Portugal has some of the strictest planning laws in Europe, which were introduced in the early 1990s, and generally you will only be granted planning permission where a piece of land has an existing dwelling or ruin or is within an established urban area with mains services (water, electricity and drainage etc). However before you purchase a plot of land or ruin, it is advisable you contact the local Câmara and ask to consult it's PDM (Plano Director Municipal), which will indicate whether a plot is urban, reserva agricola (farmland) or reserva ecológica (ecological reserve). If you wish to construct a new building or even reconstruct a ruin it is important to to liaise with the local Câmara.

Planning permission can be a time consuming affair in Portugal and it is not unusual for a project to take up to a year to be passed. Submitting planning permission in Portugal is a two fold procedure and it is best to work with an architect.

The Projecto de Arquitectura (Architectural Project) is a comprehensive brief including architectural drawings, topographical survey and list of materials to be used. This is submitted to the Câmara first for approval.

After you receive approval for the Projecto de Arquitectura you will be informed by the Câmara and asked to purchase an Aviso notice, which must be displayed on the ruin or land you intend to construct, to inform your neighbours of your intention of the construction. Failure to display this notice does result in a fine.

Then the Projecto de Especialidades (Specialities Project) is then submitted. This part of the project covers the engineering required to complete the build, information on septic waste removal, water and so on and is usually compiled in conjunction with an engineer.

Once the projecto de especialidades has been approved by the council your builder can then pick up the Licença de Obras from the Câmara. A Licença does cost money and that cost is worked out by a formula which includes the percentage of total coverage of your build and the length of time proposed the build to take.

Once you have completed your build the Câmara will inspect the site and ensure the finished project adheres to the one you submitted for approval. If everything is in order the project will be signed off and the Câmara will provide a ficha technica (technical file) and habitation licence.

For smaller jobs such as replacing a roof you may only be required to apply for a License, which is a speedier and cheaper process, therefore it is advisable you consult the Câmara on any work you proposed.
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