Try "Saint-Tropez", "Positano", "truffle" or "Cyprus".
Home›Luxury Real Estate›Portugal Real Estate
Freehold for every nationality, prime Lisbon and Cascais at €12,000 to €15,000 a square metre, and one new rule every foreign buyer should know: non-residents now pay a flat 7.5% transfer tax.
At a glance
Why buy here
Portugal gives the Mediterranean buyer something rare: Atlantic light, a capital of hills and palaces, and a coast that runs from the villas of Cascais to the dunes of Comporta and the golf estates of the Algarve. Foreigners buy freehold on the same terms as the Portuguese, with no permit and no reciprocity test.
Prime Lisbon is a market of palacetes and restored apartments in Príncipe Real, Chiado, Lapa and on the Avenida da Liberdade. Cascais and Estoril, about 30 minutes from the city, add seafront villas and international schools; Comporta and Melides are low-density estates among rice fields and pines.
The one change to price in is new: since 20 May 2026 non-resident buyers of homes pay a flat 7.5% IMT, refundable if they move to Portugal or let the home long term. For hotels, golf and the country beyond property, see our guide to luxury Portugal.
Who can buy
Freehold for everyone. Foreign individuals and companies can own full freehold (propriedade plena). There is no reciprocity test and no prior permit, and US citizens are treated the same as other non-EU buyers.
Planning, not ownership, is the limit. Rural land follows its zoning (the RAN and REN reserves), which limits building rather than who may buy. Coastal public land and protected areas, Comporta and the Costa Vicentina among them, carry planning limits.
Companies. Buying through a company is allowed. Companies in blacklisted low-tax jurisdictions pay 10% IMT and 7.5% annual IMI. Most Americans buy in their own names or through a Portuguese company; ask a US adviser first, because a foreign holding company can bring US reporting.
Best areas to buy
Indicative prime prices per square metre, with source and year. Trophy homes sell above them.
Palacetes and prime apartments in the capital’s finest quarters, from the avenue’s boutiques to the gardens of Príncipe Real.
€12,000–15,000/m²Indicative prime estimate: Avenida da Liberdade €15,000, Príncipe Real €13,500, Chiado €13,000, Lapa €12,000. Knight Frank, April 2026.
Lisbon: Territory page →
Seafront villas and Quinta da Marinha estates 30 minutes from Lisbon, with international schools and the Estoril coast.
€14,000–15,000/m²Indicative prime estimate: Cascais €15,000, Estoril €14,000. Knight Frank, April 2026.
Cascais, Estoril & Sintra: Territory page →
Low-density estates among dunes, pines and rice fields; Portugal’s most sought-after beach address.
€12,500–16,000+/m²Indicative prime estimate: Comporta €16,000, top beachfront above that; Melides €12,500. Knight Frank, April 2026.
Comporta & Melides: Territory page →
Gated golf and beach resorts of the Golden Triangle. No per-square-metre figure is published for the gated resorts themselves.
From €6,250/m²Indicative floor: luxury villas in the central Algarve outside the gated resorts average €6,250/m²; resort stock trades above. QP Savills, January 2026.
Algarve Golden Triangle: Territory page →Homes and settings
Photographs to show the setting and style of homes; they are not listings for sale.
Developers
The resort itself develops homes, including North Grove and One Green Way. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗︎
A 450-hectare beach and golf resort with villas, apartments and plots. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗︎
Viceroy Residences, branded freehold homes managed by Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, and the Alcedo Villas. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗︎
Portugal’s largest prime developer. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗︎
How to buy
Timeline. About 6 to 12 weeks from accepted offer to deed for a cash purchase; longer with a mortgage or off-plan.
Lawyers and lenders who serve foreign buyers can be listed on this page. To advertise, write to [email protected].
Taxes and fees
| Item | Rate or cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IMT, resident buyer | 1% up to €106,346, then marginal bands to 8% | 6% flat on the whole price from €633,931 to €1,150,853; 7.5% flat above |
| IMT, non-resident buyer | 7.5% flat on homes | Since 20 May 2026. Refundable if you become tax resident within two years, or let the home for at least 36 months in the first five |
| Stamp duty | 0.8% | On the price |
| Agent | Usually paid by the seller |
| Item | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IMI (annual) | 0.3%–0.45% of tax value | Urban property; councils may surcharge empty or holiday-let homes in pressure zones |
| AIMI (annual) | 0.7%, rising to 1% and 1.5% | On combined residential tax value above the allowance; higher rates above €1m and €2m |
| Rental income, non-residents | 25% flat | On net residential rent |
| Capital gains, non-residents | 50% of the gain at 12.5%–48% | Inflation relief after two years of ownership |
| Wealth tax | None |
Residency through property
Lei 56/2023 removed property purchases from the Golden Visa in October 2023. The visa itself stays open through other routes:
The D7 passive-income visa suits retirees and second-home owners. Since 19 May 2026 naturalisation takes ten years of residence (seven for EU and Portuguese-speaking nationals); applications filed by 18 May 2026 keep the old rules. See residency and golden visas.
Founding Partners
Three places for Founding Partner Agencies and three for Developers in each Territory. Places are open.
Questions buyers ask
Yes. Americans buy freehold on the same terms as any other foreign buyer, with no permit and no reciprocity test.
No. Real estate was removed from the Golden Visa in October 2023. The visa remains open through funds, research, culture and company investment.
Since 20 May 2026, non-resident buyers of homes pay IMT at a flat 7.5%. The difference is refunded on request if you become Portuguese tax resident within two years, or let the home long term within the legal rent limits.
About 8.5% to 10% at the prime level, for IMT, stamp duty, registry, notary and lawyer.
Not strictly. The deed can be a notarial escritura or a certified private document authenticated by a lawyer or solicitor.
Where to stay while you look
Selected by TheMediterranean.com · Porches, the Algarve
View the ResortSources
Checked 31 October 2026. Rules and rates change; confirm with a qualified lawyer and tax adviser before you buy. TheMediterranean.com is not a real estate broker, agent or finder, and nothing here is legal, tax or immigration advice.
Keep exploring
The Mediterranean Season Letter
Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.
We use Google Analytics cookies to see how visitors use the site. Accept them, or decline and the site works just the same. Privacy