This section of the website is designed to help you with information about important topical issues in the country where you are buying your property. For many of these issues, there is a good chance that you will have already received conflicting advice from different sources.

As with every part of the service at International Mortgage Brokers, the information given here is completely honest and unbiased. It is aimed to give you a general overview of the topics only. Although these pages do contain general guidance, professional assistance should always be sought before engaging on the purchase of an overseas property.

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Getting an NIF number
An NIF number is essentially a tax number for foreigners in Portugal.

According to Portuguese Law every foreigner who purchases property in Portugal has to obtain an NIF number, regardless of nationality and whether they intend to reside in Portugal.

It is advisable to apply for your NIF number at least 1 month before completion if you are applying in person in Portugal, and 2 months before completion if you are applying at a consulate abroad.

Using a specialist lawyer
Using a specialist lawyer when purchasing overseas is completely essential to ensure that the property purchase transaction is exactly what you expected.

One point to remember is that you wouldn't purchase a house in the UK without the use of a solicitor. Because you understand that there are certain issues that will arise requiring the help only a solicitor can provide you would not think twice about paying the fees. When buying overseas, the potential problems will not be so apparent and may not be covered at all by the property sales agent.

Not only will contracts be in Portuguese, but the Notary will only speak Portuguese and obviously Portuguese Law is very different to UK law. Using a Lawyer enables you to fully understand any contract that you sign and of the full implications of local planning laws.

At International Mortgage Brokers we only use tried and tested lawyers for overseas property purchase, as the standard across Portugal varies dramatically. We have been working with our current lawyers now for over five years.

Title deeds (Nota Simple) checking service
As you are probably aware through recent publicity, buying a property in Portugal can be fraught with risks. Illegal building projects and ownership disputes are all a reality in Portugal.

As one of the most experienced Portuguese Mortgage brokers on the market, we have the experience essential to helping you choose a property that is mortgagable before you commit any money to the purchase.

We have a free Nota Simple (title deeds) checking service that is backed by all the banks in Portugal exclusively for us. This service enables you, free of charge, to determine any ownership issues or any other problems with the title of the property. Because we check these crucial details on your behalf, you can be sure that no problems will occur with your mortgage application further down the line.

Agreement in Principle
An 'Agreement in Principle' is a document from a bank that states an agreement to lend a client a certain amount of money based on information the bank has received about the client's financial circumstances.

An agreement in principle is an indispensable tool to anyone looking to purchase a property in Portugal in a number of ways:

• You will know exactly how much you can afford to spend on a property
• If competing against someone else for a property, the seller will know that you are a serious buyer with the financial backing of a bank

At International Mortgage Brokers we obtain all of our Agreement in Principles directly from Banks in Portugal.

Recently it has come to our attention that some companies are offering an 'Agreement in Principle' instantly online, within 24 hours of enquiry etc. Unfortunately, these 'Agreement in Principles' are usually not valid and are not from banks but from the company offering the service.

If you consider that when a bank issues an agreement in principle, they commit themselves to lend money based on criteria being met.

Before a bank will do this they will need to check the clients details carefully which usually involves a separate risk department. Obviously this involves a lot of work and no money for the bank. This amounts to excessive levels of work for no money if they produce an agreement in principle for any client that enquires through a website.

The biggest problem in an agreement in principle that has not been checked by a bank is that the client has no come back on the agreement in principle. In fact the agreement in principle is worthless as it shows no official proof that you can afford the mortgage, or from a property sellers perspective that you have any financial backing.