The new legislation, expected to enter into force in 2017 after approval by the Council of Ministers, will be followed by more detailed legal information. What is already known is that owners will have a two‑year exceptional period during which they can register certain properties free of charge.
If you own land that is missing from the tax registry (matriz) or properties for which you are the de facto owner, you will be able to register them at no cost, either at dedicated physical counters in civil registry offices or via an online “virtual counter”. No administrative fees will be charged.
This measure is particularly important for rustic properties in the North and Centre of Portugal, where land is highly fragmented (minifundia). Many private owners have long postponed registration because the costs and bureaucracy often exceeded the market value of their small agricultural plots; they will now be able to regularise their situation without additional expense.
At the end of this special period, the State will hold more precise information on land that has not been registered by private owners and is already under its control or may transition to public ownership. The Ministry of Agriculture has announced that, after the two‑year period, it plans to lease and later sell unclaimed properties, with a further reserve period in which legitimate owners may still assert their rights once tenants’ good management has been confirmed.
Rita Duarte | [email protected]