Portugal mortgage for Americans
Buying a home in Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve from the United States? Good news: you don’t need to live in Portugal to buy there, and Portuguese banks finance American buyers as non-residents, based on their US income.
We build your application in English, present your income the way Portuguese banks expect and negotiate your mortgage remotely, at no cost to you.
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your application handled in your language
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Yes. Portuguese law does not stop Americans from buying property or borrowing in Portugal, and you do not need to live in Portugal or hold a residence permit. US citizens are financed like other non-residents: banks look at your income, your existing debts and your down payment, not your nationality.
With stable, well-documented US income, American buyers are generally easy to finance, with 60–80% of the property price.
If you already live and pay taxes in Portugal, you are assessed as a resident, with financing of up to 90% for your main home.
Plan for a down payment of 20% to 40% of the price, plus purchase costs. The same Banco de Portugal rules apply to every borrower; banks then add their own criteria for non-residents with income in dollars.
| Rule | What it means for a US buyer |
|---|---|
| Maximum financing (LTV) | Usually 60% to 80% of the lower of price or valuation for a non-resident |
| Debt-to-income ratio (DSTI) | All loan payments, in the US and in Portugal, must stay under 45% of net income, tested at a higher rate |
| Maximum term | 40 years up to age 35, 35 years after; most banks also cap your age at the end of the loan, often around 75 |
| Loan currency | Euro only; Portuguese banks do not lend in dollars |
| Rate | Fixed, variable (Euribor + margin) or mixed |
Your US mortgage, car loan and student loan payments count in the 45% ratio. So do credit card commitments at some banks.
Your loan is in euros, your income is in dollars. If the dollar falls, your real repayment burden rises. Banks protect themselves in one of three ways: they count only part of your USD income, ask for a larger down payment, or shorten the term.
This is where comparing banks changes the result most: two banks can offer very different amounts on the same US salary.
The simplest US profile. The bank looks at recent pay stubs, W-2 forms and your last two federal tax returns.
Financeable with a track record: two or three years of tax returns with Schedule C, and bank statements showing regular income.
The bank looks at your salary, distributions and the company’s accounts. We translate the US structure into terms a Portuguese credit analyst understands.
Social Security and pension income are stable and well regarded. The constraint is the maximum age at the end of the loan.
The list is the same as for any non-resident, with US versions of each document. Most banks accept them in English; some ask for a certified translation.
You can go from first call to signed deed without living in Portugal. Most US clients fly in once, or not at all.
See also our step-by-step guide to buying property in Portugal as a foreigner.
1
Obtained remotely through a representative. US residents, being outside the EU/EEA, usually need a fiscal representative.
2
We present your file to the Portuguese banks and get you a budget before you make an offer.
3
You sign the promissory contract, often by digital signature or power of attorney.
4
The bank’s valuer visits the property; you don’t need to be there.
5
You sign in person, or through a power of attorney (procuração) signed at a US notary with an apostille, or at a Portuguese consulate.
Allow around 45 days on average between a complete application and signing. Collecting US documents and apostilles is usually the longest step.
Purchase costs are paid from your own funds, on top of the down payment. Since 25 May 2026, non-resident buyers of urban residential property pay a flat 7.5% IMT in most cases, instead of the progressive scale.
Estimate your IMT and stamp duty in seconds with our calculator → Select “Non-resident” to apply the 7.5% rate and see what you could recover if you become a Portuguese tax resident within two years.
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| IMT (property transfer tax) | Flat 7.5% for most non-resident buyers |
| Stamp duty on the purchase | 0.8% of the price |
| Stamp duty on the loan | 0.6% of the amount borrowed (loans of 5 years or more) |
| Bank fees and valuation | Vary by bank |
| Notary, land registry, lawyer | Vary; a lawyer is recommended for non-residents |
US citizens are taxed on worldwide income. Owning Portuguese property and bank accounts can bring US reporting duties (FBAR, Form 8938) and affect rental income taxation. We do not give tax advice: talk to a US cross-border tax adviser; we can recommend specialists.
The new 7.5% IMT law explained → · IMT & stamp duty calculator (non-resident option) →
Two recent files, anonymised. Every profile is different: book a call to see what applies to yours.
An American couple with two children, moving to Portugal.
A US citizen living in New York, buying an apartment in central Lisbon to rent out.
We present your US income and documents the way each bank expects, so your application moves fast.
W-2, 1099, LLC or S-Corp: we translate US paperwork into the criteria Portuguese banks use.
We compare rate, margin, insurance and total cost, not just the headline rate.
Credit intermediary registered with Banco de Portugal under no. 0006447. We are paid by the banks.
Yes. Portuguese banks finance US citizens as non-residents, generally at 60 to 80% of the property price, on the basis of their US income. You do not need to live in Portugal or to hold a residence permit, and the whole process can be done remotely, in English.
Yes. There is no restriction on Americans buying property in Portugal, whether or not they live there. You need a Portuguese tax number (NIF). Since May 2026, non-resident buyers pay a flat 7.5% property transfer tax (IMT) in most cases: estimate it with our IMT and stamp duty calculator.
As a US citizen, you sign a W-9 form when you open your Portuguese bank account, and the bank reports the account to the IRS each year. It is a standard formality: it does not create any new tax and does not prevent you from getting a mortgage. We prepare it with you as part of your file.
Yes. Your US income is assessed like any foreign income, often with a discount for currency risk.
No. You can buy and borrow without living in Portugal. Buying property no longer leads to a Golden Visa since the 2023 reform.
No. Portuguese mortgages are in euros; your currency risk is managed through the down payment and the term.
Around 45 days on average between a complete application and signing.
Not necessarily: a power of attorney with an apostille lets a representative sign for you.
Yes. We are paid by the partner bank that grants the loan.
We’ll tell you which banks can finance you, how much you can borrow and what documents to prepare.
