Permanent Property Certidão (Certidão Permanente Predial): How to Request and Check It
This is the document that buyers, banks (in mortgage/home-loan processes), and notaries request to confirm who the legal owner of a property is and whether it's free of registered debts. Like the commercial certidão, it's called "permanent" because the access code links to an always up-to-date version of the registry, instead of a snapshot frozen in time.
How to Request or Check It
Online — Conservatória Virtual
- Go to conservatoria.justica.gov.pt
- Log in with your Cartão de Cidadão (Portuguese ID card), Chave Móvel Digital (Digital Mobile Key), or register an account
- Choose "Property" → "Permanent Property Certidão"
- Enter the property's legal description or address
- Pay online — generally cheaper than in person
- Save the access code you receive: it's what lets others check the certidão
In Person
- Go to a Conservatória do Registo Predial (Property Registry Office) or Loja de Cidadão (Citizen's Shop)
- Bring your Cartão de Cidadão and the property's identification (registry description number, if you have it)
- Ask for the "certidão permanente predial" at the counter
- Pay on-site and receive the receipt with the access code
What Is the Access Code
It's the code generated when you make the request that gives access to the certidão online, during the validity period shown on the receipt. A buyer, bank, or notary enters the code on the Conservatória Virtual and sees the up-to-date registry — without needing to request a new certidão.
Property Certidão Is Not the Same as the Caderneta Predial
This is a common mix-up: the property certidão is the legal ownership record, issued by the Property Registry (IRN) — it shows who owns the property and whether there are registered debts against it. The caderneta predial is a tax document, issued by the Tax Authority (Finanças), used for IMI (municipal property tax) purposes — it shows the property's taxable value. These are different documents, from different bodies, for different purposes.
Request and check: conservatoria.justica.gov.pt
Service information: irn.justica.gov.pt — Request a certidão
Phone support: Linha Justiça — 800 910 220 (weekdays, 9am–6pm)
Frequently Asked Questions
It's the official document that shows the up-to-date property registry: owner(s), property description, area, and any liens, mortgages, or seizures registered at the Property Registry Office.
No. The property certidão is the legal ownership record (IRN). The caderneta predial is a tax document from the Tax Authority, used for IMI, showing the property's taxable value.
The cost and timeframe are shown when you make the request on the Conservatória Virtual and are usually lower online than in person. For current prices, check the official portal or call Linha Justiça (800 910 220, weekdays, 9am–6pm).
It's the code that lets anyone (bank, notary, buyer) check the certidão online, without requesting a new one, during the validity period shown on the receipt.