Guide to buying property in Portugal as a foreigner

Find your place in Portugal

Welcome to Portugal

Portugal occupies the western strip of the Iberian peninsula - its climates range from misty north to sunburned south, its culture includes a big dose of Moorish influence, and its people speak a language that derives from Latin.

Many property buyers are most interested in is the coast - from the Silver Coast north of Lisbon to the popular Algarve. While the Algarve has been quite highly developed with a number of exclusive resorts, gold courses, and major hotels, other areas of the coasts are less built-up and in some cases still quite wild. Inland, Portugal has some marvellous landscapes including the rugged hills and wine country of the north, and gentler hills in the south scattered with olive groves and fig trees.

Portugal also includes two island enclaves, Madeira and the Azores, with their own microclimates and quite distinct property markets.

What area of Portugal would you choose for property buying?

Different nationalities tend to have slightly different preferences when it comes to property. A lot of Brits buy on the Algarve, though there's a big minority buying rustic properties. The French tend to head for Porto, while German buyers are well represented in Faro and Lisbon.

Chinese buyers have been particularly interested in the 'golden visa' opportunity that Portugal offers, giving access to the EU; Portugal is the fifth biggest destination for Chinese real estate purchasers. Making up 80% of purchasers under this scheme, they have typically bought managed apartments in Lisbon as pure investments. Russian buyers, on the other hand, have tended to look to Cascais and Estoril. Lots of millennials are also moving to Lisbon, which has a thriving start-up scene.

Portugal property buying guide

Buy your new home in Portugal as a local with help of our guide. It's a great adventure you can take with us and reveal new sides of Portugal. You cannot know everything, but it's always a good idea to research before diving in.

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