What is a CPCV in Portugal?
A CPCV (contrato-promessa de compra e venda) is the promissory contract signed in Portugal before the final deed, fixing the price and completion date. The buyer pays a deposit (sinal) when signing it.
Last updated · Buying & ownership glossary
About CPCV (promissory contract)
Under Portugal's Civil Code, a deposit paid as sinal works both ways: a buyer who walks away loses it, and a seller who walks away generally owes the buyer double. The contract can set other terms, so its wording matters.
The sale itself completes later, when the escritura is signed and registered.
- Also called
- contrato-promessa de compra e venda, promissory contract
- Where it applies
- Portugal
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with a licensed local attorney before you buy.
Related terms
- NIF (Portugal)
- The NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) is Portugal's tax identification number. Anyone buying property in Portugal, resident or not, needs one before signing the purchase contract.
- Escritura pública
- An escritura pública is a public deed: the formal document, drawn up and certified by a notary, that transfers ownership of real estate in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. It is then recorded in the public property registry.
- Public property registry
- The public property registry is the government record of who owns each parcel of land and of the mortgages, liens and easements attached to it. A buyer's title search starts there.