costs, on a real example.
Whether the 7.5% transfer-tax refund can apply to you, how much it is worth on your price, and the two six-month deadlines.
The rules that changed since 2023 and what they mean for you.
Who you will need (lawyer, accountant, licensed agent, short-term rental operator), with introductions to people I have used myself.
Already own here? We look at what your property earns now and what it could earn.

Buying from abroad? Non-residents pay a flat 7.5% transfer tax. The law lets you claim part of it back.

Since 25 May 2026, non-resident buyers of a home pay a flat 7.5% IMT on the whole price. On a €400,000 home that is €30,000, against about €19,300 under the normal 2026 table for a second home, and most English-language guides still show the old bands.

What the law gives back is the difference between the 7.5% and the normal table, so about €10,700 on that €400,000 home, more on a cheaper one, nothing above €1,150,853 where the normal rate is 7.5% anyway. Two routes: you become tax resident within two years of buying, or you let the home at a moderate rent, as the law defines it, within six months of buying and keep it let for at least 36 of the first 60 months. In both the claim goes to the tax office within six months, of becoming resident or of signing the lease, or the refund is lost. The second route is what I run: the tenant comes through a licensed agency, I set up and run the lease so it keeps qualifying, and your accountant files the claim on time. Whether you qualify depends on the property, the rent and your plans; we check that on the call, and your accountant confirms it. No outcome promised. Source: Decree-Law 97/2026, CIMT article 17 n.º 10 to 12.

What changed since 2023

Checked October 2026. General facts, not advice for your case: your accountant confirms the specifics.

Transfer tax is now a flat 7.5% for non-resident buyers of homes, on the whole price, since 25 May 2026, plus 0.8% stamp duty. How to claim part of it back is above. Source: Decree-Law 97/2026, CIMT article 17 n.º 10.
The Golden Visa property route is gone since October 2023. Funds, donations, research or jobs only. Source: Law 56/2023.
NHR is closed. Its successor, IFICI, taxes qualifying work income at 20% for ten years, for listed professions, and does nothing for rental income. Source: EBF article 58-A.
Rent is taxed at 25% for non-residents, on the net amount. A registered lease at up to €2,300 a month is taxed at 10% from 2026 to 2029, with no minimum lease length; whether that reaches non-resident owners is not yet confirmed by the tax office. Source: CIRS article 72; EBF article 45-C.
Short-term rental rules are local again. Registrations are permanent and transferable since November 2024, but Lisbon refuses new ones in saturated parishes and cancels existing ones on sale; Porto closes five historic parishes; the Algarve has no regional cap. Source: Decree-Law 76/2024; Lisbon municipal regulation of 6 December 2025.

Full detail in the guides on buying in Portugal from the US or UK in 2026 and rental income tax for non-resident owners.

Already own here?

Find out what your property could earn. The audit is free: a written report on what it makes today, what it costs you, and what it should make.

How I'm paid

Free advice. If you buy and want me to run it: 8% of rent. If you already own and we agree a plan to earn more: 8% of the extra income, nothing if it does not rise. Nothing from agents, lawyers or anyone else, ever. See how I charge.

Book a free call

Sources: Decree-Law 97/2026 of 20 May (CIMT article 17 n.º 10; EBF article 45-C); Law 56/2023 of 6 October; EBF article 58-A (IFICI); CIRS article 72; Decree-Law 76/2024 of 23 October; Lisbon municipal regulation on alojamento local in force 6 December 2025. Figures checked October 2026.

FAQ

Can you find me a property?

No. I am not a licensed agent, and finding property for a buyer is licensed work in Portugal. I review the ones you are considering, tell you what they will cost to own and earn, and introduce licensed agents I trust. You contract them directly; I take nothing from them.

Can you get my transfer tax back?

Part of it. The refund is the difference between the flat 7.5% and the normal table, about a third on a €400,000 second home and nothing above €1,150,853. I show you the route and run the lease that keeps it qualifying; the claim itself is filed by your accountant within six months of the lease, and whether you qualify depends on the property, the rent and your plans. We check that on the call. I promise no outcome.

Is it really free?

Yes. The call, the follow-up and the introductions cost nothing. I earn only if you later own a property here and ask me to run it (8% of rent) or to make one you already own earn more (8% of the extra income, nothing if it does not rise). Prices are public on the How I charge page.

Do you do Golden Visa?

No, and property no longer gets you one: the real estate route closed in October 2023. The routes still open in 2026 are regulated investment funds with no real estate exposure (€500,000), cultural donations (€250,000), research (€500,000) and company or job creation. If residency is the goal, I point you to an immigration lawyer and we talk about the property on its own merits.