The differences at a glance
| Caderneta predial | Certidão permanente predial | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Tax authority (Finanças) | Land Registry (registry offices) |
| Used for | Taxes: IMI, IMT and the taxable value | Proving ownership and charges |
| Identifies the property by | Tax article (artigo matricial) | Description number (número da descrição) |
| Shows | Holder for tax purposes, areas, use and taxable value (VPT) | Owners, mortgages, seizures, usufruct and pending registration requests |
| Who can get it | The holder of the property, on the Portal das Finanças | Anyone |
| Validity | 12 months | 6 months |
What the caderneta predial is
It is the tax office document with the details of the property in the tax register (matriz predial): tax article, location, areas, use (housing, commerce, land), taxable value and holders. It is the basis for calculating the IMI and IMT property taxes.
The caderneta does not prove ownership. The tax register exists for tax purposes only: the name on it may not be the registered owner, for example when an inheritance has not yet been divided. It does not show mortgages or seizures either.
What the certidão permanente predial is
It is the Land Registry certificate, viewed online with an access code. It shows who the owners are and every charge registered against the property, and it is legally valid before notaries, banks and courts. The guide certidão permanente predial: what it is and what it is for explains the content in detail.
Why you are asked for both
At a deed of sale, the notary or the Casa Pronta service checks two different things: on the permanent certificate, that the seller is the owner and which charges exist; on the caderneta, the tax article and the taxable value, which are used to assess the IMT and stamp duty.
The two documents have to match. If the area, the tax article or the layout of the property differ between the caderneta and the certificate, the discrepancy usually has to be corrected before the deed. It is worth comparing the two at the very start of the transaction.
Besides these, the energy certificate and identification documents are normally required. The notary or the bank may ask for others, such as the licence of use.
And the certidão de teor?
The term is used for two different documents:
- Certidão de teor from the Land Registry. The paper certificate, issued at the counter of a registry office, with the content of the description and the entries of the property. For entries in force, the permanent certificate replaces it for all legal purposes, and nobody can demand paper from someone who hands over the code. The paper certificate is still needed in particular cases, for example when old entries that are no longer in force are required.
- Certidão de teor matricial. Issued by the tax office, it reproduces the content of the tax article, like the caderneta predial. It has nothing to do with the Land Registry.
I only have the caderneta. Can I order the certificate?
Yes. The caderneta has what is needed to order the permanent certificate by tax article: the parish, with its 6-digit code, the type of property (urban or rural), the article number and, for a flat, the unit letter. The registry office finds the description from these details.
See how to get a Portuguese land registry certificate online or order the permanent certificate with the details from the caderneta.