What does alvará de licença mean in Portugal?
The alvará de licença was the formal document issued for a building licence. Since the 2026 reform, references to alvarás mean the title of the operation: the payment receipt, the filed application and the approval notice or proof of tacit approval.
- Rests on
- RJUE, art. 4.º-A n.º 2; Decreto-Lei n.º 108/2026, art. 9.º n.º 3
- Law
- Decreto-Lei n.º 555/99 (RJUE), as republished by Decreto-Lei n.º 108/2026
- Version
- In force since 1 October 2026 (Decreto-Lei n.º 155-B/2026)
- Official text
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/108/2026/05/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
- Sources
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/108/2026/05/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/155-b/2026/07/31/p/dre/pt/pdf
data.dre.pt/eli/declretif/29-a/2026/07/27/p/dre/pt/pdf - Checked
- 2026-11-05
What it means for the owner
- The alvará de empreiteiro is a different document: it is the contractor's certificate issued by IMPIC.
- Changes to alvarás issued under older laws follow the current RJUE (art. 125.º).
- A licence for a subdivision with cessions also carries proof of the cessions made (art. 4.º-A n.º 5).
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