Buying off-plan in Lisbon: what to check

Step 1: Who is selling: the company behind the project

Ask for the developer’s full legal name and registration number, not only the brand, and look the company up in the official register. The company that signs your contract should be the one that holds the land or the approvals.

What the rules and registers say

• The permanent commercial registry certificate (certidão permanente de registo comercial) gives online access to a company’s registrations and documents: ask the developer for its access code.gov.pt: Consultar a certidão permanente de registo comercial (read 13 November 2026)

In our data

0 of 11 projects we track in Lisbon name the developer by its legal company.

Step 2: The land and what you will own

Find out exactly what you are buying: freehold, leasehold or a right of use, who holds the title today and what charges sit on it. Ask for the official registry extract, not a copy prepared by the seller.

What the rules and registers say

• Ask for the permanent land registry certificate (certidão permanente predial): it shows the owner, mortgages and charges, and whether the building is divided into separate units.gov.pt: Pedir uma certidão permanente do registo predial (read 13 November 2026) · Predial Online (read 13 November 2026)

In our data

0 of 11 projects we track in Lisbon publish an address or location precise enough for a map pin.

Step 3: Permits and approvals

Ask for the permit number and date and confirm them with the authority that issued them. A company licence or a sales registration is not a building permit.

What the rules and registers say

• Ask for the number of the building licence or prior communication and check the file with the Câmara Municipal; once the building is finished, ask for the licence of use.Kolaboro register guide: Portugal (opened 13 November 2026)
• If the units are sold as part of a tourist development, check its registration and classification in Turismo de Portugal’s National Tourism Register (RNT).Turismo de Portugal: RNT (read 13 November 2026)

In our data

0 of 11 projects we track in Lisbon publish a permit or licence number.

Step 4: Where your money goes

Before each payment, know which account it goes to and what protects it if the project stops. Pay only into the account named in your contract, never into a personal account or a broker’s.

What the rules and registers say

• In a promissory contract (contrato-promessa) with a deposit (sinal), if the buyer fails the seller keeps the deposit; if the seller fails, the buyer can demand double what was paid, or ask a court to enforce the sale.Portuguese Civil Code, Article 442(2) and (3) (read 3 November 2026) · our law note

In our data

0 of 11 projects we track in Lisbon state how buyer payments are protected (escrow, bank guarantee or insurance).

Step 5: Recording your purchase and the contract

Check how your purchase is recorded before completion and what the contract says about delays, changes and refunds. Have an independent local lawyer or notary read it before you sign.

Step 6: Handover dates and progress on site

Compare the handover date you are promised with the record: earlier dates for this project and how the developer’s other projects went. Then check progress on site before each staged payment.

In our data

0 of 11 projects we track in Lisbon have a handover date on record that has passed; 0 had the date moved later.

Examples

• Penha Living Bolder: handover date on record Q3 2027, no change so far