What is a CPCV in Portugal?

The CPCV is the promissory purchase and sale contract. It usually sets the deposit, deadline to escritura, buyer and seller obligations, financing conditions, penalties and what happens if either side fails to complete.

Can I lose my deposit after signing a CPCV?

Yes. If the buyer defaults without protection written into the CPCV, the deposit can be forfeited. If the seller defaults, Portuguese practice often requires the seller to return double the deposit, depending on the contract.

Who should review the CPCV?

A qualified Portuguese property lawyer should review it before signature, especially for foreign buyers, financed purchases, remote signing, older properties or unclear documentation.

CPCV risk review

The CPCV is where deposit risk becomes real.

The CPCV, or contrato-promessa de compra e venda, is the promissory purchase contract that comes before the final deed in Portugal. For a foreign buyer it is the moment deposit risk becomes real, so the contract needs to protect your financing position, deposit, deadlines, document rights, and ability to walk away if key checks fail.

By Emanuel Tamir, Real Estate Advisor

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Before reservation deposit

Avoid paying a non-refundable reservation amount before basic document checks are clear.

Before CPCV signature

Make sure financing, document and deadline protections are written into the contract.

Before escritura

Confirm IMT, Stamp Duty, bank release, notary documents and seller authority are ready.

CPCV questions foreign buyers ask

What is a CPCV in Portugal?: The CPCV is the promissory purchase and sale contract. It usually sets the deposit, deadline to escritura, buyer and seller obligations, financing conditions, penalties and what happens if either side fails to complete.
Can I lose my deposit after signing a CPCV?: Yes. If the buyer defaults without protection written into the CPCV, the deposit can be forfeited. If the seller defaults, Portuguese practice often requires the seller to return double the deposit, depending on the contract.
Who should review the CPCV?: A qualified Portuguese property lawyer should review it before signature, especially for foreign buyers, financed purchases, remote signing, older properties or unclear documentation.

Keep reading

The CPCV sits inside the wider purchase. Our guide to buying a house in Portugal walks the full path from NIF to keys, and the buyer-side legal review page covers what a Portuguese lawyer verifies before deposit, before signature, and before the deed.